The difference in our products? They are Certified Nickel Free™!   

What does Certified Nickel Free mean? It means that we carefully design our products, then test, re-test, and test again to guarantee that they will never cause a nickel allergy reaction. It’s a guarantee you can trust.

We specify the metals we want our manufacturers to use to create the hardware for our products, and they document the exact mix they use. We test those raw materials to ensure there is no nickel present, and then we test again after the product has been manufactured. Once the order is delivered to our facilities, we test for a third time! If even one buckle tests positive, we reject the entire lot.

What do we use instead of nickel?

You might be used to “hypoallergenic” products that can’t back up the claim. We want to be transparent with our production processes so you can feel as good about your purchase as your skin will. In the product specifications, we list the metal materials used: zinc alloy, pure titanium, stainless steel, or carbon fiber. The zinc alloy includes a mix of zinc, copper, aluminum, and magnesium.

While stainless steel is usually alloyed with nickel, when it’s made well, the nickel is so tightly bonded that the salts cannot leach out and cause an allergic reaction. That’s why we certify our stainless steel products with the Certified Nickel Safe™ seal, which holds the same weight as Certified Nickel Free: we guarantee that the product will never test positive for nickel ever.

What does the Certified Nickel Free seal mean to us?

In the early years of our business, we found out that many manufacturers were putting nickel-free plating over nickel-laden base metals; in fact, it appeared to be industry standard practice. Most of the prototype products we ordered tested positive for nickel immediately out of the box or after a gentle scrape. We were concerned because we knew our customers would be the ones to suffer with this type of design. Without our customers’ trust, we would not be able to thrive as a business.

At that point, we decided that a standard for nickel free was needed and we were going to set it, certify it, and guarantee it! Thus, the Nickel Smart® and Nickel Zero® brands were born and the new standard of excellence was established.

Long considered the experts in nickel allergy information, we leveraged our knowledge to introduce Certified Nickel Free and Certified Nickel Safe products and guarantee that our products will never cause a nickel allergy reaction. If you ever have a problem with or a question about our products, please contact us and we can help you find the ideal product for your unique needs.  

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