LIGHT Helmets on El Camino Real in Carlsbad designs, tests, and manufactures football helmets and protective headgear at its Carlsbad headquarters, using advanced materials transitioned from military aviation and auto-racing applications. The Apache and Gladiator ATK models hold Virginia Tech's highest Five-Star safety rating and NFL/NFLPA approval for the 2025-26 season, a performance standard relevant to the youth and adult athletes who also commission team trophies through SD Trophy. Founded by Nicholas Esayian, LIGHT Helmets (Safer Sports, Inc.) engineers its shells from composite nylon and chromoly facemasks, achieving finished weights at or below three pounds for the LS family of varsity and youth models. Proprietary EPP foam absorbs impact energy rather than redirecting it, a distinction from conventional polycarbonate-shell designs that rely on deflection alone. The interchangeable liner system in the LS2 allows players to resize the same helmet as they grow, reducing program equipment costs for the Pop Warner and high-school programs that also train at facilities like North County Martial Arts. The Gladiator ATK scored as the highest-rated all-position helmet in Virginia Tech's independent laboratory testing while weighing under three pounds thirteen ounces in its heaviest configuration.