Bruce Bolt

Summary

Based in Austin, TX, BRUCE BOLT is a family owned and operated batting glove company used by MLB players. The company was started in 2017 by Bear Mayer, a 16-year-old baseball player who recognised the need-gap for better batting gloves. His vision, hard work and resilience led to the formation of BRUCE BOLT.

History

BRUCE BOLT was started in 2017 by sixteen year old Bear Mayer, who saw a need for better baseball batting gloves. Today the team looks to outfit athletes both on and off the field with premium equipment and apparel.

“My dad told me to start a company,” Mayer told The Post. “Obviously I didn’t know the first thing about it, and he told me what’s something that I love and something within the game [of baseball] that I think needs to be fixed. Immediately what came to mind was batting gloves.”

BRUCE BOLT was started in 2017 by sixteen year old Bear Mayer.

Almost everyone asks us, “Who is Bruce Bolt?” Per the official website: “Actually, Bruce is Bear’s grandfather. He was an exceptional athlete and a great baseball player who just loved to compete. He still tells great stories about when he played, like the first time he took over as starting SS for his prep school’s varsity team. He had 3 balls hit to him in a row. The first two were terrible errors, but the third one he turned into an unassisted triple play – that’s Bruce for you. And the “Bolt”? Well, that’s because Bruce is one of the few people in the world who’s been hit by lightning twice and lived to tell about it.”

The company history and evolution is interesting. In 2018, then 16-year-old Bear, with help from his father Gard Mayer, started Bruce Bolt, a company that specialises in manufacturing and selling high-quality leather batting gloves. The Lake Pointe teen also enlisted the aid of his mother and younger sister in the business. Over the past few months, the Mayers said, interest in the product has soared.

Bear reasoned getting a job would be difficult given his school and baseball schedule. The two discussed a problem the young man — a pitcher and middle infielder with Hyde Park’s Panther Baseball program — wanted to fix in the sport: batting gloves that easily tear and lack wrist support. So Bear created a design prototype for an improved batting glove and contacted Jeff Beraznik, who has a baseball glove manufacturing company that’s been in business for more than 80 years. Bear was introduced to Beraznik through mutual friends and the “glove king” set him up with a manufacturer in Korea, beginning Bruce Bolt’s career.

The company name is a combination of Bruce — the first name of Bear’s grandfather, Gard’s given name and Bear’s middle name — and the bolt symbol, a nod to two lightning bolts that struck Bear’s grandfather. Although it took a little while for the gloves to catch on, Mayer said the product is currently “moving off the shelf.” And now, some professional ball players have taken notice, with Kansas City Royals right fielder Brett Phillips, New York Yankees left fielder Terrance Gore, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Trevor Richards and Miami Marlins pitchers Pablo Lopez and Caleb Smith all donning Bruce Bolt batting gloves.

The business has a philanthropic aspect to it, donating gloves to RBI Austin, the local branch of a national nonprofit organisation aimed at mentoring disadvantaged youth through faith, education and baseball. For every pair of the tan gloves sold by the company, Bruce Bolt donates a pair of starter gloves to RBI Austin, a project that incentivised more professional players to don the product during play and support the cause.

BRUCE BOLT’s commitment to excellence is built on three fundamental pillars: design, materials, and craftsmanship. From the outset, the brand studied every premium batting glove on the market, identifying the best features and refining them to create a superior product. Every aspect of the design was carefully considered to accommodate the natural structure of the human hand. Recognising the conical shape of fingers, Bruce Bolt tailored its leather to fit more snugly at the fingertips. Similarly, understanding that the bones of the wrist do not form a straight line, the brand designed gloves that follow the medial articulation of the wrist, ensuring optimal comfort and durability.

“Our commitment to quality and performance is inspired by players striving to be their best on the field day in and day out. We take immense pride in knowing that our batting gloves are part of that process — providing the next generation with the comfort, durability, and confidence needed to swing for the fences,” says BRUCE BOLT Founder and CEO, Bear Mayer.

Vision

BRUCE BOLT operates under the guiding principle of “Be Better,” a philosophy that drives every aspect of the brand’s operations. From the beginning, founder ‘Bear Bolt’ aspired to create the best batting gloves in baseball but the pursuit of excellence did not stop there. With every completed design, the team would critically evaluate it, asking, “How can it be better?”

This relentless commitment to improvement extended beyond product design to encompass materials, craftsmanship, packaging, operations, and corporate responsibilities such as accounting and community engagement. By continuously refining every detail, BRUCE BOLT has established itself as a brand that prioritises innovation, quality, and a dedication to excellence.

The brand envisions for this mindset to inspire the athletes who use its products. Bruce Bolt encourages players not only to seek improvement in their performance on the field but also in their personal lives—whether in training, academics, relationships, or giving back to the community. The belief that perfection is unattainable but progress is always possible underpins the brand’s ethos. By instilling the “Be Better” mentality, Bruce Bolt hopes to empower players to embrace continuous growth in all aspects of their lives.

Mission Statement

BRUCE BOLT is driven by the team’s mission of constant improvement, and they want to amplify stories of people who are inspiring them to Be Better. No story is too big or small. By shining a spotlight on these inspirational people in our life, the team hopes to kindle a sense of empowerment and ignite a collective desire for continuous improvement beyond their sports community.

Image: brucebolt.com

Awards and Recognition

BRUCE BOLT is recognised for its superior craftsmanship. “We were fortunate to bring on a team that each average over 10 years of experience producing luxury leather products. They were instrumental in our choices around design to minimise wear zones and stitching to minimise contact zones with the hand to make our gloves feel more like luxury driving gloves than batting gloves,” per the official website. Each pair of gloves is handmade in small batches. This allows the team to strive for excellence with every pair they make. And they take tremendous pride in quality and craftsmanship.

Products and Services

BRUCE BOLT takes immense pride in its products, standing by the philosophy that if they do not meet the highest standards, they will be made right.

BRUCE BOLT

A defining feature of BRUCE BOLT’s innovation is the “double inverse” Long Cuff glove design with a 360 Wrap, a concept unparalleled in the industry. Inspired by the wrist support players achieve through taping, this design provides stability and control. The brand uses 0.9mm Cabretta leather, the softest yet most durable leather available. Over time, the leather moulds to the wearer’s hand, creating a personalised fit. Each glove is handcrafted in small batches by a team with over a decade of experience in luxury leather craftsmanship, ensuring impeccable quality.

In addition to the gloves, the company retails Baseball Bats, Bat Grip, Elbow Guards, Hand Guards, Leather Care, Leg Guards, Pine Tar and Sliding Mitts. And a line of apparel including baseball pants, hoodies and sweatshirts, joggers, shirts, shorts and softball pants. These looks can be accessorised with BRUCE BOLT Bands, Belts, Gloves, Headwear, Jewellery and Sleeves.

Key Team

Founder and CEO Bear Mayer