Beta vs Glossy BioThane



BioThane® strap comes in two coatings / finishes. Both have the same strong, web interior.

  • BioThane Beta looks and feels like Leather. Has a textured matte finish, like leather. It is used to create the traditional leather look in Western or English riding tack.
  • BioThane Glossy is smoother and is shiny. It’s thinner and lighter weight is popular with Endurance Riders, Racers and others. It also has a little more abrasion resistance. Some BioThane Glossy is Opaque, Some is Translucent and some is Translucent with a reflective strip. Its slick surface is not appropriate for the grip portion in your reins.
BioThane Beta and BioThane Glossy finishes come in many colors. Our Tack comes in a solid color of your choice; two-tone tack for a little “flash;” or, just to add a nice accent color to Browbands, Breast Collars & accessories. Our main designer uses the leather-like Beta with the Glossy accents frequently as you'll see in our photography. The Glossy & Beta can be mixed and matched together as you wish.

Color Match
If the BioThane colors are named the same, they are the same color.
Examples:
  • Violet Beta & Violet Glossy are the same color.
  • Red Beta and Glossy Candy Red are clashing reds. Not at all the same hue or complimentary

A word about Color Transfer - The brighter the Glossy color is, the higher the risk that the color can transfer or bleed. Example: The Glossy Neon Yellow bled at the edges when sewn onto a Turquoise layer of a browband. The bright color can also "jump" onto lighter colors if stored together. Usually it's faint & mild. Frankly, the result can be kinda cool like tie-die. This is a known, unpreventable risk to appearance only & does not impact the product's performance. Therefore, Color Transfer is not covered by our Lifetime Warranty.
Author's Note: I'm told that "Color Transfer" is a common industrial manufacturing term used about color pigments in Polymers. However, it was new to this Tack Girl and might be to many of you too.

BioThane®
Sometimes just called Beta or Bio or Gold or Glossy - it is the completely maintenance-free coated webbing strap we use to make our Horse Tack. The BioThane Beta feels and looks like leather but simply out performs leather in every way. This is why the Amish have been using it for their hardworking horse tack almost exclusively since 1977 when it was first put on the market. BioThane was invented, developed and is still manufactured in the USA.

Today, the same BioThane Beta and Glossy Gold series strap used in our Equine Tack is used by human athletes too. The protective pads used by every Professional & College Football player use BioThane strap. Snow shoes worn in climbs up Mt. Everest use BioThane straps instead of leather. BioThane is even used by NASA in outer space and by our Military. Because of its antimicrobial properties, it’s a preferred strapping material for gurneys in the Medical field, in Hospitals and by Emergency Medical Techs. Next time you see a construction worker doing high work, wearing a safety harness, chances are that harness relies on BioThane® straps. You can trust BioThane's materials when riding your Equine Athlete.

A few of BioThane’s Performance Advantages over Leather Horse Tack:

  • Wash 'n Wear - Dunk it in a bucket of soapy water or just hose it off. It’s that easy to clean.
  • Maintenance Free - No conditioners, oils or leather potions are ever required. BioThane will not dry out or crack.
  • Antimicrobial – Sweat, blood, germs, other gross stuff and their odor is not absorbed.
  • Strong –All BioThane is stronger than leather, and we go one step further—we use the “Super Heavy” Equine strength BioThane. The heaviest duty that is appropriate for horseback riding tack. Yet, it’s still 20% lighter in weight than leather.
  • Weatherproof – It does not get stiff in the cold, or gooey in warm weather. Not every horseback ride is on a sunny 70 degree day.
  • Waterproof – Cross a river, or get caught in the rain with one less concern. We heat seal every hole to assure our finished product remains waterproof.
  • Care Free – It will not Mold or Mildew. Go ahead; keep it in your horse trailer or barn year round. It’s even resistant to many chemicals (think Fly Spray & Medicines).
BIOTHANE ® is a registered trademark of BioPlastics Company, Inc. in North Ridgeville, OH and is used under license. All Rights reserved.
BIOTHANE ® is Made in America. Do not be fooled by offshore knock-offs, even if sold in the US

Who makes BioThane Tack?
SpecTACKular does. Right here in the USA! Just like leather horse tack manufacturers, who buy leather, then sew & assemble it to create their company's product. We create our own exclusive, original ideas and design patterns for every piece of the horse tack that we manufacturer and sell. We have chosen to use BioThane Beta strapping instead of leather to make our products. It's the best material for the job.

We are not a reseller. We do not copycat. Years of thought, experience, trial and error go into each tack pattern by real horseback riders. Every new tack design pattern is field tested by horseback riders on horses until the tack pattern is perfected and ready to be Made for You and your horse by SpecTACKular craftsmen.

You can purchase BioThane Beta tack elsewhere, but you cannot purchase the quality of SpecTACKular Tack anywhere else!