OUR STORY

Ever since my mother-in-law was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, her ability to move around has decreased to the point where she needs a wheelchair to get around. It has been increasingly difficult to dress her as well. Clothing that looks good and easy for her to put on is hard to find. So my wife and I thought we could make a warm poncho for her to wear that was easy to put on. We also wanted to take it a step further by making it waterproof yet breathable, in case we were caught in a sudden rain shower. The result, our sample poncho was a hit with my mother-in-law, she absolutely loved it. She also received a lot of compliments from many people as well, some asking where they can buy one for their loved ones. So my wife and I decided to start our small company based in San Diego California.

 

All our materials are USA made and sewn in the USA. We hire skilled retired seamstresses who sew each item of clothing with pride. We hope you enjoy our ponchos for you or for your loved ones as much as my mother-in-law does.

 

Why the name Béla Gear? The name Béla is a common hungarian name. By tracing its development since its earliest recorded occurrence in the hungarian language, Béla translates to bél meaning heart, innard, intestine or guts. In symbolic terms it means to have guts or be brave, to have character or even be noble. Our logo is a hybrid lion and eagle, the lion representing courage and the eagle representing freedom as well as courage to push ourselves beyond what we are capable of. Interestingly my father's middle name is Béla. I wanted to honor my father because he is an immigrant from Hungary who escaped Soviet occupied (communist) Hungary in 1956. He was 14 years old at the time and escaped with his parents and siblings at the risk of losing their lives. My father was brave enough to the point of pushing himself along with his family to be free. To this day my dad is still a very hard worker and he still teaches me many useful lessons in life. The message here is that if you have a dream, do not be afraid to pursue it, even if you have physical limitations.

 

We encourage all to:

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Be Bold - Be Fearless - Be Strong

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