Im looking into some plate carriers and soft body armor and im curious what brands have a good reputation. Most of the threads and reviews I’m finding online are from years ago I’d like to know where things stand now.
From what I’ve gathered AR500 is no good. RMA is a respectable budget option. What else can you tell me?
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RMA is the go-to for budget armor.
Hesco is the real deal if you have the cash to spend. They range from basic models to outrageously expensive and featured, like $3-4k a plate.
I went with Mira Safety plates because they did well in one test I saw and they were a smidge lighter than others, and also not terribly expensive.Read my reply on these plates.For carriers, the Crye JPC is usually baby’s first plate carrier, but for good reason. There’s…really a lot of brands that make at least acceptable stuff. I like Direct Action for soft gear, good quality but a little pricey, and they’re a Polish company so you’re not 100% supporting domestic fash.
I would also consider at least getting some IIIa side panels (and therefore a carrier that can support them), if not getting something with full torso protection + the plates. Without a robust medevac apparatus, your vest stopping a round could be a life or death difference, and the coverage of the popular front+back carrier leaves a lot to be desired.
Excellent, thank you very much for your input. You pretty much covered all my bases.
Coming back to this because I learned something new, for you or anyone else who might come back to read this.
Mira Safety plates are likely rebranded Chinese stuff (and therefore has no NIJ certification) that does not have full protection at the plate edges. They are apparently not well regarded in the scene for these reasons.
I will be looking into replacing these plates and keeping them as spares. Goes to show you should do your research before dropping money.
If you plan to need them, also get training ones so you can familiarize yourself on moving around in them.
I would also recommend a suitable first aid kit, and again, familiarize yourself on how to use each piece of equipment, and for which kind of injury. Remember, in a stressful situation, you will fall back on your training.
Training in the real plates will risk degrading their integrity pretty quickly then?
What I’ve heard from veterans, plates basically needed to be replaced every deployment, roughly a year. The dings and dents from bumping into everything add up and can theoretically compromise the structure.
Mind you, I’d rather wear beat up plates or old plates than no plates. It’s a critical and regulated item, and so both the users and the manufacturers err well on the side of caution.