Body Armor 101 - Part 1

How Do You Choose the Right One?

There are tons of body armor options out there for departments and individual first responders to choose among. From soft inserts to ceramic plates to carriers, which ones are right for your needs? To better understand the choices, let’s go step by step through the various types of armor, threat levels, and certification processes.

Types of Armor

The two most common types of armor are “soft armor” and “hard armor.” Soft armor is commonly found in concealable armor, such as our 4PV and 4PV-FEM, the types of vests worn underneath a uniform shirt. These panels are made out of either tightly woven aramid threads, such as Kevlar or other similar material, laminates such as Dyneema, or a combination of the multiple types of these fabrics. Soft body armor does not deflect or repel bullets. Instead, it catches the bullet within the weave to dissipate the energy and prevent it from penetrating.

Hard armor is harder and thicker, commonly made from either steel or ceramic, and usually backed with pressed laminate. Each has its advantages and drawbacks. Hard armor is designed to shatter the round, dispersing the energy and preventing penetration. Many armor plates have an extra layer on the outside to reduce fragmenting.

While soft armor tends to be fairly lightweight and suitable for everyday wear, hard armor is heavier, so it is reserved largely for tactical vests and any application where the wearer will have it on for a relatively short period of time.

Threat Levels

Body armor, either soft or hard, is designed to stop only certain types and calibers of bullets.

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) sets the standards for “threat level,” the measure of stopping power based on the caliber and velocity of the projectile.

Threat levels fall into five categories: IIA, II, IIIA, III, and IV. Each higher category protects against higher-level threats than the previous one.

Concealable soft armor typically rates to level II or IIIA, designed to stop pistol rounds. Hard armor plates rate as high as IV, tested to stop certain types of armor-piercing rifle ammunition.

NIJ-Compliant vs. NIJ-Certified

The NIJ not only sets ballistic armor standards, it also runs an extensive testing program and encourages manufacturers to submit their armor panels, both soft and hard, for testing at their facilities. The test includes not only ballistics tests to determine threat level, but also endurance tests, such as immersion the armor in water for 30 minutes and a high-humidity/high-heat test to see how well the fibers hold together under adverse conditions. Armor that passes official NIJ laboratory testing is labeled as “NIJ-certified,” the highest rating that armor can achieve. Because it is so thorough, NIJ testing is a long and expensive process.

To save money, sometimes manufacturers opt to make armor that satisfies the NIJ written standard but is not actually tested by the NIJ. This armor is label “NIJ-compliant.”

While this armor may stop bullets just as well as NIJ-certified armor, the NIJ cannot verify that the armor will perform as claimed. Propper only sells NIJ-certified armor.

In Part 2, we will explore critical elements in selecting the right armor for your needs:

- Factors that Impact Armor Effectiveness

- Ceramic vs. Steel vs. Polyethylene

- Which to Choose

- Correct Fit