Review your body armor here.

[BPD_126]

Had ABA Extreme for a round, now with Second Chance. Both were IIIA. ABA was awesome because it was so thin. Second Chance is about twice as thick and twice as heavy.

[literocola]

Armorshield USA: Level 2a. Probably the least comfortable vest I've ever worn. I wore a Safariland for 2 years way back in 04 before NIJ6 and it was a lot better than this one but this armorshield thing is what my current agency supplies.

I'm looking for something much better! My wife is also a LEO with a large agency. She got a Second Chance Level 2 with trauma plates and it's a lot lighter than the one my agency provided and has a higher protection factor!

[Lady Blue]

I have been wearing a Savvy level IIIa for a little over a year. Prior to that I wore a mans vest. The Savvy is the most comfortable (relative I know, but still...) vest I have had since it is designed for a woman. It has more built in adjustment points than a mans vest, it is shaped to fit a woman's body, and most importantly I finally have a vest that doesn't leave me with gaps in coverage in some places and too much bulk in others.

[Rocket1487]

I wear a second chance IIIa vest. Before I had a streichers brand IIIa. I don't mind a little thicker vest. It fits great and broke in quick. The place I got it from sold it with a hard trauma plate three carriers total. Not a bad deal.

[stormz5192]

ABA extreme and I hate it. It's creased in the front. Will be getting fitted for a new one in Feb. state contract is PACA and ABA. I'll look at the upgrade choices while I'm there as well. I'll pay the extra few $ to be comfortable. Luckily, vests are ever changing and every 5 years when my warranty is up, they are much better.

[Caspertoo]

My agency has Armor Express. It's thin but form fitting and doesn't breath very well at all. The carrier is similar to neoprene and its awfully hot in the summer. The shoulder straps are just elastic so it doesn't stay in place and the weight is bore on your side straps more than the shoulder so ultimately your back kills. Of the 3 vests i've worn, this is by far the worst.

[SmallCityCop]

Point Blank Vision w/ Thor Shield- VERY comfortable!

US Armor - bulkier, heavier, feels more secure, but less comfortable. Does not breathe well in summer, keeps you warm in winter.... Edges started to roll within a few months from sitting and having items hitting it.

[apex]

All:
My agency is in the process of a complete gear overhaul/update. New guns, uniforms and vests. I got assigned vest detail.
I've had ABA (IIIA-felt like robo cop), Second Chance (II-awesome and comfortable..was made with Zylon and it turned out it wouldn't stop bullets...but super comfy), Point Blank (IIIA-awful is all the comes to mind) and now a Safariland (IIIA-back to robo-cop).

I'm super interested in the Dyeema or Spectra vest materials (uhmwpe) as they are thin and light. I'm worried some about heat though as we are in the hot and humid south.

I'm also really looking at the carrier materials as I think that's even more important than the vest most of the time. The ones with the really slick insides slide all over the place and guys just always seem to spend more time trying to get those back in place than anything else (that's the main reason I hated the Point Blank vest....inside so slick that it was like moving round inside a shell...I'd turn left and the vest would still be pointing straight ahead. it was awful.

I'd love any details you guys can give. I've been told that while price is important, its more important to have guys that'll wear their vests so I'm to find some good ones.

I'll take any advice and details you've got.

Thanks

[Resq14]

I'll quote myself from another thread:

GENERAL RULE OF ARMOR:

- LIGHTEST
- CHEAPEST
- BEST PROTECTION

CHOOSE ANY TWO

An armor SME Dr. Gary Roberts (linked to below) recommends the following for soft body armor for US LE officers:
- NIJ IIIA that also meets the FBI Armor Protocol
or
- NIJ IIIA 100% woven aramid (Kevlar, Twaron) construction

"Buyers should be wary, as there are laminated aramids, such as Gold Flex, that can be called 100% aramids, that are NOT the same as 100% WOVEN p-aramids."

Historically, soft body armor has not been tested against point-blank/contact shots. Some newer fabrics, blends, and laminates are compromised by the high-heat from muzzle blasts, allowing the round to compromise the armor. The FBI test includes contact shot evaluation. 100% woven aramids are also dependable in a contact shot situation. Armor companies usually try to push pricier and/or lighter models with the more exotic blends and laminates (SpectraShield, Dyneema, etc), so buyer beware.

Good info below -- important reading:

http://www.itstactical.com/gearcom/body-armor/soft-body-armor/

http://www.itstactical.com/gearcom/b...dy-armor-test/

[XD_Shooter]

Point Blank C-Series IIIA, uncomfortable after a few hours... Better then nothing and affordable. $450 delivered to my door. Would be better suited for someone to throw on in the field as needed (detective, admin, ect...) rather than wear 8-12 hours per day...

[EqualJustice]

Department issued Point Blank. No idea what protection level (no label), for all I know its got pay-doh inside. Probably a good idea for me to buy something myself, but hey, gotta pay those taxes!

On the upside its pretty comfortable for a vest.

[bulletproofer]

Here's a review on Red Eagle Body Armor vests http://www.practacsys.com/equipment/...tective-vests/

[ZGXtreme]

Guess it is my turn to bump this thread. My Synergy expires next month so my agency has prepped to order our group new vests. Of the vests offered on the bid, I was only able to try on the ABA Xtreme HP while I wanted to try on KDH's offerings with the Valor and the Transformer.

Any user input on the ABA vest, as well as the KDH offerings? The adventurer in me is tempted to jump at the Transformer for something different but wanted to reach out to you all and get your insight.

[axelfoley4]

Ive been through three vests technically. I first started on the job with a 9 year past expiration level 2 PACA vest. It obviously was not cut for my body and the edges were brittle but the vest was comfortable until it got really warm.

Next I was issued a safariland Extreme 3a? vest. It was one of the soft safariland vests. I hated it. Either it was cut wrong or just the wrong vest for me. It kept riding up and choking me while driving and felt so stiff it felt like a hard armor plate. That lasted less than a couple months.

I am currently running the U.S. Armor level 3a vest and loving every minute of it. The turn around time was much quicker than the safariland and it fits like a dream. After 2-3 months it broke in and I barely feel like on me. It vents the heat nicely in summer.

For those wondering... The 12 or so year old PACA vest got shot up with a full mag of .40 cal at 15 yards up to 1 foot away and not a single round went through the front or back. It even stopped a 12 gauge slug to the front hard plate. Theres your proof that you really dont need to replace them on the expiration date to have them save your life.

[Wallyworld51]

Have worn Second Chance level IIA Monarch for near 5 years now. Only body armor I've worn, so nothing to compare it to. Fairly light even with added Impact handgun plates. The concealed carrier is actually more comfortable than the external........I wear the external for convenience sake but I think my carrier is off size. I like it, though a bit warm in this weather, and am planning on buying the Summit level II in the next few months and will get re-measured for an external carrier w/webbing.