Concealable Body Armour: What Is It?

Are you looking for ballistic protection to conduct your regular activities without worry? Concealable body armour is the way to go forward whether you're a police officer, paramedic, security guard, or ordinary citizen.

Concealable Body Armour: What Is It?

The UK body armour manufacturer sells covert body armour, as the name implies, any protective gear concealed from view. So nobody will notice that you are wearing body armour save for the most skilled eye.

In the event of danger, this gives the wearer a tactical advantage. Obvious body armour will draw attention and encourage would-be attackers to choose a vulnerable area of your body to attack. Additionally, hiding body armour prevents alarming otherwise law-abiding persons.

Concealable soft body armour that may be worn under conventional clothing allows the wearer to choose the proper uniform or simple attire.

Concealable body armour is typically best suited for people who might face a threat from a weapon or perform tasks that call for discretion or secrecy.

Protective vests and carriers are the most common types of concealable body armour. In addition to these, professional and informal clothing is available, ranging from hoodies and singlets to three-piece suits and tees.

Fasteners on the outside are a no-no since they would show through outerwear and give the game away, and concealable armour is specially designed to avoid being found.

The same holds with unobtrusive body armour, which typically comes in lighter monochrome hues with limited to no design possibilities.

What Composite Is Concealable Body Armor?

In essence, covert body armour has a carrier garment and integrated armour. Typical materials for the carrier include cotton and nylon, which are traditional fabrics. However, concealable body armour is typically worn close to the body, so the carrier will be lined with breathable and moisture-wicking materials to reduce sweat buildup and keep the wearer cool and dry.

The protective material is placed inside the carrier to prevent deadly injury to the wearer's heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and non-vital thoracic organs. Typically, the front and back are covered by ballistics. A wearer may occasionally add side protection or restrict protection to the carrier's front.

Soft armour, permanently sewn into the carrier or packed into detachable panels, protects by default.

Typically, para-aramid cloth or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene [UHMWPE] creates soft armour inlays.

Based on the type of concealable body armour, the protective material is tough enough to withstand a knife stab, stop an incoming gunshot or even both. It is between 5 and 20 times stronger than steel and creates a "web" of densely woven and multi-stacked fibres.

The protective clothing works because the knife or bullet gets trapped in the fabric mesh and cannot enter the body of the wearer. In the case of a bullet especially, the material also significantly reduces the force of the projectile's contact and redistributes its energy throughout the entire armour while deforming the bullet's tip into a much safer disk-like shape.

For added damage prevention, some concealable body armour has add-on compartments in the front, back, and occasionally the sides that can accommodate Trauma Pads, which are supplementary non-ballistic armour inserts.

What Distinguishes Concealable Vests From Overt Body Armour?

Overt body armour, in contrast to covert body armour, is typically worn under the clothing. Overt body armour can be coloured to assist the user in blending in, or it can be hi-viz to stick out or act as a visual deterrent depending on the circumstances. It typically handles rifle bullets at NIJ Level III or IV.

Often, it is specified as an exterior carrier vest into which many hard armour plates composed of metal or ceramic composite are inserted. This type of body armour is also known as "tactical body armour."

Consequently, overt body armour is much more protective than concealable body armour but is also thicker and more inflexible. Therefore, overt armour is often only worn for a limited time.

People who have been sent to places with a high risk of getting fired use it. Soldiers, S.W.A.T. teams, marines, special operations personnel, and international news reporters covering conflict zones fall under this category. Finally, an overt body armour kit is frequently equipped with Modular Lightweight Load-Carrying Equipment (MOLLE), which is utilised to attach additional tools and supplies via the Pouch Attachment Ladder System (PALS) webbing.

Takeaway

Choose from various concealable armour options, including bulletproof vests, to achieve the discrete, light, comfortable ballistic protection you need. Safety comes first, and choosing armour to stay safe is a serious choice that shouldn't be made carelessly. To get the proper body armour, one must first learn everything there is to know about it.