Body Armour

Keltic are one of the UK's largest and most reputable body armour suppliers. We have both stab vests and ballistic body armour available from stock, and also offer a made to measure service. Whichever you go for, we offer free badging or logos. We work in partnership with the foremost British body armour manufacturer, who work with the UK Government and the Home Office.

There are several links to this page which will help you decide what type of body armor is best for your staff. There is a choice between stab vest protection and ballistic body armour (which can include stab protection as well). There is also a choice between covert body armour (worn under the clothing) and overt body armour (worn over the clothing).

We can arrange for a free consultation, either over the telephone or in person, where our experts can make recommendations based on the environment in which your staff work - please call our Body Armour Department to arrange this or request our brochure, which contains our free body armor buyer's guide.

Our body armour is designed to offer maximum wearer comfort, and is the most technically advanced body armor on the UK market. The purpose of both covert and overt body armour is to protect the vital inner organs and hence prevent death or serious injury, and there is always a trade-off between protection and ease of movement. We offer the option to upgrade your body armour to include shoulder, neck, collar, upper arm and groin protection.

Below is some further information about the UK Home Office body armour standards, along with some words and phrases that may suggest a supplier's body armor is not adequately tested by the Home Office. We supply numerous Councils, Government Departments, Blue Chip Companies & the Emergency Services, all of whom insist on Home Office certified body armour. We can provide references from these customers that confirm our quality and service.

Information about Home Office standards

Every organisation has a duty of care to protect their staff. In dangerous professions this includes providing appropriately certified body armour. All the body armour we supply is certified by the Home Office to meet the stated standards. The Home Office tests are there to help employers fulfil their duty of care.

Please be wary of suppliers who say their body armour is "made to" a particular Home Office standard - ask them if it has been tested and certified by the Home Office (they should be able to show you their Home Office certification). If not it means they have attempted to re-create the Home Office test procedures, but not had it tested or certified by the Home Office. Many such items of body armour would fail the Home Office tests.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Does your stock body armour give protection from needles/syringes?
A: Yes. There is no Home Office standard for syringe protection, but our body armour provides protection from syringe threats nevertheless.

Q: Does body armour have to be made-to-measure to be effective?
A: No. The idea of a Stab Vest or Ballistic Vest is to protect the vital inner organs. Standard size body armor is suitable for more than 95% of people. If a member of staff is particularly tall, large, or an unusual shape, and standard size body armour does not adequately cover the vital areas or is uncomfortable, please contact us to discuss further.

Q: Does second-hand body armour provide adequate protection?
A: No. Body Armour has a shelf-life, and if you buy second-hand either off the internet or from an army surplus outlet, you have no comeback and no reassurance of it meeting quality standards. When people's lives are at risk we don't believe this is acceptable.

Q: Could you explain more about the free logo offer?
A: We offer a free logo or badge on all body armour purchases, for orders of 4 or more stab vests or ballistic body armour systems. Please call our Body Armor Department for further details.

If you'd like to take up our offer of a free consultation, either over the telephone or in person, please call our Body Armour Department or request our brochure for further information.