Body Armour Guide 2022

Body Armour Guide 2022

There are many types of Body armour  on the market today, but it isn’t easy to guarantee that each manufacturer will make an excellent product. If you’re interested in learning more about body armour, read on

What is body armour?

Body armour is a protective system, designed to protect the wearer from death and serious injury. The system is designed to cover the wearer’s major organs and to prevent penetration from weapons. Body armour is a defensive garment formulated to hinder or mitigate harm caused by weaponry like guns, knives, blades or other pointed elements. They utilize materials that block an attack, minimizing penetration and potential injury. By offering targeted protection to vital body parts, these enhancements further reduce the risk of injury in threatening situations.  Also, body armour can act as a visible deterrent, discouraging potential attackers and deescalating confrontations.

Body armour can be made from several different materials including carbon fibre, ceramic and Kevlar. It must meet certain standards to be legally sold in the UK.

The history of body armour

Body armour has been around for centuries. Mail, or chainmail, was made from small riveted metal rings joined together to create a mesh-like shield to protect the wearer from arrows and swords.

Body warmer stab vest

In the late 1600s, firearms replaced swords and mail became ineffective against this new threat. So soldiers had to find ways to protect themselves from bullets and shrapnel.

During World War I, most armies began using steel helmets and breastplates as their standard uniform and during World War II, British soldier Malcolm C. Grow made a flak vest that protected soldiers from the effects of high explosives. It was made out of nylon and manganese steel plate.

Former US marine Richard Davis invented the modern version of body armour in the early 1970s. In 1969, Davis began making trips to different neighbourhoods in Detroit, where he would deliver pizzas for his shop. One day, he found himself on an empty street with several thugs aiming guns at him. Davis managed to escape with his life but could not get over the fact that no bulletproof vests were available for everyday people like him. He decided to make one himself.

Male & female body armour

This led to the development of a bulletproof vest prototype, and work began on the technology of the body armour we know today.

How does body armour work

Some individuals may mistakenly believe that body armour provides complete invincibility or protection against all types of attacks, including bullets. No body armour can protect from all threats in all circumstances and there’s no such thing as “stab proof” or “bulletproof” – body armour is stab, spike or bullet resistant to a particular protection level. Body armour is designed to protect vital organs from an attack and help dissipate the force of the attack. It is crucial to recognize the limitations and proper use of body armour to make informed decisions regarding personal safety.

It could protect from assault weapons such as pistols, shotguns, rifles, and submachine guns. Body armour can also be used for protection against knives, spikes and stab wounds.

The most popular type of body armour is Kevlar – a synthetic fibre that has been used in bulletproof vests since the 1970s. It is supremely strong, lightweight, and doesn’t tear or wear down easily.

What are the different types of body armour?

Stab vests

Stab vests are designed to stop stabs from penetrating your body and have various types of protection. They protect you against all the threats you might face on the job, including:

  • Spikes: Stab vests are made of a material that will not break when stabbed by a spike. They can stop the spike from piercing through your clothing and into your flesh.
  • Needles: Stab vests protect against needles by providing a layer of foam between the wearer’s skin and the needle, preventing the penetration of the needle into the wearer’s body.
  • Blunt trauma: Stab vests can protect you against blunt trauma attacks, which can occur when someone strikes you with their fist or another object to cause damage to your body.
Body armour

Protection levels

The protection level of a stab vest is a measure of how much protection it offers against an attack with a knife or similar weapon.

  • KR1 (Knife Resistance Level 1) and SP1 (Spike Resistance Level 1) are the levels of stab and spike protection recommended by the Home Office for general police duties.
  • KR2 (Knife Resistance Level 2) and SP1 (Spike Resistance Level 2) are the levels of stab and spike protection recommended by the Home Office for more dangerous police duties, such as armed patrol in higher risk scenarios, for example patrolling at airports or escorting prisoners.

The different levels refer to the number of Joules of energy from a knife (KR) and spike (SP) thrust that a vest can withstand, tested mechanically in Home Office laboratory conditions.

KR1 = 24 joules

KR2 = 33 joules

Ballistic vest

Ballistic vests absorb the impact of a firearm-fired projectile, with the added bonus of reducing or stopping penetration to your torso. They are designed to protect against both fragmentation and direct fire from firearms. They are often worn by police officers, military personnel, and civilians to protect their vital organs and other soft tissue.

Body armour guide 2022

Ballistic vest protection levels

The level of protection is determined by the vest’s rating.

  • HG1 (Handgun Resistance Level 1) is the level of protection recommended by the Home Office for general police duties where handguns may be encountered. This protects from standard ammunition fired from short-barrelled handguns.
  • HG2 (Handgun Resistance Level 2) is the level of protection recommended by the Home Office for higher risk scenarios for tactical firearms teams, special forces operations and situations where submachine guns may be encountered. This protects against standard ammunition fired from long barrelled handguns, 9mm carbines and submachine guns.

Lightweight body armour

While you might think that heavy body armour will make you feel more secure, the opposite is true. It can actually make you feel less safe because it weighs down your movements and slows your reactions.

lightweight body armour is made from thin, flexible sheets of high-performance fibres cut into shape and assembled in layers to give flexibility, so the plates can bend and move with the wearer. They are beneficial for those that need to wear body armour for an extending period of time and/or those that will be in and out of vehicles. Each layer serves a specific purpose in stopping or slowing down a knife blade. The outer layer acts as a sacrificial layer, designed to snag or deform the weapon and disrupt its trajectory. Underneath, the layers are arranged to provide additional resistance, reducing the weapon’s ability to penetrate the vest and reach the wearer’s body. The layered construction ensures that even if one layer is compromised, the subsequent layers offer continued protection.

Examples of the types of fibres used are aramid fibers (e.g., Kevlar) or ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (e.g., Dyneema). These are commonly used due to their exceptional strength and resistance. These materials possess high tensile strength and are tightly woven or laminated to create a formidable barrier against weapons. The mechanics involve the absorption and distribution of energy from an attack, reducing the force applied to a concentrated area and dispersing it across a larger surface area.

How to choose the right body armour

Here are some tips and tricks to help you make sure you choose the right product for your situation:

  • Analyse which threats you are likely to encounter:Do you expect to be attacked by knives, guns, syringes, blunt trauma, etc.? If so, choose body armour designed for those threats in mind.
  • Choose a brand that has a reputation for quality and safety:Selecting an unknown brand could result in an unsafe product, leading to injury or death.
  • Which home office protection level is required? Depending on what type of protection you want, various body armour levels are available. Is it just protection from knives and spikes or is protection from guns also required?
    Please note not all vests provide protection from syringes and blunt trauma – check in with your supplier.
  • Choose a style. Think about how you want the armour to look. Do you want casual body armour or something more formal? You might also want pockets in your armour and epaulettes on your shoulders.
  • Don’t forget about comfort. Everyone has different preferences when it comes to body armour; some people like it super snug while others prefer something looser around their waist or chest area so they can move around more easily while wearing them. The most important thing is that it fits well and doesn’t restrict movement.

Frequently asked questions

Who sets the body armour standards?

In the UK, armour standards are set by the Home Office. This means that body armour sold in the UK must comply with these standards published online.

What are NIJ standards?

NIJ standards are the American guidelines for law enforcement, private security, and forensic science professionals in America. The UK does not use NIJ standards – they have their national standards called Home Office standards.

Is it illegal to buy or sell body armour?

In the UK, buying or selling body armour is perfectly legal. However, you should look for body armour that is CE Marked. Body armour for civilian use falls under European Council Directive 89/686/EEC on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which states that any armour sold to civilian users must be CE approved. Only Police and Military wearers are exempt from this PPE legislation.

What is blunt force trauma?

Blunt force trauma is an act of violence where the attacker strikes a victim with a blunt object to inflict injury. The victim’s head, neck, and torso are at the highest risk of injury. Body armour can be used to protect against blunt force trauma, as well as other types of injury.

Is syringe and blunt trauma protection a requirement of Home Office standards?

There is no Home Office standard or protection level for syringe or blunt trauma attacks, and many stab vests with Home Office KR1 (knife) and SP1 (spike) certification can still be penetrated by syringes. These are serious threats that need to be protected from; an attack from a knife, spiked object or gun presents a more serious threat of death or serious injury, but blunt trauma (blows from blunt objects such as baseball bats, bricks, kicks) is a more frequent threat for many staff, and because of its very fine needle point, a syringe will penetrate the majority of conventional body armour.. To protect from these widespread and increasing threats, look for a vest with specific syringe protection, and if in doubt ask your supplier to visit you to demonstrate.