Stay Safe And Stylish: Women’s Stab Vests For Personal Security

Most ‘off-the-shelf’ armour is unisex, hence it is already designed with both men and women in mind however, specially made female fit armour can make it more comfortable for wearers in some instances.

From our experience, the majority of female wearers are comfortable in standard unisex fitting due to them being highly adjustable for all body shapes and don’t feel women’s body armour is needed, but every wearer is different, so we’ve put some information below on specially made female fit body armour to help in deciding if female fit body armour is required.

The Mechanics

Our body armour plates are 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.
The plates consist of multiple layers, each serving 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. 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.

When it comes to women’s armour, this technique of layering the sheets means that we can fold the layers over to create extra room where it’s needed. We use the same armour plates in our female fit vests as the unisex product.

Design Considerations

They carry the same level of protection and are not thinner as we are able to fold the layers over to create the extra room, nothing is removed. As our women’s vests are not produced using cups or moulding there is no noticeable shape or outline to them. As the layers in the plates are folded over the finish is as smooth as possible, with no visible points or protrusions.

Female Fit Sizing and Fitting

A lot of people believe that to get maximum, effective protection, body armour needs to be tailored and ‘made-to-measure’. This is simply not the case. 99% of wearers can safely and comfortably wear standard sizes, as good armour can be adjusted at several points so it fits even more closely.

Whilst we previously offered to measure customers, over the years it has become apparent that it’s actually more accurate for wearers to try on the armour directly. This way, wearers can ensure they get a comfortable snug fit in the actual armour rather than relying on body measurements. This makes the whole process a little easier, as you don’t need to arrange for all staff to be available on the same day for a measuring exercise and they can try the vests on when they are next on site.

We recommend that any wearers that are unsure whether they need a female fit vest should try on a stock vest to ascertain which size they need e.g. S, M, L etc and then if they feel they would like extra room in the chest we will make whichever size they need e.g. an XL Female Fit. We wouldn’t make-to-measure as it were.

FAQs

Does women’s stab vests offer a different level of protection to unisex armour?

We use the same armour plates in our female fit vests as the unisex product.  They carry the same level of protection and are not thinner as we are able to fold the layers over to create the extra room, nothing is removed.

Do all women have to wear a female fit vest to get the correct level of protection?

No, it really is personal preference and it doesn’t affect the protection level. Those that are larger than a D cup don’t have to have a Female Fit and they may be perfectly comfortable without needing a special make. This is why we recommend that any wearers that are unsure whether they need one should try on a stock vest first.

Are body measurements needed in order to supply a women’s stab vest?

Not at all, we recommend wearers try on a stock size to ascertain if they need extra room – we don’t make-to-measure for female fit.

Is it noticeable when someone is wearing a female fit vest?

It shouldn’t be. As our female fit vests are not produced using cups or moulding there is no noticeable shape or outline to them. As the layers in the plates are folded over the finish is as smooth as possible, with no visible points or protrusions.