Shopping for protective equipment means meeting a lot of jargon. This glossary explains the terms you will see across our store in plain English.
Protection standards
- NIJ is the US National Institute of Justice, whose levels are the most referenced ballistic standard.
- NIJ IIIA is a popular soft-armour level designed to help against many common handgun rounds and fragments. Levels explained.
- Level III / IV are hard-armour rifle levels.
- SGS / VPAM are testing bodies and standards used to grade stab and spike resistance.
- EN388 is the European standard behind cut-resistance levels.
Materials
- UHMWPE is ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, a light, strong soft-armour fibre. More on UHMWPE.
- Aramid is the other common soft-armour fibre, often known by brand names.
Gear and fit
- Soft armour means flexible panels for handgun-level protection.
- Hard armour / plates are rigid inserts for rifle threats.
- Plate carrier is a vest that holds hard plates.
- MOLLE is webbing that lets you attach pouches and accessories.
- Covert / overt means concealable under clothing versus worn on top.
- Stab vs spike means resisting blades versus resisting pointed weapons.
Keep reading
New to all this? Start with how to choose body armour, or browse the full range.
R Supply Store supplies protective equipment with manufacturer-stated ratings that are not independently verified by us. Nothing here is bulletproof against every threat, and this article is general information, not legal advice. Civilian ownership of body armour is legal in England, Wales and Scotland; buyers are responsible for confirming ownership and import legality for their location.