Soft Body Armor

The Pros of Soft Armor

• Flexibility: Soft armor, as the name implies, has no fixed form. Its flexible nature will conform to the small movements of your body when worn. In addition to its flexibility, soft armor is relatively lightweight, lending its usage to concealability and comfortable long-term wear. 
• Protection & Capability: Soft armor is usually rated to NIJ standard 0101.06 Level IIIA, which means it's capable of addressing most handgun rounds up to and including a 230GR .44 Magnum @ 1,430 feet per second (FPS). In addition to this, all soft armor is multi-hit capable.
• Proven Track Record: Soft armor has a proven track record of saving lives, being possibly the widest field-tested form of body armor on the market. Police officers see the widest employment of this type of armor and most officers can attest that they know someone who was saved by their issued soft body armor.

The Limits of Soft Armor

• Maximum Limit: As mentioned above, soft armor has a maximum limit. This limit is relevant to a projectile's mass over velocity equation, with the maximum “survivable limits” of that formula being the ballistics of a 44 magnum, or a 230GR projectile going at 1430 feet per second. 
• Can’t Address Rifle Rounds: Soft armor is not capable of addressing any common rifle rounds like 5.56x45mm or 7.62x39mm. This means if your threat-assessment needs include rifle rounds - soft armor will not provide the level of protection needed and you will need to look into UHMWPE, steel, or ceramic rifle plate options to meet those concerns.
• Higher Level of Backface: In addition to being susceptible to all rifle rounds, soft armor tends to backface at a higher level than other armor types due to its pliable nature. This means that, although you can certainly stop multiple incoming rounds, or even stop rounds above the IIIA rating such as a 12GA shotgun, you may not see the benefits due to backface forces. Backface deformation’s force is best mitigated by the usage of a Trauma Pad when possible.

Maintenance and Cleaning

There’s a good chance your carrier will endure some dirt, sweat, and even blood. Even the best-ventilated carriers can start to smell and look a little nasty after a while. To restore it to its prior glory, just follow these steps:

1. Do not wash. Meaning, do not throw it in the washer machine.
2. Do a light hand scrubbing. Some warm, soapy water and a normal washcloth should be enough to get the job done.
3. For tougher stains, you may want to just try a toothbrush with some warm, soapy water. 

Don’t worry about the water. The Cordura and nylon are very water-resistant. In most cases, this should really be all you need. The antimicrobial foam on the inside of the plate carrier keeps things nice and sanitary. For some, a light spray of odor eliminator like Febreeze might do the trick once in a while.

What is the Difference Between Rimelig and Hybrid Soft Armor?

First, it is important to note that they are both rated for the same threat level, which is IIIA. That specifically is a rating to stop 6 shots of a .44 magnum up to 1,400 fps.

As far as characteristics of the armor panels, the Rimelig is made of an Aramid fiber panel and a trauma pad backer. It is .50” thick and is a bit stiffer compared to the Hybrid panel. It still will bend and is a bit flexible, but not as much as the Hybrid panel.

The Hybrid panel is .25” thick and made of a multi-layered combination of Spectra Shield, Gold Shield, and Kevlar. The Hybrid is more flexible than the Rimelig as stated above.

Those are the major and noticeable differences between the two panels. If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask