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Thinking clearly about body armor decisions

Armor decisions are rarely simple and the information is scattered. How professionals research products, verify makers, and make defensible choices.

ArmorList Editorial·February 9, 2026·4 min read

Information about body armor sits in several places: standards documents, compliance lists, test reports, manufacturer claims and an agency's own records. A body armor decision is easier to defend later when it follows the same order each time and leaves a written trail from the requirement to the record. This article sets out that order. The sequence is our position, stated as ours; the facts in it come from NIJ and its testing center, CJTTEC.

Start with the threat and the use

Before looking at products, write down what the armor must stop and how it will be worn. A concealable vest worn on patrol every shift and a rifle plate for a tactical team are different requirements. The threat sets the standard and the level; the use sets the cut, the coverage and the carrier. NIJ guidance on selection and fit advises agencies to select armor that gives full front, back and side protection, and discusses the balance between comfort and protection.

Read the level inside its standard

A level name means something only inside the standard that defines it. Under NIJ Standard 0101.07, the levels are HG1 and HG2 for handgun threats and RF1, RF2 and RF3 for rifle threats, defined with their test rounds in NIJ Standard 0123.00. The 0101.06 levels are a different set. NIJ 0123.00 maps some old levels to new ones (RF1 replaces Level III; RF3 replaces Level IV), but a model's listing does not carry over: a model is listed under 0101.07 only once it has been tested to it. Level IIA was retired with 0101.07. Levels from other bodies, such as the UK Home Office or VPAM, use their own threats and pass criteria. When a requirement is written under one standard and a product was tested under another, ask for a test report to your standard.

Verify the model, not the brand

  • Find the exact model on the NIJ CPL, or on the certifying body's own list for products outside it, such as ASTM E3347 for shields.
  • Check that the model offered is the model listed. The CPL is per model, and a sister model is not covered by its listing.
  • Note which list the entry is on (0101.07, 0101.06, stab or combination) and its status: Active, Suspended or Inactive.
  • For a plate, check whether it was tested alone or in conjunction with a specific soft armor model. An in-conjunction plate is used only with that soft armor.
  • Record the date you read each status.

A 0101.06 listing is not expired. NIJ stopped accepting new 0101.06 models on 5 January 2024 and anticipates maintaining that list through at least the end of 2029.

Weigh the trade-offs

Protection is one variable among several: weight, coverage, comfort, concealability and cost pull against each other, and the balance depends on who wears the armor and how often. NIJ has studied the factors that affect whether officers wear their armor. Measure wearers to ASTM E3003 and fit armor to the person. Make the trade-offs on purpose and record why.

Document the basis

Write down the threat, the standard and level, the exact model and list entry, the status and the date it was read, the configuration and the trade-offs. On ArmorList, a signed-in product page shows the model's CPL status as NIJ publishes it, the standard, and the date the list was read, which can go into that record.

Revisit on a schedule

A listing is not permanent. Listed models are subject to follow-up inspection and testing, and a model can be suspended under an NIJ Advisory Notice or removed under a Safety Notice. Under the program, manufacturers self-declare a ballistic performance warranty period on the label, and CJTTEC notes that no test in NIJ Standard 0101.06 is used to determine it. Tie a review to the warranty period and to new NIJ notices, and use the documented basis as the checklist.

What to check

  • The threat and use, in writing, before any product is named.
  • The standard, edition and level, as that standard names them.
  • The exact model on the list, its status and the date you read it.
  • The configuration tested, and the fit to the wearer.
  • The warranty period, and the NIJ Advisory and Safety Notices for the model.
A defensible decision is a documented one. Keep the trail from the threat to the exact model's listing, with the date you read it.

Sources

  1. NIJ, Compliant Products List: Ballistic Resistant Body ArmorRead September 25, 2026
  2. NIJ, Specification for NIJ Ballistic Protection Levels and Associated Test Threats, NIJ Standard 0123.00Read September 25, 2026
  3. CJTTEC, New Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor Standard PublishedRead September 25, 2026
  4. CJTTEC, Compliant Product ListsRead September 25, 2026
  5. CJTTEC, NIJ Advisory Notices and NIJ Safety NoticesRead September 25, 2026
  6. CJTTEC, Body Armor FAQsRead September 25, 2026
  7. CJTTEC, Body Armor Selection and FitRead September 25, 2026
  8. NIJ, Factors that Affect Officers' Use of Body Armor (archived)Read September 25, 2026
  9. ASTM E3003-25, Standard Practice for Body Armor Wearer Measurement and Fitting of ArmorRead October 1, 2026
  10. ASTM E3347/E3347M-26, Standard Specification for Ballistic-Resistant Shields Used by Law Enforcement OfficersRead October 1, 2026
  11. CJTTEC, Additional Information Regarding NIJ Body Armor Compliant Product ListRead September 29, 2026
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