Female Body Armor | Engineered for form and function
Through the past few decades as women have increasingly joined the armed forces and law enforcement, the need for body armor made for females has also increased. USA Today reported that all branches of the military are seeing an increase in female soldiers. Most notably is the US Air Force, with 21% of its members being female. Even outside of the armed forces, more and more consumers are interested in female body armor for civilians. Due in large part to the general perception of civil unrest mixed with recent conditions of quarantine and competition for supplies.
PRIMARY DIFFERENCES IN FEMALE BODY ARMOR
WEIGHT
One of the most important differences between male and female body armor is weight. Older bulletproof vests are made from heavier materials and simply weigh more. Efforts have been made to reduce weight for both males and female bulletproof vests. This helps reduce fatigue while improving mobility.
SIZE
One of the primary issues with body armor for females has been size. Statistically women are smaller than men, and vests made for males are generally too large for females. When vests are too large they can put pressure on the rest of the gear a soldier is wearing. This can push equipment belts and sidearm holsters into their bodies. When soldiers are distracted by their gear they are less effective in whichever role they are fulfilling.
COVERAGE
Some body armor manufacturers have chosen to accommodate the female form by cutting back on coverage. A well known armor company has a “swimmer’s cut” option which does provide some protection for vital organs.
Citizen Armor provides the same coverage for female body armor as we do with options for males. Our lightweight soft body armor materials allow for better custom fitted female body armor without sacrificing coverage to provide a more comfortable fit.
SHOULDER CUTOUTS
Shoulder cutouts are areas of the vest that are made smaller for female vests. This is especially relevant when discussing using firearms while wearing the body armor. The correct position to fire most rifles is fairly specific in the shoulder area. To be anchored correctly and shoot accurately, body armor for females had to be designed to ensure that this area is clear. This advancement in body armor allows females to position the butt of rifles property to reduce trauma while operating a firearm.
SHAPE
There are certain obvious biological differences between men and women. Female body armor is designed and fabricated to be more form fitting while still fulfilling its function. This means that the waist area is more fitted and contoured to the shape of the female form in addition to improved accommodations for larger chests. Body armor manufacturers accomplish this by using a technique called darting. Darting is the use of overlapping fabric to create angles which can provide a more fitted design, specifically around the breast area. This ensures a closer fit of ballistic materials to ensure increased comfort and protection.
HOW MANY ARMOR COMPANIES OFFER FEMALE BULLETPROOF VESTS?
Outside of those who supply the military with bulletproof vests, civilians have a number of sources for female body armor. Most of these options are from body armor companies that produce vests with older technologies which are cumbersome, heavy and ill fitted for females.
Citizen Armor has proudly designed and manufactured two female body armor options. These are the V-Shield Ultra Conceal Female Vest and the Civvy Covert Female Vest.
Each of these vests are available in smaller form fitting sizes specifically designed for women. They are both concealable and Level 3A NIJ tested. Not only are they designed for protection, but also boast all day comfort for female wearers. The fabrics used in our vests are selected for comfort and their moisture wicking and durable characteristics. In addition, our female vests have a starting weight of only 2.2 lbs for vital protection and only 3 lbs for full armor coverage. We pride ourselves in designing for the modern age using cutting edge technology, to provide effective armor solutions for both men and women.