As often as we’ve talked about Level 4 body armor, we rarely ever compare our products with our competitors. We know that our Durititum® technology is better, but we also want to support American owned and operated companies.
You should wear Level 4 Body armor if you’re wanting the highest level of protection that the government can confirm and offer.
As we continually research our competitors and see what they’re doing better or worse, we noticed some trends.
Some of the most popular Level IV body armor companies in the world have great products that are far reaching, but they’re not as lightweight, affordable, or durable as what we have with our Duritium® technology.
Our overall mission goal for our business is to “Protect the Protectors”. We’re really trying to reach the people who need body armor the most; Police Officers, Military, Medical First Responders, and Federal and State law enforcement agencies.
Why Are People Hesitant to Wear Level IV Body Armor?
A lot of people in the world don’t wear Level 4 body armor because they view it as an overkill (excuse the pun). Level IV body armor is worn the least of any threat level in LE because of the misconceptions.
For example, many of my friends that are still in the police force across the country think Level IV inhibits their movements too much. Unfortunately, the Level IV body armor we all wore in Iraq and Afghanistan was too heavy and bulky.
Another misconception about Level 4 body armor is that it’s meant only for military combat and SWAT Teams. Yes, it’s the armor those soldiers and operators wear, but our Duritium® technology opens up the possibilities to everyone.
Soft armor inserts are by far and away the most popular type of armor, but it’s also the least protective. Most police officers would rather wear armor they can move, bend, and rotate in, versus the rigid and bulky hard plates that they’ve been issued.
Hard plates don’t have to be AR500 steel or bulky ceramic. Our Duritium® armor is made from ballistic polyethylene (UHMWPE).
We can get every police officer or medical first responder in a Level IV body armor plate that only adds 4.5 lbs per plate!
Level 4 body armor has long had a reputation of being impractical and more of a liability than life-saving gear.
We don’t blame anyone for thinking Level 4 is too heavy, because until now, it has been.
In my first Iraq tour, I wore steel plates that weighed 13 lbs each plate, not including the 5 lbs from side plates.
My 2nd tour, I wore a lighter ceramic Level IV plate that weighed around 9 lbs per plate and we all loved it. The steel plates were simply too heavy to have any normal movement or natural speed.
This is the same train of thought most of our law enforcement follow, because mobility is key in combat.
As we all know, cops police officers face life or death situations on a daily basis. They need to be able to move freely and effortlessly to bend, crouch, jump, and run.
The ceramic plates were lighter, but they’re so bulky that it’s incredibly difficult to move around, bend over or rotate your arms across your body.
Which Level of Body Armor is Most Popular?
Before we get into how we can help with our Duritium®, acknowledging that most police wear soft armor inserts, instead of hard plate inserts is important.
According to Berkshire Hathaway, the worldwide market share of hard plate armor is only 33%. This means that 67% of all body armor bought and sold in the world right now is Level IIIA or lower.
Out of that 33%, only a fraction is actually Level IV body armor because of the misconceptions around it.
What this research shows us is that Level IV body armor is an afterthought for most people outside of the military.The research around this topic is ongoing, but there are some great companies that are leading the way.
Research And Markets is a well known company that provided the market research quoted by Berkshire hathaway.
Research and Markets range from researching guns and manufacturing to body armor and the Defense Systems industry.
Why is it important to know the market share? It gives us an understanding what type of armor people are buying and wearing.
If only 33% of all armor sold is hard plate armor that means most people are wearing Level II or Level IIIA body armor.
As we’ve discussed many times before, those threat levels will only stop handgun bullets. As a former police officer and soldier, I know that I wouldn’t ever want to trust my life with equipment made to only stop a handgun.
According to another research firm, Statista, 368 people have been shot by police in 2021 in response to gun violence. We don't know the exact number of those assailants with rifles, but we know it’s quite a bit.
Why Should We All Consider Level IV Body Armor?
It’s no secret that the past couple years have been a rough time, not only in our country, but worldwide. According to Berkshire Hathaway, there were at least 15,000 violent protests and riots worldwide.
Soft armor inserts are by far and away the most popular type of armor, but it’s also the least protective. Most police officers would rather wear armor they can move, bend, and rotate in, versus the rigid and bulky hard plates that they’ve been issued.
Like I mentioned before, hard plates don’t have to be AR500 steel or bulky ceramic. Our Duritium® armor is made from ballistic polyethylene (UHMWPE).
We can get every police officer or medical first responder in a Level IV body armor plate that only adds 4.5 lbs per plate!
Level 4 body armor has long had a reputation of being impractical and more of a liability than life-saving gear. We don’t blame anyone for thinking Level 4 is too heavy, because until now, it has been.
In my first Iraq tour, I wore steel plates that weighed 13 lbs each plate, not including the 5 lbs from side plates. My 2nd tour, I wore a lighter ceramic that weighed around 9 lbs per plate and we all loved it.
The steel plates were simply too heavy to have any normal movement or speed, that’s why Special Operations guys always wear a barebones kit.
The ceramic plates were lighter, but they’re so bulky that it’s incredibly difficult to move around and bend over or rotate your arms across your body.
With that said, our Duritium® armor provides better overall protection than any steel or ceramic plate ever made.
Duritium Level IV+HS Body Armor
The biggest complaints about level IV armor have remained the same since the NIJ created the standard of protection.
The reality is that nobody wants to wear Level IV armor because it’s too heavy, bulky, and limits your ability to bend, crouch, and reach across your body for a taser or backup pistol.
As valid as those complaints are about AR500 steel armor and full-ceramic plates, Shotstop® has the remedy for everyone of those complaints.
Why Choose ShotStop® Level IV Body Armor?
Simply put, ShotStop® offers the lightest, most durable, comfortable, and thinnest Level IV plates.
We have the industry leading warranty on our Level IV plates (10 years!), which is about 5 years longer than what you’ll find with the majority of our competitors.
I would have done anything to wear full Level IV armor for under 10 lbs and only 0.9” thick.
Our armor is also rated to stop any bullet fired from a handheld rifle, including the infamous Dragunov sniper rifle.
Many people ask about prices, but the prices listed on our site are for individual commercial sale.
If you’re a part of any first responder organization in the world, we will offer you our substantial first responder and military discount.
Our Duritium Level IV+HS body armor plates exceed the NIJ requirement by 6x.
Our patented Duritium® technology combines the hardness of composite alloy with the strength of Duritium® polyethylene to defeat the most powerful ammunition out there. Plus, with a 10-year warranty, you’ll have protection that lasts!
There is no excuse to wear subpar armor that’s going to beat your body into submission after a few years.
If you’re interested in learning more about what we offer, our sales team would be happy to help. Contact us at sales@shotstop.com.