Armor and Protection
Types of Armor and Their Uses: Body, Vehicle, Animal and Riding Armor
Armor types sorted by use: mail, plate, brigandine, modern soft and hard body armor, motorcycle impact protectors, vehicle and horse armor, with sources.
Armor is any covering that protects a person, an animal or a vehicle from injury or damage, mainly from weapons and projectiles, but also from dangerous activities such as cycling. So the types of armor are easiest to sort by what they protect and what they are used against: personal (body) armor, vehicle armor and animal armor.
This page maps each type to its use. For how the historical body-armor types are built and how they compare, see types of armor and how they differ. Our armor and protective gear hub covers the riding standards.
Key takeaways- Personal armor protects people (and war animals); vehicle armor protects ships, armored vehicles and some aircraft.- Historical armor was built for a setting: battlefield suits balanced mobility and protection, while tournament armor could be heavier and cover only the targeted areas.- Modern body armor is either soft (non-plated) or hard-plate reinforced.- Motorcycle armor is a different family: impact protectors tested to EN 1621.
Types of armor at a glance
| Type | What it protects | Main use | Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Padded armor (gambeson, aketon) | Body, alone or under metal | Base layer or light armor | – |
| Torso and limbs | Main European body defense until about 1350; later a gap filler under plate | – | |
| Scale and lamellar | Torso, sometimes horses | Many ancient and Asian armies | – |
| Brigandine | Torso | Light, flexible defense for knights and infantry, 1400s to about 1550 | – |
| Plate armor | Whole body | Field and tournament suits, peaking in the 15th and 16th centuries | – |
| Hardened leather (cuir bouilli) | Body, helmets, shields | Cheaper, lighter armor | – |
| Soft body armor | Torso | Police, security and corrections staff | – |
| Hard-plate body armor | Torso | Maximum protection, such as for combatants | – |
| Motorcycle impact protectors | Shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, back, chest | Riders, inside jackets and pants | – |
| Vehicle armor | Tanks, ships, aircraft | Military vehicles | – |
| Animal armor | Horses (and elephants) | War and tournament mounts | – |
Personal armor through history
Armor started with leather and fabric. It then moved through mail and metal plate to today's composites.
- Mail stopped sword cuts well but did less against blunt blows. It was worn over a padded aketon.
- Plate spread after better metalworking in the 1300s made larger steel sheets possible. Its glancing surfaces helped turn crossbow bolts.
- Hardened leather cost less and weighed less than plate, but protected less.
Leather armor was often molded cuir bouilli; see what hardened leather is.
Battlefield armor vs tournament armor
Armor was designed for the threats of a specific setting, as the Denver Art Museum's armor guide explains. A field suit had to let a soldier move and fight. Museum and reference sources give different weights for it: 50 to 60 lb (23 to 27 kg) at the Denver Art Museum, 15 to 25 kg (33 to 55 lb) on Wikipedia and 20 to 25 kg (45 to 55 lb) in World History Encyclopedia.
Joust armor traded mobility for protection. One German joust armor of about 1590 to 1600 weighs 93 lb 1 oz (about 42 kg), nearly twice a battlefield suit, with most of the protection on the left side of the head and chest. For the pieces that cover the spine and shoulder blades, see the back of armor.
Modern body armor
Modern body armor comes in two main types. Non-plated (soft) armor gives moderate to substantial protection, and hard-plate armor gives maximum protection. Ballistic vests are made of fibers such as Kevlar or Dyneema, with ceramic or metal plates added for rifle threats.
A ceramic plate breaks up the bullet on its hard face, and the fiber backing catches the energy and debris that are left. In the US, the National Institute of Justice rates ballistic armor in levels. The newest names run HG1, HG2, RF1, RF2 and RF3. Our page on what Level I armor means explains the old Level I.
Riding armor: impact protectors
Motorcycle armor is tested for impact, not for blades or bullets. The EN 1621 test drops a striker onto the protector and measures the force that gets through. The standard has parts for limbs, back, chest and inflatable protectors. Level 2 lets less force through than Level 1.
Materials range from hard foams to soft rate-sensitive compounds such as D3O. To place protectors so they stay over the joints, see how to put on armor.
Vehicle and animal armor
Vehicle armor protects warships, armored fighting vehicles and some combat aircraft. Tank armor now uses harder composites and reactive armor.
Horses were armored too. According to the Cleveland Museum of Art, knights first used fabric and then mail trappings from the 1100s, and full steel plate for horses was complete by around 1400.
Armor pockets in riding leather
For riders, the useful question is where armor sits in a jacket. Many Leather Collection motorcycle jackets have inner pockets at the shoulders and elbows, and some race and touring styles add a back pocket. The supplied armor differs by style, so check each product's specifications.
FAQ
How many types of armor are there?
There is no fixed count. By what it protects, armor is personal, vehicle or animal armor. Personal armor is then split by construction, from padded cloth and mail to plate and modern composites.
What are the different types of body armor?
Today there are two main types: soft, non-plated armor and hard-plate armor. Soft armor uses ballistic fibers; hard armor adds ceramic or metal plates.
Is there Level 5 body armor?
Not in the US NIJ system. Its newest levels are HG1, HG2, RF1, RF2 and RF3. RF3 replaces the old Level IV.
HitKB Editorial Team
HitKB articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.