The Best Plate Carrier Vests, With Tactical and Fitness Options
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Chances are, you’re not heading into an active warzone any time soon (and if you are, this isn’t the article for you). But tactical plate carrier vests worn by soldiers and law enforcement personnel have come a long way since they were first introduced as body armor to the military back in the 1940s. Now, head over to your local CrossFit box and you’ll likely see multiple people working out in combat-esque tactical vests as a way to make exercises more challenging.
While a weighted vest adds resistance to movements by evenly distributing extra weight across your entire torso through different methods (like sand stitched into the fabric or pockets for small weight bars), a tactical plate carrier vest is specifically designed with pouches that hold hard or soft armor plate inserts (think: sandbags or steel plates).
On military service members or law enforcement officers, inserts of a certain caliber can act as body armor, hence the name “bulletproof vest.” But when it comes to plate carrier vests geared towards general consumers, it’s less about heavy-duty protection—although you may need some level of protection during airsoft or paintball games—and more about evenly dispersing your gear or adding resistance to intensify your workout for bigger gains.
Whatever your reason for needing one, we’re highlighting the five best plate carrier vests on the market—along with insights on what features to look out for and answers to the most commonly asked questions about this type of gear—so you can choose the best plate carrier vest for you.
Our Picks for the Best Plate Carrier Vests:
- Best Overall Plate Carrier Vest: GORUCK Ruck Plate Carrier 3.0
- Best Budget Plate Carrier Vest: Rogue Condor Sentry Plate Carrier
- Best Tactical Plate Carrier Vest: Fringe Sport Tactical Weight Vest Plate Carrier
- Best Plate Carrier Vest for Crossfit: 5.11 TacTec Plate Carrier
- Best Adjustable Plate Carrier Vest: Rogue Plate Carrier
Best Overall Plate Carrier Vest: GORUCK Ruck Plate Carrier 3.0
GORUCK
Key Features:
- $95
- Comes in three adjustable sizes
- Adjustable shoulder and sternum straps
- Single plate pouch in back
- 1000D Cordura construction
- Compatible with 20- and 30-pound weight plates
A cross between a backpack and a weighted vest, the GORUCK Ruck Plate Carrier 3.0 hoists additional loads to the top of your back. It’s super streamlined, minimalist design with no combat-esque bells and whistles—just a single elevated pocket that’s equipped to hold 20- or 30-pound weight plates (GORUCK’s Ruck Plates are 9 by 11.5 by .92 or 1.38 inches and made from iron ore). The pocket itself uses a hook-and-loop fastener to keep the plate secure, even when you’re upside down (think: bear crawls).
This plate carrier vest is made from 1000D Cordura—a heavy-duty, coated nylon fabric that’s designed to stand up to the toughest of circumstances. GORUCK improved on the previous version of the Ruck Plate Carrier by adding a padded grab-and-go handle to the top of the vest and thicker padding on the top of the plate pouch so you won’t risk chafing or digging during more dynamic movements, as well as improved support at the lower back, a wider removable sternum strap to better disperse the weight and a softer fabric on the back panel and underside of the shoulder straps, so you can feel free to ditch your shirt. We like that this armor carrier vest is more customizable than some other options, coming in sizes rather than just being adjustable.
Pros:
- Padded hook-and-loop pocket keeps plate secure during dynamic movements
- Added padding makes the vest comfortable for extended use
- Designed with ergonomic lumbar support for comfort
Cons:
- Weight plates sold separately
- Only compatible with 20- and 30-pound plates
- No hip strap
Best Budget Plate Carrier Vest: Rogue Condor Sentry Plate Carrier
Rogue
Key Features:
- $51.95
- Adjustable shoulder straps
- Adjustable side straps that cover waist sizes between 30 and 46 inches
- Front plate and back plate pockets
- Compatible with 5-, 5.75-, 7.5, 10- and 20-pound weight plates
A carrier vest doesn’t need to break the bank. We love Rogue Condor, which is a minimalist plate carrier, as a budget friendly option that doesn’t slack on features. While Rogue sells models that range from $99.99 to $310, the Condor Sentry shares a number of similar characteristics with the brand’s popular Plate Carrier, which costs almost $100 more (more on that one below). Both have two plate pockets that fit Cast Plates and Echo Cast Plates (up to 20 pounds) and adjustable shoulder and side straps for a customized fit.
The main differences: The Condor only comes in one size, which adjusts to accommodate waists from 30 inches to 46 inches, compared to the three sizes available in the Plate Carrier. It also uses more budget-friendly materials and does have heavyweight webbing for modular attachments, which means you can attach gear to the outside. The Plate Carrier is constructed from 1000D and 500D Cordura and does not have that webbing. The Condor also features a padded mesh interior lining with reinforced stitching (but no extra foam padding, stretch woven fabric and minimized seams), removable shoulder pads and quick-release buckles. Both are great, durable options, but newer users may feel more comfortable spending their money on this entry-level investment.
Pros:
- Budget-friendly for beginner users
- Plate pockets compatible with standard ESAPI plates
- Padded mesh shoulder pads are removable
Cons:
- Only comes in one size
- Weight plates sold separately
- Not compatible with laser-cut vest plates
Best Tactical Plate Carrier Vest: Fringe Sport Tactical Weight Vest Plate Carrier
Fringe Sport
Key Features:
- $103
- Two plate pockets (one in front and one in back) that hold up to 10 pounds each
- Teflon-coated surface is waterproof and oil-resistant
- Extra-wide airflow panels
- 600D Cordura construction
- Compatible with six or nine pound weight plates
Even if you’re unlikely to find yourself in combat, a tactical plate carrier vest can come in handy for paintball, military simulations or survival games in order to carry your essentials. This Tactical Weight Vest Plate Carrier from Fringe Sport low-profile. It’s outfitted with a MOLLE webbing (Modular Lightweight Load-Carrying Equipment) system that allows you to hang keys, water bottles, sunglasses, etc. from the nylon webbing. This saves you from needing to purchase a chest rig to carry your gear. In the same military-inspired spirit, this vest uses fasteners that are resistant to heat, cold and impact, and features an extended drag handle and quick release system for when you need to get out of it fast.
If you’re looking for a carrier vest to beat the heat in, you can’t do better than the Tactical Weight Vest Plate Carrier’s teflon-coated surface, which is waterproof and oil-resistant; the sweat will literally roll right off of it. Plus, extra-wide airflow panels ensure that you’ll stay cool no matter how intense the conditions (even if those swampy conditions are in your own garage).
Pros:
- Shoulder pads reduce friction and promote comfort
- Adjustable stretchy waist accommodates waist sizes from 52 to 57 inches
- Each plate compartment holds small, medium and large-sized plates
Cons:
- Weight plates sold separately
- Military-esque features like extended drag handle and quick release system are unnecessary for average user
Best Plate Carrier Vest for CrossFit: 5.11 TacTec Plate Carrier
TacTec
Key Features:
- $215
- Two plate pockets (one in front and one in back) that hold medium and large plates
- Comes in one size, with an adjustable cummerbund around the waist and adjustable shoulder straps
- 500D nylon construction
- Compatible with 3.75-, 5-, 5.75-, 7.5-, 8.75-, 10- and 20-pound weight plates
5.11 is the official plate carrier provider to the CrossFit Games and, as such, was designed specifically to give you an increased range of motion, whether you’re doing an all-out sprint mile run or never-ending burpees. Each pocket can hold up to 20 pounds of compatible SAPI plates to make your workout more challenging (Rogue recommends using its Cast Plates, Echo Cast Plates, or Rogue Weight Vest Plates, but it’s also compatible with any other standard medium or large SAPI plates).
Even when you’re loaded up to the max, the lightweight frame made from durable Cordura should hug your torso comfortably. Yoke shoulder pads are designed to avoid rubbing and extra-grippy velcro closures keep the plates from sliding or bouncing around as you move through each exercise. Mesh panels on the shoulders, back and chest keep the fabric from chafing your skin as you work up a sweat—even during the most torturous WODs. We give this plate carrier vest bonus points for including zip pockets for your phone and keys, so no need to purchase an additional chest rig.
Pros:
- Shoulder pads reduce friction and promote comfort
- Stretch material around the torso and shoulder straps is adjustable
- Pockets are super secure so weights don’t slide or bounce around
Cons:
- Weight plates sold separately
- Military-esque features like extended drag handle and quick release system are unnecessary for average user
- Very expensive
Best Adjustable Plate Carrier Vest: Rogue Plate Carrier
Rogue
Key Features:
- $145
- Comes in three adjustable sizes
- Two plate pockets (one in front and one in back) that fit up to 20 pounds each
- Uses extra foam padding, stretch fabric and minimized seams on the inside for comfort
- 1000D and 500D Cordura construction
- Compatible with 5-, 5.75-, 7.5, 10- and 20-pound weight plates
The Rogue Plate Carrier is a heavy duty vest designed for hard armor plates. A higher-end option than Rogue’s Condor Sentry Plate Carrier, the Plate Carrier, comes in three adjustable sizes. We think this product is ideal for anyone who shares a vest with a workout partner or just wants the flexibility to change up the fit depending on their workout apparel. Like the majority of plate carrier vests, it features front plate and back place pockets that each hold up to 20 pounds and was designed to add weight without inhibiting your natural range of motion.
The materials used are on the premium end: The Plate Carrier is made from an exceptionally durable fabric, with Velcro straps and X-box reinforced stitching. Extra foam padding and minimized seams on the inside help minimize chafing and discomfort, and the pockets are lined with an abrasion-resistant fabric to prevent wear and tear from swapping out the weights. In addition to the adjustable shoulder and waist straps, military-grade stretch woven fabric with a short section of elastic at the back of the waist strap makes dialing in the fit easy, even when you need to adjust in the middle of a workout.
Pros:
- Designed with functional fitness in mind
- Additional shoulder pad set available for an extra $20
- No unnecessary features
Cons:
- Weight plates sold separately
- Minimal padding on the shoulder straps
- Should padding costs extra
How to choose the best plate carrier vest for you
The first step in choosing the right plate carrier vest for you is considering what exactly you’re using this vest for. If you’re only using a plate carrier system in the gym or for at-home workouts, you likely won’t need as many extra military-inspired features—comfort, fit, weight storage and security will be top priority. But if you’re participating in games or military simulations, you’ll want to pay more attention to added features like drag handles, quick-release buckles and MOLLE storage options for extra gear. (If you’re in the military or law enforcement, you should look elsewhere for a plate carrier vest; all the vests in this article are meant to be used as fitness accessories, not body armor.) From a budget perspective, keep in mind that you will have to purchase the weight plates separately from the vest.
How we chose the best plate carrier vests
In compiling a list of the best plate carrier vests, we looked at the materials used, the amount of weight a vest could hold, available sizing options and adjustability, the overall cost and the added value of additional features like breathability, stretch capabilities and extra storage.
What is a plate carrier vest?
A plate carrier vest is a lightweight vest with built-in pockets designed to accommodate ballistic plates. These protective armor plates are often made of ceramic, steel or other materials like iron or polyethylene. In active combat zones or other dangerous areas, soldiers and law enforcement personnel wear tactical vests to protect their vital organs from injury—although they serve only as a protective measure, not a guarantee that you won’t be hurt. Outside of the military and law enforcement, plate carrier vests allow athletes, especially in CrossFit or other bootcamp-style workouts, to carry more weight without inhibiting their movements, in order to make certain exercises more challenging. Ankle weights are another simple way to do that.
Benefits of a plate carrier vest
The most obvious benefit to a plate carrier vest is simple: protection. And they don’t just protect people in warzones; if you’re someone who participates in paintball, survival games or military simulations, the plate inserts in an armor vest will protect you from bodily harm caused by certain projectiles (but, remember, they are not actually body armor and will not protect you from bullets). Another advantage of armor vests is that they allow you to carry tactical gear within easy reach, whether that’s ammo or your car keys.
For fitness purposes, a plate carrier vest offers similar benefits to a simple weighted vest. Wearing a weighted vest that equates to 10 percent of your body weight can significantly increase calorie burn, which can contribute to weight loss, according to a 2021 study published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
Six weeks of exercise in a weighted vest led to positive improvements in muscular strength, power, and functional abilities in a 2019 study in the Journal of Clinical Medicine. Wearing a weighted vest during push-ups helped participants make similar gains as doing a bench press in a 2019 study published in Sports Medicine International Open. Another study found using wearable resistance also led to improvements in traditional resistance exercises and explosive movements like the power clean and countermovement jump.
Plus, runners who trained in weighted vests improved their blood lactate thresholds, which meant they could sustain faster speeds for longer, a 2022 study from the journal Sports Biomechanics found. Sprinters wore weighted vests that equated to up to 40 percent of their body weight, while long distance runners wore weighted vests that equated to as low as 10 percent of their body weight.
Plate sizing and fitment for each
There are two types of body armor plates for ballistic protection: SAPI and ESAPI. SAPI stands for Small Arms Protective Inserts, while ESAPI means Enhanced SAPI. Both types of plates are made from ceramic, but ESAPI plates are lighter. SAPI plates are considered level III body armor, while ESAPI plates are level IV. Both types of plates come in small, medium and large sizes: Small SAPI plates are 8.75 by 11.75 inches, medium are 9.5 by 12.5 inches, large are 10.125 by 13.25 inches and extra-large plates are 11 by 14 inches in size.
Brands like Rogue offer their own laser-cut steel plates inspired by military ballistic plates, which are ergonomically shaped versus flat to lay more comfortably against the body and allow for a better range of motion. The Echo Vest Plates, for example, measure 11.3 inches long by 9.3 inches wide, while the USA Cast Weight Vest Plates each measure 11.25 inches long and 9.25 inches wide (basically, they’re the same size). Meanwhile, the GORUCK Ruck Plate Carrier 3.0 pocket fits weights 11.75 inches long by 9.75 inches wide.
It’s important to check what size weights the pouches on a plate carrier vest are compatible with to make sure you’ve investing in the right ones, since you have to buy the weight plates separately from the vest. For example, the Rogue Condor Sentry Plate Carrier is not designed to be used with the laser-cut Rogue Weight Vest Plates, and using the wrong plates voids the warranty.
Key features for each
Like with so many pieces of fitness equipment and gear, choosing the right one really comes down to personal preference—and no more so than with something, like a vest, that’s meant to fit snug to your body. With a plate carrier, especially when you’re loading it up with heavy weights and regularly sweating in it, material matters: Many of the vests listed here are constructed from Cordura, a rugged nylon fabric known for its durability. The lower the number, the more lightweight that fabric will be, so a vest made with 500D Cordura would be lighter than one made from 100D Cordura.
One of the biggest differences between vests is how much weight they can accommodate in their pockets. For example, the GORUCK Ruck Plate Carrier 3.0 only works with 20- and 30-pound weight plates. The 5.11 Tactical TacTec Plate Carrier can be used as a lightweight plate carrier vest or heavy duty one with a range of 3.75- to 20-pound weight plates.
And when thinking about how much weight you want to be able to work out with, you also want to consider the unloaded weight of the vest: The Rogue Plate Carrier and Condor Sentry Plate Carrier fall at the lighter end of the spectrum, at 1.12 and 1.5 pounds respectively, while the Fringe Sport Tactical Weight Vest Plate Carrier, at 2.4 pounds, and the 5.11 Tactical TacTec Plate Carrier, at 2.5 pounds, are heavier. You’ll be carrying that total weight, not just the weight of the plates, when you wear it, so make sure to do the math.
Another key feature in a plate carrier vest is adjustability. While some vests are available in multiple sizes, many are one size and use adjustable shoulder, side or sternum straps plus stretchy fabric to accommodate varying girths. The Fringe Sport Tactical Weight Vest Plate Carrier and 5.11 Tactical TacTec Plate Carrier each have a waist cummerbund that stretches from 52 to 57 inches, while the Rogue Condor Sentry Plate Carrier covers a waist size range of 30 to 46 inches. Make sure to check any sizing guidelines for a vest before you buy it, as well as the company’s return policy if you’re not sure of the fit.
Some tactical vests have the option to add side plates. However, this level of body armor is more common in dangerous situations and might be necessary for fitness purposes.
FAQs
What plate carrier vest do Navy SEALs use?
There’s no one single plate carrier vest Navy SEALs use; the vest depends on the type of mission they’re undertaking. The U.S. military only wears Level IV body armor—the highest level available—in active combat environments.
Does the US military use steel or ceramic plates?
The US military uses ceramic plates over steel plates due to the need for lighter materials that don’t hamper soldiers’ mobility or weigh them down. The standard 10- by 12-inch ceramic plate weighs four to eight pounds, while a steel plate of the same size weighs around seven to eight pounds (steel also traps heat, which is less than ideal in stressful conditions). Steel is less expensive and lasts longer, but ceramic is still good for five to seven years and can withstand up to three rounds of ammunition.
What level of body armor are plate carrier vests?
There are five protection levels (IIA, II, IIIA, III, IV) of body armor, set by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). Each of those levels is tested to withstand a specific round at a particular distance at a specific velocity, from nine millimeter bullets to .30 caliber steel core armor piercing rifle ammunition. For example, level IIIA soft armor or concealable vests are often worn by police officers on duty. Level IV is the highest rating of personal body armor, and SAPI plates are considered level III body armor while ESAPI plates are level IV. It’s important to note that plate carrier vests themselves are not rated; only the plates within the vests are rated by the NIJ. And none of the plate carrier vests included in this article would qualify as body armor, because they are meant only for fitness or games.
Final Thoughts
While weight machines and weight benches have been the traditional way to make gains in the gym, tactical vests are gaining popularity. Plate carrier vests can be an excellent tool for taking your workout to the next level, or for protecting yourself in games like paintball or military simulations. As with anything you wear on your body, comfort will likely be your top priority. Make sure to do the research into what sizes a specific plate carrier vest accommodates, what weight plates are compatible and what features you do or don’t need in order to find the right plate carrier vest for your budget and your goals.
Prices are accurate and items in stock as of publish time.
