German police demonstrates a bullet-proof vest; November 1931
Modern-day German police, with bullet-proof vests and submachine guns
A **bullet-proof vest** (also called "bulletproof vest", "body armor" or "body armour") is a protective piece of clothing that covers the torso (chest, abdomen, and back) of a person. It protects the wearer from most pistol and revolver bullets and from fragments of explosive devices such as grenades. Bullet-proof vests are worn by police officers, soldiers, security guards, and people who are at risk of being shot (such as the leader of a country).

How do they work?
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Bullet-proof vests contain many layers of tightly woven fabric such as Kevlar (or hard, strong materials such as ceramic or titanium) which can stop the metal pistol or revolver bullets or metal shell fragments from going into a person's body.

How much protection does a bullet-proof vest provide?
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When a bullet hits a bullet-proof vest, the forceful impact of the bullet can seriously hurt, or even kill, the person wearing the vest even if the vest stops the bullet.

A bullet from a strong sniper or rifle can pierce a bullet-proof vest.

If a bullet hits a body part that the bullet-proof vest does not cover, the bullet can hurt or kill the person wearing the vest.

Types of vests
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The bullet-proof vests worn by most police officers and security guards are made with many layers of tightly woven fabric such as Kevlar.

Bullet-proof vests for soldiers are heavier and stronger than the bullet-proof vests worn by police officers and security guards, because soldiers need protection from rifle and machine gun bullets. Bullet-proof vests for soldiers often have flat pieces of ceramic material or a strong metal such as titanium. These materials can stop bullets from many rifles and handguns.

Related pages
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* Helmet- soldiers and some types of police officers (called tactical police officers) also wear helmets to protect themselves

| * v
* t
* e
Armour types |
| --- |
| 
* Body armor
* Vehicle armour
* Barding

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| Historical armour types | 
* Linothorax
* Gambeson
* Buff coat
* Lorica segmentata
	+ Manica
* Lorica hamata
* Lorica plumata
* Lorica squamata
* Lamellar armour
* Laminar armour
* Scale armour
* Chain mail
* Hauberk
* Transitional armour
* Mail and plate armour
* Coat of plates
* Brigandine
* Jack of plate
* Splint armour
* Mirror armour
* Klivanion
* Breastplate
	+ Cuirass
	+ Muscle cuirass
* Plate armour
	+ Munition armour
	+ Greenwich armour
	+ Almain rivet
	+ Kasten-brust armour
	+ White armour
	+ Gothic plate armour
	+ Maximilian armour
* Lame (armor)
* Karuta (Japanese armour)
* Kikko (Japanese armour)
* Kusari (Japanese mail armour)
* Ō-yoroi
* Dō-maru
* Karuta
* Haramaki
* Tatami
* Boiled leather (cuir bouilli)

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| Modern armour types | 

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bullet-resistant armour | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| Ballistic plate | 
* Ceramic plate
* Doron plate
* Steel plate

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| Ballistic fabrics | 
* Gold Flex
* Aramid
	+ Kevlar
	+ Kevlar KM2
	+ Twaron
* UHMWPE/HPPE
	+ Spectra Shield
* Ballistic nylon

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|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| Armor systems | 
* Armour of the Kelly gang
* Brewster Body Shield
* Steel Bib

* PASGT
* Ranger Body Armor
* IBA/OTV
* Dragon Skin
* CIRAS
* FSBE AAV QR
* HRM
* IOTV
* MTV/IMTV
* PRU-70
* Osprey body armour
* SPCS
* SPC
* MSV

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* Body armor performance standards
* BA 9000
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* Flak jacket
* Riot gear
* Bomb suit
* Stab vest
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| Components | 
* Medieval

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| Fictional armour types | 
* Banded mail
* Ring armour
* Power armor

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| Template:Helmets |