Not so very long ago bulletproof vests were particularly costly. These days, almost every manufacturer which provides bulletproof vests capable of passing the National Institute of Justice standards, or NIJ, give an MSRP price of between $300 and $600. More affordable indeed, but still rather costly for most of us ordinary folks.
Online Options for the Cheap Bullet Proof Vest
If you are intent on buying cheap but still laying your hands on a ‘fully-functioning’ vest, you’ll find four different options available to you online.
And what are those options? We’re getting to that right now:
Does not pass NIJ quality control standards
NIJ Standards are in place to ensure that bulletproof vests are safe and also reliable. Thus, they must meet a minimum requirement. Manufacturers of bullet proof vests that fall into this category are not regulated to conform to these standards. And as it happens, many manufacturers choose to disregard the standards to maintain their prices at the low-end.
Nevertheless, this in essence is simply providing a false sense of security to those who make the investment. After all, a cheap bullet proof vest that does not meet NIJ Standards is a dangerous tactic.
Cheap or not
When buying online you need to consider the shipping of the product and if you import it, there also import fees you need to pay, you need to take this into account.
Secondhand garments
Secondhand bulletproof garments do not make for a good investment, irrespective of how cheap they are. Do you know how well the apparel was cared for? No, you don’t. There may have been damage incurred through immersion in water, improper storage, or a continual exposure to heat. Any one of these can degrade a vest’s quality to the extent that it becomes unsafe to use.
Relatively short lifespan
After the date of manufacture, a bulletproof vest usually has a viable lifespan of 5 years. This is rarely mentioned with respect to the sales of second hand vests. There have been tales of woe whereby individuals have used ‘out-of-date’ bulletproof vests, only to find that they have been injured – and occasionally killed, since the vest is no longer functional due to its age.
Thus, is making an investment in a cheap bulletproof vest a good idea?
It’s really for you to decide, and if you do, try to minimize the risks.
I would like to buy some body armor, but I am not sure about the proper way to measure myself. Should I do it by myself or is it easier to have someone else measure me? I want to be sure to get the best fit.
It is definitely better if you have someone else measure you. This way, you can concentrate on relaxing during the measurements and you won’t have to worry about getting the numbers wrong.