American Body Armor has been one of the leading manufactures of the best body armor for law enforcement since 1969. American Body Armor is dedicated to finding the strongest, lightest and most effective body armor available for law enforcement officers.

We all know that body armor is one of the most important pieces of police gear that a police officer owns. With that being said, money shouldn't be a factor when buying body armor. About 6 weeks ago, I was custom fitted for a new American Body Armor Xtreme HP level III body armor. The vest cost me $800.00 because it was a level III. The level II body armor vests are about $700.00.

The vest came in about 3 weeks ago and I have been wearing it since then. So far I love it! The vest is so much thinner than my previous level III and very lightweight. I have compared it to other officer's level II vest and I can hardly tell a difference in the weight.

Due to the thinness of the body armor, the body armor fits snug and perfect on me. The vest has up to six Velcro straps to keep the vest in the correct position. I have chosen to only use to the two large straps on the sides. This is plenty! They do the job very well.

One thing I do recommend is to get it custom fitted. None of us are built the same so a stock body armor vest off of the shelf might not fit you correctly and could cost you your life.

The American Body Armor Xtreme vest can also be easily transformed into a raid vest for those that are in plain clothes assignment.

Overall, I am very pleased with this vest and would highly recommend it to any police officer looking for new body armor. This is one of the best body armor vests made today.

The American Body Armor Xtreme vests are part of the American Body Armor Ballistic Models. They offer five varieties to choose from; we will take a brief look at each of the five models as part of this police equipment review.

Xtreme Series XT01

The XT01 is the baseline model that provides protection against a variety of threat types. This vest is a hybrid design that combines the Honeywell Gold Shield and Twaron Microlaminate to provide some of the best ballistic protection available. The XT01 comes in both a Type II and Type IIIA protection rating and meets the guidelines of the NIJ Standard-0101.06. As with all of the American Body Armor designs, this vest is designed to be flexible and comfortable while providing maximum stopping power to save lives. The type II vest is .208 inches thick with an areal density (the weight of one square foot of ballistic fabric) of .93 lbs and the type IIA is .240 inches thick with an areal density of 1.24 lbs. Both models are available in a female design as well.

Xtreme Series HP01

The HP01 series is designed to provide "minimum impact movement, rapid impact recovery, and increased trauma protection" according to the American Body Armor site. This vest incorporates Geometric technology, Curv framing technology, and advanced stitching technology. The HP01 vest is available as a type II vest at .236 inches thick and .81 lbs areal density and is also available in a female design.

Xtreme Series FC01

The Xtreme Series FC01 provides a balance between flexibility and performance. The FC01 incorporates all the advanced technology of the HP01 with uni-directional polyethylene ballistic material providing protection against multiple hits with a robust structural strength. The FC01 Xtreme Series vests are available in type II and type IIIA protection ratings. The type II vest is .279 inches thick with an areal density of .77 lbs and the type IIIA is .382 inches thick with .93 lbs areal density.

Xtreme Series BR01

The Xtreme Series BR01 is one of the most robust models in the American Body Armor collection. The BR01 implements a horizontal and vertical Geometrc design feature to provide maximum protection across the sternum, spinal cord and lower torso. This horizontal and vertical design element provides increased trauma protection. The BR01 series is available in type IIA, type II and type IIIA protection levels. The type IIA is .186 inches thick with .66 lbs areal density, the type II is .245 inches thick with .88 lbs areal density, and the type IIIA is .331 inches thick with 1.12 lbs areal density.

New Xtreme Series XT02

The Xtreme Series XT02 offers the same protection and flexibility of the Xtreme Series XT01 but is available in a type IIA, type II, and type IIIA level. The XT02 type IIA is .158 inches thick, is .63 lbs areal density, the type II is .211 inches thick with .89 lbs areal density, and the type IIIA is .288 inches thick with 1.19 lbs areal density.

All of the American Body Armor ballistic vests are under warranty for 5 years so you know that when you purchase an American Body Armor ballistic vest you are making a good investment and that the company does warranty their products. Visit the American Body Armor site to learn more about the body armor products and find a dealer near you.

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