Best Plate Carrier Shoulder Pads 2022- Complete Guide

Plate carriers are a necessary evil if you have a job that requires them, they can be really tough to wear because they can be heavy and difficult to wear.

Although there are a few things that make them worth wearing such as having accessories that suit you best and help you with your mission. 

Plate carriers can prove to be the best assets for you in a job, a mission such as a deployment work or hunting, etc. But for that, you have to customize one according to your needs.

A shoulder pad is one of the accessories that make a Plate carrier an amazing thing to wear in any state.  Tactical Plate carrier shoulder armor pads are so important because, without them, you can get rash or just have shoulder pains. It eases you in the plate carrier and gives you the confidence to function properly. 

We here have assembled a few plate carrier shoulder pads so that you can adjust one with your perfect tactical plate carrier and not have any problem.

Let’s get into it right away. 

Best Plate Carrier Shoulder Pads 2022 Reviews

1. IceVents Shoulder Pads – Plate Carrier Shoulder Armor

The Icevents shoulder pads are very versatile, these can be used for many different purposes. Mainly designed for tactical vests plate carriers but are really good to use when lifting heavy weights etc. The Icevents shoulder pads provide maximum comfort for the user.

The good qualities about the Icevent shoulder pad are that it does not only help you carry weight, but there are also a lot of health features too such as they are antimicrobial and water-resistant, preventing extra sweat and keeps you going for longer.

These shoulder pads are made of very high-quality material and have heat-absorbing features. These shoulder pads are very easy to install in the plate carrier vest as they come with different hooks to attach and fix them to the plate carrier vest.

The honeycomb matrix of the shoulder pads helps manage very heavyweight as the weight gets evenly distributed throughout. This feature also helps the shoulder pad shock absorbing which makes this a really amazing choice.

2. Condor Plate Carrier Shoulder Pads

The condor shoulder pads are amazon’s choice for best plate carrier shoulder pads. This shoulder pad is specifically designed to lift heavy weights, meaning this would provide the least restraint no matter how heavy the weight you are lifting.

There are also a few hooks and loops attached to the shoulder pads so that they can be adjusted easily around your carrier plate vest and provide maximum comfort. They are good for any plate carrier vest. Being a lot better than most as they are bulky providing maximum fitting.

They are made in such a way they fit snugly around your body. Very easy to attach and remove from the plate carrier vest. Their making is really good as any other condor product and is made of very high-quality material.

The good thing about these shoulder pads is that they come in different colors so you can choose them according to the color of your vest so they won’t stand out much and in case of camouflage, they will blend in equally

3. Eagle Industries Plate Carrier Shoulder Pads 

The Eagle industries plate carrier shoulder pad is really good for tactical vests. The good thing about the eagle industries’ shoulder pad is that it is available in more than one color. These help in the redistribution of weight so that a heavyweight can be lifted easily.

There are special velcros attached so that these plate carrier shoulder pads can easily be attached to your plate carrier and can be as easily removed. Providing maximum comfortability and relaxation.

The flaps come with hooks and loops which makes them easy to fix and attach to the plate carrier and make the carrier fit snugly around your body hence providing maximum movement.

Another feature that stands out is that they are compatible with most of the plate carrier vests.
These particular plate carrier shoulder pads are very comfortable to wear so you can easily wear your plate carrier vest throughout the day without having to worry about the pain and anything that might be caused otherwise.

4.Shellback Tactical Banshee Shoulder Pads

The shellback tactical banshee shoulder pads go really well with most of the plate carrier vest. Although they are only available in one color, they are really good at helping the person carrying some extra weight.

They usually help in weight distribution that increases the amount of weight that can be lifted by the person wearing them.

The good thing about these tactical banshee shoulder pads is that they are extremely comfortable. You can wear your plate carrier vest throughout the day without having to worry about extra work or shoulder strain because they provide you with all the comfort that you need to function properly.

These best tactical plate carrier shoulder pads also fit very snugly and help you carry your plate carrier vest very easily. The cloth material is really good which makes them durable and gives them a very long-lasting time no matter how much you use them or for how serious a mission you are using them for.

These are heavily padded making your experience even better and makes you confident in your mission by proving that extra smoothness you need over your shoulders.

5. High-Speed Gear Plate Carrier Shoulder Pads.

The high-speed gear shoulder pads are mainly made for people in the military and law enforcement. They are high speed and provide maximum movement and these plate carrier shoulder pads are multifunctional and can be proven to be very versatile.

These are designed for increasing the comfort level of the plate carrier in 2022 by providing weight distribution throughout and preventing shoulder strains. The standing out feature would be the fact that they are compatible with every plate carrier vest and the webbing.

They help lift all kinds of the heavyweight of the plate carrier. These plate carrier shoulder pads are made of 1000 denier Cordura which makes them highly comfortable to wear and very long-lasting which makes them durable and make you depend upon them in any work.
They are not only used with the plate carrier but can easily also be used with plate carrier backpacks to perform the same function as they do with a plate carrier. They can be worn with any kind of armor and any level.

Buying Guide of Shoulder Pads for Plate Carrier 2022:

In order to buy shoulder pads, there are only a few things that you need to keep in mind, once you have checked those, you can easily buy the particular shoulder pads that match the description that you have formulated according to your requirement.

The things that you need to look for are as follows.

What are you going to use your plate carrier vest for:

This feature is very important because if you know what are you using your plate carrier vest for you can easily decide what kind of shoulder pad would you need, as they are of different types and not all of the shoulder pads are good enough some are multifunctional as well and those are the best kind as you can also use them with your backpack for extra comfort.

Versatile shoulder pads are usually the best option as they can be paired with your vest and can easily be used in most the functions such as exercising, hiking, hunting, and in the battlefields, providing you with maximum comfort throughout and helping you function properly for a long time without much hindrance.

1. Compatibility

Not all shoulder pads are good enough for all the plate carrier vests, you have to ensure that the shoulder pad that you are buying is good enough and compatible with your plate carrier vest.

Some brands that make plate carrier vests also make shoulder pads for separate selling which are also compatible with other vests but mostly with their own. So ensuring which plate carrier is suitable with your shoulder pad is a must. 

Sometimes a shoulder pad, if not compatible, does not stick properly to your plate carrier vest. So you get trouble attaching it to your vest and that causes hindrance in its functionality.

2. Cloth material

You have to see which cloth material your plate carrier shoulder pad is made of because that would determine the expiry of your shoulder pad. If your shoulder pad is made of high-quality material and is long-lasting then you can easily buy them for critical missions and as a law enforcement officer since you would have to wear it all day.

Such shoulder pads would be durable and you would have one less thing to worry about and you’d be able to act confidently on the battlefield.

But if you are someone who does not have to wear your plate carrier vest often then you don’t need to look for very high-quality material as it is not necessary and your shoulder pad can easily last for a long time.

3. Weight

Looking for the weight of the shoulder pad is something very important. There are two different kinds of weight distribution available for the shoulder pads.

• Heavyweight 
• Lightweight

The weight that you want for yourself depends entirely upon the function that you are going to be performing with it. The heavyweight shoulder pads are good for critical missions and the lightweight ones are easy for the missions that are easy to prove.

The reason for choosing this is to provide you with maximum breathability and maximum movement so you can perform your action with the maximum outcome.

4. Measurements

You need to know the measurement of your shoulder and the plate carrier vest because some plate carrier shoulder pads are compatible with people who are short and wear a short side of plate carrier vest whereas some are compatible with bulky and heavy people so you need to measure your size and buy the plate carrier shoulder pads accordingly.

5. Ensure weight distribution. 

This is the most important thing that you need to notice, for this you need to see that the weight is evenly distributed throughout the shoulder vest because this feature ensures the number of plates that you can carry in the plate carrier if the weight is properly distributed you can carry a lot of weight with minimum resistance and it makes you function in the best way possible.

FAQs

What should I have on my plate carrier?

That entirely depends on what you are using your plate carrier for. If you are simply using it for exercise, then you would only need some extra shoulder pads and plates. The weight of the plates would entirely depend upon the intensity of the exercise.

If you are using it for hunting purposes then you would need a lot of accessories such as a hydration pack, pockets for maps, and other accessories.
If you are law enforcement or deployment officer, you would need the best magazine pouches, pistols, and dump pouches as well.

Shoulder pads are something all vests have in common and all vests should have as they will make your experience high comfortable and will help you go on for longer.

How do I choose shoulder pads?

It is very important to be equipped with the right kind of accessories and vests when you are working and having shoulder pads is one of the necessary things that you need in order to make your gear function properly. When you are deciding for shoulder pads, you need to consider your function. Depending on that you need to know if you need a heavier or lighter pad. This would help you move freely and easily in the field. 

Then you have to measure your shoulder width and look for the nearest measurement possible when buying the plate carrier shoulder pad so that there is no hindrance in your performance.

Can you wear a plate carrier without plates?

Yes! You can definitely wear a plate carrier without plates. Usually, the plates are added to put in some extra effort and burning some extra calories, etc.

Other reasons are for practicing and being in the army or law enforcement. Usually, when you wear a plate carrier with plates, it is difficult to wear the vest, and having shoulder pads makes it easy to carry the heavyweight by even redistributing the weight throughout.

Other than that if you are only wearing a plate carrier vest and not plates with it, you can easily wear it throughout the day without any side effects such as rashes, etc. Shoulder pads are still necessary so you are protected from strains all the time.

What is a plate carrier used for?

A plate carrier can be used for many things. Starting from daily chores and wearing them for daily exercise such as in the gym or going out for a run. What it does is, it provides you with some extra resistance so that you can lose that extra weight or lose some more calories than usual.

Other than that it can also be used during hunting or on the battlefield as a plate carrier does not only carry plates, these can also carry a lot of other equipment including hydration packs, etc.

Lastly, they can also be used as bulletproof vests because the plates are made of metal then the bullet won’t be able to penetrate and keep you safe and confident in the battlefield.

Does body armor expire?

Everything is supposed to expire eventually, the expiry of a body armor highly depends upon how much you are going to use it and what you are going to use it for.

If you are using it very often then it can easily expire within 3-4 years and if you are using it for something that requires a lot of accessories and weight then it would expire even earlier, on the contrary, if you are using it for some purpose such as exercising and using it less often it can stay for at least 5-7 years.

What is the best color for a plate carrier?

Usually, plate carriers come in many colors and the color that you choose is entirely dependent upon you. If your work requires some professional colors then you can always go for black color and if you are using things like hunting you should always go for camouflage design which normally helps you blend in the environment and not tick off your prey.

Just like that, you are free to choose the color of your plate carrier only depending upon your choice unless you are a law officer and you have to wear it as a uniform.

Conclusion: 

As we have established that if for some reason we have to wear a plate carrier or if we are wearing a plate carrier by choice, there definitely are a few things without which our plate carrier is incomplete. One of them being the shoulder pads.

Your plate carrier is incomplete without shoulder pads because they provide comfort and not having shoulder pads can cause rash and shoulder strain. Most of the plate carrier shoulder pads also absorb shock and sweat making you function for longer and perform well in the field.

So we decided to assemble the best of the best shoulder pads out there. We have also assembled a buying guide which would make it easy for you to buy your plate carrier vest. The features that you need to notice in your plate carrier are mentioned and very well explained.

So read our buying guide and choose what is best for you and look at the features mentioned and see the one that is perfect for you. We ensured that all the best ones are mentioned.