Best Plate Carrier under $200

Whether you’re working for a law enforcement agency or just have a special interest in shooting and extreme sports, you always need the right gear to protect your body.

A good plate carrier doesn’t always have to be expensive; you can have the best plate carrier under $200. And you just landed in the right spot, as we know what you really want!

There are a lot of options regarding plate carriers available in the market. For those who are unfamiliar to this name, the plate carrier is basically a tactical jacket with pockets to insert bulletproof plates into it to shield you from any danger.

A good Plate Carrier should have the following qualities:

• Comfortable and adjustable according to body size
• Crafted from breathable material
• Durable yet Lightweight
• Capable of providing complete protection
• Lots of capacity to hold your accessories
• Can withstand wear & tear
• Affordable

Best plate carriers under $200 Review

1- Reehut – Breathable Tactical Vest:

Tactical vests are very important for military and other missions to provide safety and also to carry additional war gear. While they contain provisions to carry multiple assistive tools and weapons, they can also be utilized to be used to carry essentials such as food and medical aid.

The Reehut Breathable Tactical is a popular protective gear among soldiers and mountaineers. It is made of 600D high density Oxford fabric with a soft touch.

The Reehut Tactical Vest is breathable and lightweight owing to its nylon mesh material. It weighs just 3 pounds, which is very convenient to wear on long missions and also while playing.

And that is why customers want to buy this jacket for mountaineering and military missions. The less weight you bear, the more time you’re going to be able to stay on your feet.

What people love most about this vest is its numerous pockets and compartments to carry loads of tactical gear easily.

The vest boasts three magazine pouches, a utility pouch, three gadget pouches, a detachable gun pouch, a flashlight pouch as well as a detachable shotgun shell holder.

The adjustable belt is also included in the kit with the vest to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction. The unique construction of this vest gives you a strengthened rescue pull handle that is very convenient to carry and also offers full strength in unexpected circumstances.

In addition, the zipper functionality of Reehut Tactical Vest makes it so much easier to wear, whereas the removable Velcro is important to adjust the vest conveniently.

All in all, the Reehut Tactical Vest is a durable vest with lots of pouches to carry all your gaming requirements.

2- OneTigris Tactical – Laser Cut Plate Carrier Vest:

Our next product under $200 is the OneTigris Laser-cut Tactical Plate Carrier. This laser-cut plate carrier is beautifully tailored to fulfil all your tactical needs, including combat and paintball.

Its lightweight and waterproof tactical jacket that is made of high-quality and durable 500D Nylon for greater longevity. In addition, high-quality internal EVA padding provides additional support and comfort to users.

When buying any carrier plate, there are several things that we should take into account, the biggest priority is its adjustability and customization ability.

The OneTigris Tactical Laser-cut Vest can be adjusted from 10 to 16 inches from the shoulder and 32 to 46 inches from the waist.

In addition, the laser-cut MOLLE webbing tends to make playing and walking around with the vest very comfortable and easy.

This Laser-cut plate carrier vest is available in two color options; Black and Multicam. It incorporates a Kangaroo magazine pouch on the outside to accommodate three M4 magazines.

Also, it consists of two foam plates for safety, and you can also add ballistic plates of the same size if needed for additional protection.

Moreover, the MOLLE webbing of OneTigris vest allows you to mount accessories and additional tools for your missions.

All in all, we totally vouch for this best budget plate carrier, as it is full of attachment sites for all of your tactical accessories and it also comes with a 1-year official warranty.

3- YAKEDA Tactical Vest:

YAKEDA is a specialist manufacturer of tactical vests and has been in this field for more than two decades. It is one of the leading brands that has earned a lot of respect from people around the globe.

It boasts a no-nonsense design made of polyester and nylon that makes the jacket exceptionally lightweight and breathable.

The Yakeda tactical jacket weighs 3.6 pounds, so it’s not too heavy to wear around on long missions. The size of chest and shoulders of the vest are wide and are also adjustable to accommodate all body sizes by using long Velcro strips.

For connecting the carabiners and other required equipment, you will also find two metal D-rings on it. In addition, the back side of the vest has a double-ply mesh to mount the hydration bladder.

Yakeda Tactical has several flexible pockets and pouches to let you carry a lot of important items while you’re on an important task. The pouches come with a plug-in system to keep things well organized and easily accessible.

It showcases a Pistol Holster and three adjustable pistol Mag pouches on its left side. And on its right, it features three ammunition pouches, a big shell carrying pocket, and a shooting pad.

Yakeda Tactical is an affordable yet versatile jacket with a carrying handle and also strips across the backside to include other pouches.

The front area of the vest is firmly zipped up and an optional pistol belt is in place to ensure extra safety. The inner side features two zip pockets to carry confidential documents.

All in all, YAKEDA Tactical Vest is the best choice for you if you work for police agencies and need to shield yourself from any danger.

4- Lixada Tactical – Military Airsoft Vest:

Lixada Tactical Vest is specially made to fulfill the needs of paintball and other shooting sports lovers.

The Lixada Airsoft Vest is crafted from high-quality Oxford fabric having a polyester density of 600D and a meshwork. This combination of material and construction quality makes this jacket very durable and long-lasting while at the same time quite breathable.

The Lixada Airsoft Vest weighs around 2.8 pounds, and therefore it is one of the lightest plate carriers around. You can easily take this vest on long missions even on mountaineering and it would not bother you at all.

This tactical jacket is highly adjustable to accommodate all body sizes and shapes conveniently. In addition, it is also highly ventilative to wear for long missions and it also has drain holes to make your life easy.

The manufacturer has developed a revolutionary tactical jacket that is strategically advanced than most of the others. There are several pockets on both the front and back side, including magazine pouches and safe zipped pockets for documents with adjustable flaps.

Another intriguing thing about this vest is that few of the pouches can also be disassembled when not required to further minimize the weight of the vest.

The Lixada tactical and airsoft vest is available in various color options to match your requirements. Moreover, the Belt of Lixada boasts a heavy duty back loop mechanism to hold additional accessories and tools on missions.

The padded non-slip shoulders and D-rings make it extremely comfortable and convenient to wear. You can add as many pouches and accessories as you want with the help of S.T.R.I.K.E webbing.

Overall, this vest is commendable as far as comfort and convenience of the user is considered. Multiple mag pouches and additional webbing for mounting accessories makes it perfect for your missions.

Buying Guide

We have discussed some affordable yet decent Plate Carriers under 200 in this article along with their specifications, unique features, advantages, and drawbacks.

We highly recommend having the following points in mind if you’re considering buying a plate carrier!

Design:

Plate carriers are constructed in such a way that they can conveniently carry bulletproof plates made to stop the ballistic round as well as additional accessories. If you need it for extreme sports, you should go for a low-weight plate carrier with fewer pockets attached.

However, if you need to use it in life-threatening circumstances while you are a member of a law enforcement agency, you should consider a more robust and heavier jacket to protect your vital organs from any injury.

Storage Capacity:

Plate carriers should have a considerable amount of space associated with them. Certain scenarios require more storage to be provided on the plate than others. However, this can have a significant impact on the ease of movement of the user while carrying a ballistic plate.

Therefore, assess your basic needs, such as Maps, Flashlights and Supplies, and whether the Plate carrier of consideration is capable of holding them all at once.

Adjustability of Plate Carriers:

Adjustability is amongst the most important considerations to look for while buying a plate carrier. One must always aim to consider a plate carrier having an adjustable structure in terms of length and across the chest.

This enhances ergonomics and improves ease and convenience. Fixed size carriers can prove to be a challenge, particularly if they are oversized for the user.

Fabric:

Before buying a plate carrier, always pay attention to the fabric and the stitching of the product. Irrespective of the climate, the fabric of the plate carrier should be reasonably breathable to minimize the amount of pressure on the body.

Many plate carrier producers use nylon as a fabric because it is very lightweight and sturdy and does not damage easily.

Price:

If you’re searching for a plate carrier that’s appropriate for your budget, it’s crucial to find one that’s going to offer the best performance and reliability.

There are many options available for each price bracket, always choose one with good quality and durability.

Final Verdict

All in all, each of the above mentioned plate carrier vests is absolutely amazing and offers great versatility at a reasonable price tag. However the Reehut Breathable Tactical Vest excels from all of them due to its Sturdy Construction and Spacious Design.

The manufacturer sets high standards and aims to respond to the demands of the customer efficiently. Crafted from high density Oxford fabric that also is nice and soft, the REEHUT Tactical Vest is an affordable choice that comes with most of the attributes that are commonly found in high-end plate carriers.

FAQs

1. What plate carriers do Navy Seals use?

Crye Precision Jumpable Plate Carrier, also known as the JPC in short is the most observed plate carrier on US Navy SEAL operatives.

This could very well be because of the level IV protection and MOLLE webbing to mount additional pouches and accessories required by the Special forces’ personnel.

2. How tight should a plate carrier be?

Ideally, the straps of your gear should be tight enough not to enable the plates to move around. But they must also not be tight enough to prevent the user from breathing easily.

If you notice an unnecessary amount of bend and wear to the ballistic panels, it can imply that you have strapped your plate carrier very tightly.

3. Can body armor stop a 50 cal?

No. Any body armor available in the market is not built to protect against .50 caliber rounds. Since the usage of .50 caliber weapons is against aircrafts and other flying objects, alongside penetrating armored vehicles such as tanks; plate carriers would in no way be able to stop such a power projectile.

4. What level of body armor can Civilians buy?

The answer can deeply vary from state to state, considering the United States. Generally, civilians are allowed to purchase protection plates of up to level IV protection. However, most users prefer plates offering level IIA or III protection.