GTS Ceramic Body Armor Plate Sizing Guide
The purpose of wearing front and rear ceramic body armor plates is to protect your vital organs from incoming projectiles. In the most simple approach, this means having the correct sized ceramic armor plate, protection level, shape, width and length.
In general, most people will wear:
Height less than 5' 4": 8" x 10" ceramic armor plate.
Height 5' 4" to 6' 0": 10" x 12" ceramic armor plate.
Height more than 6' 1": 11" x 14" ceramic armor plate.
There is a certain amount of discretion and variability with your choice and complete protection is often traded for more limited movement. Remember that we can also adjust the height of your custom armor plate to match your anatomy.
The overall goal is to protect the areas:
1. From the top of the heart (and associated arteries) down to your belly button area. Most people do not wear hard armor extending all the way to the belly button area but stop slightly above since the major organs are not generally that low in the abdomen. But, this can be personal choice based on your mobility requirements and armor weight carrying ability or preferences.
2. A width adequate to protect your lungs.
Ceramic body armor plate measuring instructions:
Keep in mind that you may need to consider the size limitations of your plate carrier as well. It is important to buy the plates offering the coverage that your require - not just to "fit" the plate carrier.
To measure the vertical requirements of your ceramic hard armor plate, measure from the top of your sternum (where the two bone "knots" are at the top of your chest) down to your belly button. Then subtract 2" - 3" from this (or as you prefer) to reach a usable armor height. This will be the height requirement of your armor plate.
Having the proper width is also important to protect your lungs and other vital organs. To measure for the required width, measure between your nipples. This measurement will be the approximate plate width you should purchase.
Plate shape and cut considerations:
The shape at the top of the plate can impact coverage of vital organs, especially the outer lung areas. The most effective coverage would be a square top cut or "full" cut armor plate. This provides full with protection at all four corners.
Most people order our SAPI (Small Arms Protective Insert) cut. This cut offers full 10" width protection at the lower plate corners and the last few inches are angled in to a top width of about 5.5". The initial top cut starts 8.5" from the bottom corners. This SAPI shape allows freedom of motion at the user's shoulders. The image below shows the general shape and size of our 10" x 12" SAPI cut.
We also build swimmer's cut plates and those measurements are completely customizable. We have built this shape with 3-6" plate top measurements with various descending angles and termination points.
If you are seeking general armor protection without the need for a custom approach, we recommend the SAPI cut style.
A few people wear different plate cuts and sizes in the rear pockets of their plate carriers. This is acceptable but just remember that variations in weight can cause your carrier to feel and ride unevenly. You can plan for this with your rig placements, etc. You may swap your plates if your front plate is struck and damaged. So, be sure to know this and accept any limitations that may come from this operational exchange. Most people wear two SAPI plates and are identical between front and rear plate pockets (for this reason).
A few of our designs are "shooter's cut." This shape takes a SAPI top cut and angles the lower two plate corners. This is a more comfortable plate but results in slightly less coverage. It is also a popular choice, especially for our Model 6910 edge-to-edge ceramic armor plate weighing in at about 6 pounds.
