Each vest, rig, and helmet has different coverages, weights, and protection levels.
Cost and accessibility are also factors, and many players will be using subpar gear for weeks.
If your armor stops a round, you will take a small amount of blunt damage.
The first stat to look for is the level or class of an armor piece.
As durability drops, lower-penetration rounds will break through more frequently.
So, for example, take the Slick Plate Carrier which has 80 base durability.
Well talk about repairs in a bit more detail later.
Armor also has weight, which affects the player in multiple ways.
you better strike a balance between protection and mobility, and the best armors do that.
Generally, the difference in repair quality does not outweigh the steeper price.
Most players take the cheapest option most of the time.
Other materials like titanium repair more efficiently and can be used many times.
Weve broken these down by level so that low-level players without access to high-end gear have options to consider.
Level 1 protection only exists on helmets, hence its absence here.
It is level 6, has surprisingly low movement penalties, has 80 durability, and repairs well.
The Hexgrid is a lighter-weight alternative with a lower durability, though its sturdier material repairs better.
All other level 6 armors are too heavy to consider, though you will see an occasional Tagilla rig.
The Killa armor is the best overall level 5 armor, but the FORT armors are nice accessible alternatives.
That is the prime use of the humble PACA.
Remember that attachments have their own armor level independent of the helmet theyre attached to.
Many meta helmets are level 4 but use a level 3 face shield.
You forgo face and ear protection to do that, but most face shields are level 3 anyways.
Whether the trade-off is worth it is for you to decide.
The Altyn and Rhys-T are heavy, block headphones, and heavily restrict your FOV.
However, theyre the only way to get level 5 coverage on your entire head.
Level 4 helmets are the most common at high levels, where they are easily accessible.
These options avoid the many downsides of the Altyn and Rhys-T but offer slightly worse protection.
The available face shield options also max out at level 3, and wont stop high-tier ammo.
If you find face shields arent worth the investment, the ULACH will be your helmet of choice.
Theyll protect you from some Scav ammo, and occasionally bounce off an enemy players armor-piercing round.
The Ratnick has lower mobility penalties but is the more expensive option.
That’s everything there is to know about armor and helmets in Escape From Tarkov!
We’ve also got a rundown of therecent Arena mode announcementand all the (limited) info on it.
