High quality body armor can be a big financial investment, and the effectiveness of your armor may be dependent on your maintenance techniques. Just like any firearm, body armor requires detailed care to offer complete protection with a longer lifespan. Below you’ll get a few tips on the best maintenance practices for your body armor from The Target Man.

Utilize manufacturer warranties

Many major body armor brands will issue warranty cards with their products, which you should fill out and register. This will let you take advantage of warranties or recalls for body armor that does not hold up over time.

Wash your armor

Clean and dry armor is the most effective, so you might consider having two carriers for ballistic panels if you use body armor frequently. With two carriers, you can properly clean and dry one while wearing the other. Taking the time to clean your carriers by hand can extend the life of both the carriers and ballistic plates.

Hang up your gear

The design of body armor does is not meant to stand up to being bent or folded. Therefore, you should always hang up your armor so that stress to the fibers is minimized.

Measure wear and tear by use, not years

As you do continue to use your body armor, you should tally the wear and tear by the mileage rather than the age of the armor. Armor is generally rated for five years of service, but this lifespan may be longer or shorter depending on how frequently the armor is used.

If you are shopping for new body armor, check out the selection of Spartan Armor Systems from The Target Man. You can explore the versatile, lightweight solutions we carry by visiting our website and online store.