Bulletproof vest

A wearable protective garment designed to reduce injury from bullets and, in some designs, knives or other weapons. Its protection depends on materials, construction, and the threats it is rated to resist.

Ballistic resistance: The ability of a material or structure to resist penetration and damage from projectiles. A vest’s protective performance is measured by how it resists specified ballistic threats.
Body armor: Protective equipment worn on the body to reduce injury from weapons, impacts, or other hazards. Bulletproof vests are one wearable form of body armor.
Silk bulletproof vest: A late-nineteenth-century form of soft body armor made from layers of silk. It was an early wearable attempt to stop bullets with flexible layered material.
Concealable body armor: Low-profile body armor designed to be worn beneath ordinary clothing. Police and security personnel may use concealable vests for routine duties.
Personal protective equipment: Equipment worn to reduce exposure to hazards that can cause injury or illness. A vest is protective equipment whose benefits depend on fit, upkeep, and threat.
Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene: A lightweight polyethylene whose exceptionally long polymer chains give it high strength and impact resistance. Its fibers form lightweight ballistic panels used in many soft armor designs.
National Institute of Justice body armor standards: U.S. performance standards that classify body armor by its resistance to specified ammunition threats. These standards make vest protection levels comparable under defined tests.
Casimir Zeglen: A Polish-born Catholic priest and inventor who developed and promoted a silk bulletproof garment. Zeglen’s experiments helped bring early soft ballistic armor into public view.
Stab-resistant vest: A protective garment designed to resist penetration by knives, spikes, or similar pointed weapons. Bullet resistance does not guarantee protection against stabbing or puncturing.
Small arms: Portable firearms designed for individual use, including pistols and rifles. The ammunition used by small arms defines many vest testing and design choices.

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