What size plate carrier do I need? Sizing Guide

We are regularly asked if our plate carriers will fit your body type or what size plate carrier you should get. The first thing you should know before buying your new plate carrier is that the sizing has to do with your armor plates, not your body. The most common armor plates’ size is 10x12 and it should be enough to cover vital organs for more than 80% of the population.

However, it is better to make a couple of quick measurements to determine what plates are best for you. If you don’t get the size right, they can be too big and you can be carrying around additional weight, compromising your mobility. If they are too small then they will not give you proper coverage, exposing your vital organs.

How to measure for a plate carrier

Plate carrier (or, to be precise, armor plates inside a plate carrier) should cover your vital organs: heart, lungs, liver. To make sure they do you need to measure your chest:

1. To get width measure from nipple to nipple
2. To get height measure from top of your sternum to your belly button

Of course, there probably won’t be plates with the exact measurements you got, pick the closest ones.

What size plate carrier do I need?

Now, when you know the size of armor plates you need or if you already have them, you can choose a plate carrier. Just check the spec of a plate carrier you want to buy to see if it fits your plates. Agilite’s K19 is a one size fits all plate carrier and you can perfectly fit small, medium and large plates in it by using an internal adjuster. Check this picture for the details.

How to adjust a plate carrier

After finishing setting up your plate carrier follow these steps to make sure it fits you properly:

• Move your arms: a plate carrier should not restrict you in any way.
• It should not be too high or too low. Rule of thumb is that you should be able to fit two fingers between the top of the plate and your collarbone. Adjust shoulder straps if needed.
• Adjust a cummerbund if your plate carrier is too tight or too loose.

Check out Agilite’s plate carriers collection to find a plate carrier that fits you perfectly.