Understanding the meaning of NIJ levels is essential as some have major differences compared to others in terms of protection, weight, velocity, and material. NIJ levels provide a clear indication of what the armor protects against and who could be best suited to apply it. NIJ has become a notable acronym in the industry, but what does it stand for? What does it mean? What does NIJ have to do with you purchasing body armor?
Before purchasing any kind of body armor, you must be sure to have a thorough understanding of the different levels of protection that are available. Knowing what each level can provide in terms of protection from bullets will make your selections a lot clearer and more precise. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has determined and specified the standards that differentiate the different kinds of body armor from soft to hard armor. The 6 commonly known levels of protection include level IIA, II, IIIA, III, III+, and IV. What determines the category of body armor is less about what it is made of and more about the type of ammunition it can resist against.
Ballistic shields come in several levels. Each level stops certain projectiles at certain speeds. Choosing the wrong level of protection means that someone could get severely injured or killed. The level you choose depends on what type of situations you find your officers in on a regular basis. However, more protection denies maneuverability. If you need maneuverability, you sacrifice protection.
When working with body armor, it’s important to know how it works and how it’s rated. While most people equate body armor with heavy metal vests, today’s body armor is quite different. A body armor vest is soft and created from fibers that are flexible enough to be worn under regular clothes.
Many people think of body armor as something law enforcement wears like a bulletproof vest, but everyday body armor is becoming very common – even to the point of having body armor-type school bookbags. Body armor has specific ratings evaluated by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). They are in charge of setting, testing and enhancing ballistic protection standards that are tied to body armor consumers purchase. The standards are responsible for ensuring certain levels of safety and can assist when deciding the type of protection that works best. There are currently five basic NIJ ballistic protection ratings that are associated with the type of armor. These range from Level IIA to Level IV.
Body armor has been around for centuries, dating back to ancient tribes and warriors. In Europe, body armor consisted of metal plates, but technology has helped create what we know as the bulletproof vest and body armor vest. While there are some types of body armor made with very strong materials like metal, soft body armor is made from advanced woven fibers that is sewn into vests and other types of soft clothing. You may have also heard the term Kevlar, which is a lightweight clothing fiber that is five times stronger than a piece of steel the same weight. How Kevlar works is simple – it stops bullets from reaching the body and is very powerful. Other types of body armor are being developed, such as silk body armor, which is constructed out of spider silk. The result is called Biosteel, which is known to be up to 20 times stronger than a normal piece of regular steel.