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Soft Body Armor Market Analysis & Forecast | 2023-2028
Soft Body Armor Market Size, Share, Trends, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity (2023-2028)
The Soft Body Armor Market was valued at US$ 926.4 Million in 2022 and is likely to reach an annual market size of US$ 1210.7 Million in 2028 at an exceptional CAGR of 4.3% during the forecast period of 2023-2028.
It is projected that the sales of soft body armor will cumulatively reach US$ 6,607.1 million during 2023-2028.
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What is soft body armor?
Soft body armor is the protective clothing that is usually worn by law enforcement personnel, EMS workers, and firefighters in various situations due to the escalating geopolitical conflict and the rise in violent and terrorist acts.
These bulletproof vests protect against ammunition fired from short-barrel handguns, improve the soldier’s survivability, and protect the army personnel and special police task forces. Law enforcement officials, who are more likely to encounter low-level ballistic threats, typically utilize soft body armor to provide adequate ballistic protection.
Over the past three decades, soft body armor has reportedly saved the lives of over 3,000 police officers in the United States, according to the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).
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Soft Body Armor Market Report Highlights |
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Market Size in 2022 |
US$ 926.4 Million |
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Market Size in 2028 |
US$ 1210.7 Million |
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Market Growth by 2023-2028 |
CAGR of 4.3% |
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Base Year of Study |
2022 |
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Trend Period |
2017-2021 |
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Forecast Period |
2023-2028 |
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Dominant Region |
North America is expected to remain the largest market with a share of >65% in 2022. |
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Segments |
By Product Type (Ballistic-Resistant Armor, Stab-Resistant Armor, and Combined-Resistant Armor) By Material Type (Aramid, UHMWPE, and Others) By Level of Protection Type (Level IIA, Level II, Level IIIA, SP1/KR1, SP2/KR2, SP3/KR3, Level IIA + SP/KR/SP-KR, Level II + SP/KR/SP-KR, and Level IIIA + SP/KR/SP-KR) By End-User Type (Military, Homeland Security, and Commercial) By Mode of Operation Type (Covert Operation and Overt Operation) By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World) |
The overall industry dynamics are changing with the increasing focus on the development of lightweight soft body armor products that stand up to complex threats and ultimately save the lives of law enforcement officers, military personnel, and civilians while providing flexibility and comfort. Increasing R&D investments focused on improving the soldier’s comfort and enhancing their protection and survivability will fuel the soft body armor market growth in the coming years.
The growing usage of improved raw materials in order to decrease the weight of ballistic protection equipment is anticipated to create new market opportunities. Therefore, soft body armor manufacturers are demanding lighter protective solutions, thus, driving the raw material companies’ product development and increasing the industry’s competitiveness for life protection.
In the beginning, a lot of effort was put into manufacturing soft body armor using conventional materials, such as fiberglass and nylon. However, due to the increased demand in terms of mobility and flexibility, many armor manufacturers have shifted to the usage of high-performance materials like UHMWPE and aramid fibers, which demonstrate outstanding strength-to-weight properties, and a high tenacity and ballistic performance.
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The market is fairly consolidated with the presence of some regional and global players. As most of the companies are US-based, their primary focus is to tap the domestic market and gradually increase their regional penetration.
These companies predominantly compete based on their product quality, weight, comfort level, price, and the level of protection offered. Several companies focus on the usage of UHMWPE, due to the large demand for lightweight body armor, which further increases the market competition globally. Several armor manufacturers offer complete soldier protection solutions including helmets.
The following are some of the key players in the soft body armor market:
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Segmentations |
List of Sub-Segments |
Dominant and Fastest-Growing Segments |
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Product-Type Analysis |
Ballistic-Resistant Armor, Stab-Resistant Armor, and Combined-Resistant Armor |
Ballistic-resistant armor is likely to be the dominant category and is also expected to witness the fastest growth, in the coming years. |
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Material-Type Analysis |
UHMWPE, Aramid, and Others |
UHMWPE is expected to be the dominant as well as the fastest-growing material type, in the coming years. |
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Level of Protection-Type Analysis |
Level IIA, Level II, Level IIIA, SP1/KR1, SP2/KR2, SP3/KR3, Level IIA + SP/KR/SP-KR, Level II + SP/KR/SP-KR, and Level IIIA + SP/KR/SP-KR |
Level IIIA is expected to be the major protection category. The protection type is also likely to be the fastest-growing category, in the foreseen future. |
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End-User Type Analysis |
Military, Homeland Security, and Commercial |
Homeland security is expected to maintain its market dominance and is also likely to grow at the fastest rate, during the forecast period. |
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Mode of Operation-Type Analysis |
Covert Operation and Overt Operation |
A covert operation is estimated to be dominant and is also to be the faster-growing mode of operation type, in the coming years. |
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Regional Analysis |
North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World |
North America is expected to be the dominant market. Asia-Pacific is likely to be the fastest-growing market, during the forecast period. |
By Product Type
The market is segmented into ballistic-resistant armor, stab-resistant armor, and combined-resistant armor.
Ballistic-resistant armor is expected to remain the largest market with a share of >70% in 2022 and it will be the fastest-growing product type with a CAGR of 4.4% in the market during the forecast period. Ballistic-resistant armor is used in large volumes by police officers and other law enforcement personnel to protect them from bullets fired by handguns. The product type is likely to dominate as well as be the fastest growing in the foreseen future.
Similarly, stab-resistant armor provides protection from knives, sharp blades, pointed needles, and spikes and its protection level varies as per the sharpness of the knife/spike. Combined-resistant armor provides complete protection against bullets and knives, along with sharp and pointed objects.
By Material Type
The market is segmented into UHMWPE, aramid, and others.
Among these materials, the UHMWPE-based soft body armor contributed a major share of >70% in 2022 and it will be the fastest-growing material type with a CAGR of 4.6% in the market during the forecast period because of its significant weight reduction and improved ballistic resistance. The other materials used in soft body armor are generally glass-fiber PE composite, sponge, foam, and rubber, which are majorly used in stab-resistant body armors.
By Level of Protection Type
The market is segmented into Level IIA, Level II, Level IIIA, SP1/KR1, SP2/KR2, SP3/KR3, Level IIA + SP/KR/SP-KR, Level II + SP/KR/SP-KR, and Level IIIA + SP/KR/SP-KR.
Among these, Level IIIA dominated the market with a share of >55% in 2022 and it will be the fastest-growing type with a CAGR of 4.7% in the market during the forecast period. Each product type has a different protection level. While the ballistic-resistant armor has protection levels level IIA, level II, and level IIIA, the stab-resistant armor has protection levels SP1/KR1, SP2/KR2, and SP3/KR3, and the combined-resistant body armor has protection levels of level IIA + SP/KR/SP-KR, Level II + SP/KR/SP-KR, and Level IIIA + SP/KR/SP-KR A.
Since level IIIA provides the highest level of protection, it is likely to contribute to a major market share as well as is likely to witness the highest market growth, during the forecast period. The market demand for level IIA protection type is slowly diminishing, due to limited usage and the low level of protection offered by the armor.
By End-User Type
The market is segmented into military, homeland security, and commercial.
Among these end-users, Homeland Security dominated the market with a share of >70% in 2022 and it will be the fastest-growing type with a CAGR of 4.6% in the market during the forecast period. As a result of the increasing investments by the US DHS (Department of Homeland Security) and other law enforcement agencies in different countries for the safety of their police officers and other law enforcement personnel, homeland security is anticipated to generate the largest demand and is also likely to witness the fastest market growth, in the coming five years.
This is also owing to the large demand for soft body armor during police operations, such as during shootout missions, where soft body armor is used in large volumes as they are deployed across every law enforcement personnel engaged in the operation.
By Mode of Operation Type
The market is segmented into covert operation and overt operation.
Among these operation types, Covert Operation dominated the market in 2022 and it will be the fastest-growing type with a CAGR of 5.3% in the market during the forecast period. The covert operation is considered to be better suited for law enforcement personnel during homeland security operations, as the armor used in such operations is lightweight and designed to be concealed under the personnel’s clothing.
As a result, it is likely to draw a larger market demand and is also anticipated to witness faster growth, during the forecast period.
By Region
North America is expected to remain the largest market with a share of >65% in 2022 for soft body armor. The region is home to market-leading companies, such as Point-Blank Enterprises, Inc., Safariland, LLC, and Armor Express, which are also major contractors for the US DoD and the US DHS.
In addition, the DHS has been increasing its expenditure on body armor, emphasizing the safety and protection of law enforcement employees.
Likewise, the Asia-Pacific will be the fastest growing market with a CAGR of 5.4% in the market during the forecast period and is also likely to create sizeable opportunities in the coming five years, driven by the rising gun violence and political conflicts in Asian countries.
Also, the presence of local companies, such as Beijing Tongyizhong New Material Technology Corporation and Senken Group Co. Ltd is increasing the regional market attractiveness.
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Currently, there is a large demand for lightweight soft body armor that provides ample protection against bullets, concurrently providing ample mobility. With law enforcement budgets and military expenditure rising in both developed and developing countries, a sizeable amount is being inevitably allocated to the procurement of these advanced body armor, which aids in fending off threats to the physical safety of the personnel.
Liquid armor is a new product being developed by BAE Systems and Helios Global Technologies. As liquid armor works on the principle of non-Newtonian fluid, it changes its viscosity when put under stress. In other words, the liquid armor hardens to become a solid, absorbing the impact of the bullet. The liquid armor is also flexible, lighter, and stronger than traditional bulletproof vests.
Recent Market JVs and Acquisitions:
There have been several strategic alliances including M&As, JVs, etc. performed over the past few years. Some of them have been mentioned below:
This report provides market intelligence most comprehensively. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights into the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision-making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market.
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Report – Features |
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Market Segmentation |
06 |
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Regions Covered |
04 |
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Countries/Sub-Regions Covered |
20 |
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No. of Figures & Tables |
>120 |
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Company Profiles |
10 |
The following are the key features of the report:
This strategic assessment report, from Stratview Research, provides a comprehensive analysis that reflects today’s soft body armor market realities and future market possibilities for the forecast period. The report segments and analyzes the market in the most detailed manner to provide a panoramic view of the market.
The vital data/information provided in the report can play a crucial role for the market participants as well as investors in the identification of the low-hanging fruits available in the market as well as to formulate the growth strategies to expedite their growth process.
This report offers high-quality insights and is the outcome of a detailed research methodology comprising extensive secondary research, rigorous primary interviews with industry stakeholders, and validation and triangulation with Stratview Research’s internal database and statistical tools.
More than 1,000 authenticated secondary sources, such as company annual reports, fact books, press releases, journals, investor presentations, white papers, patents, and articles, have been leveraged to gather the data. We conducted more than 15 detailed primary interviews with the market players across the value chain in all four regions and industry experts to obtain both qualitative and quantitative insights.
The following is a list of the customers that the market aims to convert the most:
Stratview Research offers one of the following free customization options to our respectable clients:
Company Profiling
Competitive Benchmarking
Custom Research:
Stratview Research offers custom research services across sectors. In case of any custom research requirement related to market assessment, competitive benchmarking, sourcing and procurement, target screening, and others, please send your inquiry to sales@stratviewresearch.com.a
Soft body armor is protective clothing that is usually worn by law enforcement personnel, EMS workers, and firefighters in various situations due to the escalating geopolitical conflict and the rise in violent and terrorist acts.
The soft body armor market was valued at US$ 926.4 Mn in 2022 and is likely to reach US$ 1210.7 Mn in 2028.
The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.3% during the forecast period.
The following are the key players in the soft body armor market - Point Blank Enterprises, Inc., Safariland, LLC., Armor Express, Mehler Vario System, SM Group, XTEK Group, Beijing Tongyizhong New Material Technology Corporation, Senken Group Co., Ltd, MARS Armor, and US Armor Corporation.
North America is expected to remain the largest market with a share of >65% in 2022 for soft body armor.
The overall industry dynamics are changing with the increasing focus on the development of lightweight soft body armor products that stand up to complex threats and ultimately save the lives of law enforcement officers, military personnel, and civilians while providing flexibility and comfort. Increasing R&D investments focused on improving the soldier’s comfort and enhancing their protection and survivability will fuel the soft body armor market growth in the coming years. The growing usage of improved raw materials in order to decrease the weight of ballistic protection equipment is anticipated to create new market opportunities. Therefore, soft body armor manufacturers are demanding lighter protective solutions, thus, driving the raw material companies’ product development and increasing the industry’s competitiveness for life protection. In the beginning, a lot of effort was put into manufacturing soft body armor using conventional materials, such as fiberglass and nylon. However, due to the increased demand in terms of mobility and flexibility, many armor manufacturers have shifted to the usage of high-performance materials like UHMWPE and aramid fibers, which demonstrate outstanding strength-to-weight properties, and a high tenacity and ballistic performance.
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