Understanding on how to measure yourself for a body armorclothing is very very important as this determines the comfort and fit that you
will be experiencing once the body armor is done and is ready to wear. You will
be wearing your armor for eight hours or more and you will be the one to decide
if this armor will give you comfort all throughout your duty. The way an armor
fits you is subjective and is different from one person to another. Therefore this needs thorough consideration
and perfect measurements to be sent to the manufacturer or supplier.
Body armor can be summed up into four things, these
things are the ones be considered: better fit and comfort, appropriate range of
motion, freedom of movement when maneuvering, running, driving, firing, etc,
less weight and bulkiness.
Manufacturers will give guidelines and instructions on
how to measure yourself. Here are some of these. These can be found on some of
the manufacturers or suppliers’ manual.
Do not attempt to measure yourself. You need a companion
or a buddy to measure you up. There might be some glitches in your measurements
if you prefer to measure yourself. You might not get the correct result.
Wear a light shirt while being measured and the type of
bra that is used when you are on duty. This would provide the best fit for your
body armor.
Do not over measure. Instead use the “1/2 inch” rule.
Round down to the nearest ½ if there is a need to do so. You might want to
inhale more rather than be out of breath, right?
Follow the instructions on getting the right measurements
found in your supplier’s manual. Or better yet, go to the suppliers and let
them take your measurement. In that way, too you can go see a sample of the
body armor they are selling and can examine the materials being used and all
other properties to consider when buying body armor clothing.
