Last Updated on January 16, 2024 by Samuel Franklin
Discover the best armours in Tarkov for your budget and raid objectives with this tier list across all armour classes. Critical to protecting your PMC the choice of armour is an important but often confusing decision given the complexity of this EFT mechanic. Whether it is for your basic combat against AI Scavs, Scav Boss hunting or high level PvP you’ll need an appropriate armour that doesn’t cost a fortune in Roubles.
In this armour tier list I explore what are the best armours and armoured chest rig setups for players across armour classes along with a basic overview of the system and a Tarkov armour material chart to tailor your armour choice to preferences, budget and account progression. With thousands of Tarkov raids this guide delivers my personal recommendations to help you survive more raids along with community recommendations.
Table of Contents:
– Tarkov Armour Basics
– Tarkov Armour Material Chart
– Tarkov Armour Tier List
– Best Tarkov Armour For Each Armour Class
Tarkov Armour Basics
The armour system has undergone a number of redesigns during the Escape From Tarkov beta with the most impactful one being patch 0.14 (December 2023) where a number of hitboxes were introduced alongside the introduction of an armour plate system.
Armour in Tarkov protects players from bullets if there is armour in front of one of your character hitboxes with this protection provided by non-modular armour (also known as soft armour) and modular armour plates that can be installed into armour. Armours have different soft armour locations (or even none) and slots for the configurable armour plates which is a critical consideration in determining the effectiveness of a particular armour. Soft armour also has a maximum armour class of 3 while armour plates are available up to level 6 and thus provide much higher potential protection.
Tarkov Armour Material Chart
Both soft armour and armour plates are made of different materials which alters the effective durability of these armours as some material types are better at absorbing bullets and at repairing post raid. Material should not be your first consideration when choosing armour but it is an important factor when comparing armours as a weaker material and 100 durability actually offers less protection compared to a strong material and 50 durability.
The following Tarkov armour material chart shows the current destructibility ratings in order of best armour material:
| Armour Material | Destructibility |
|---|---|
| Aramid | 0.1875 |
| UHMWPE | 0.3375 |
| Combined Materials | 0.375 |
| Titan | 0.4125 |
| Aluminium | 0.45 |
| Armour steel | 0.525 |
| Ceramic | 0.6 |
| Glass | 0.6 |
To understand the use cases of this armour information and help calculate effective durability for yourself with this armour material chart I recommend JesseKazam’s video below which is still applicable despite it being made before the armour plate system.
Tarkov Armour Tier List
The armours below are ranked based on their protection provided, material, availability, weight and inventory size (for armoured rigs) within their own armour class which are further explored beneath the table area. Ratings are from S (best) to A (good) and B (average) for that armour class with armours that are below average excluded from this armour tier list.
| Armour | Soft Armour Areas (Class) | Armour Plates (Class) | Tier Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
 LBT-6094A Slick Plate Carrier | None | Front & Back (6) | S |
 BNTI Gzhel-K body armour | Stomach, Thorax, Back, Sides, Throat, Neck (3) | Front & Back (5) | S |
 6B13 assault armour | Stomach, Thorax, Back, Sides, Throat, Neck, Groin (2) | Front & Back (4) | S |
 6B5-15 Zh-86 Uley armoured rig | Stomach, Thorax, Back, Groin (4) Neck, Throat (2) | None | S |
 BNTI Kirasa-N body armour | Stomach, Thorax, Back, Sides, Throat, Neck (2) | Front & Back (3) | S |
 BNTI Zhuk body armour (Press) | Stomach, Thorax, Back, Sides, Throat, Neck (2) | Front & Back (3) | S |
 NPP KlASS Korund-VM body armour | Stomach, Thorax, Back, Sides, Throat, Neck, Groin, Buttocks (2) | Front, Back & Sides (5) | A |
 ECLiPSE RBAV-AF plate carrier (Ranger Green) | Stomach, Thorax, Back, Sides, Groin (2) | Front & Back (4) | A |
 6B5-16 Zh-86 Uley armoured rig | Stomach, Thorax (3) Back, Throat, Neck, Groin (2) | None | A |
 FORT Redut-M body armour | Stomach, Thorax, Back, Sides, Throat, Groin, Buttocks (3) | Front & Back (5) | B |
 NFM THOR Concealable Reinforced Vest body armour | Stomach, Thorax, Back, Sides (3) | Front & Back (4) | B |
 6B3TM-01M armoured rig | Stomach, Thorax, Groin (4) Back, Buttocks (2) | None | B |
 Eagle Industries MMAC plate carrier (Ranger Green) | Front Plate, Back Plate, Sides (2) | Front & Back (4) | B |
 NPP KlASS Kora-Kulon body armour | Stomach, Thorax, Back (3) | None | B |
 DRD Body Armour | Stomach, Thorax, Back, Sides (3) | None | B |
In selecting the armours and armoured chest rigs above these are the notable factors that have been considered. While in an ideal world we would always be using the highest armour class available in Tarkov this is simply not possible due to Rouble costs and availability so players will need to regularly make decisions for their best armour choice at any given point in time. This also needs to factor in your raid objective as a loot focused budget setup will differ wildly to a Tarkov quest focus that requires PvP.
- Armour Zones: A larger number of protection zones is likely to improve your survivability as it limits the areas on your PMC that can deal damage to your health pool. One particularly important armour zone is the neck given it uses the head HP pool which makes it a risky to leave unprotected.
- Material: Material is an important consideration due to its impact on effective durability and the repair potential as this will mean each armour purchase goes further provided you survive or receive it back through the insurance system
- Price and Availability: Initial purchase price is a key consideration when spending your hard earned Roubles with price efficiency driven primarily by availability through traders and community popularity demand.
- Weight: Armour weight is significant in your raid loadout and will either reduce your ability to move around the map or require players to settle for less loot when leaving the raid. The weight is also closely tied to the penalties to ergonomics, movement speed and turn speed.
- Inventory Size (Armoured Rigs): Different armoured rigs provide different container sizes and shapes that need to be considered with rigs that have 2×2 squares particularly useful for high value loot items such as power supplies, high tier helmets or fuel.
- Insurance Return Chance: Certain armours in Tarkov provide a higher chance of being returned to players on insurance than others due to their awkward or large sizes and weight that makes them impractical to consistently take from your PMC after death. Armoured rigs for example are more likely to be taken as they can store items within them that means they are neutral or even a positive gain on overall inventory space.
Best Tarkov Armour For Each Armour Class
The best armour options from the tier list are discussed in detail from class 3 to class 6 based on their maximum potential default armour. Class 3 or 4 are generally the best budget armour options in Tarkov and I wouldn’t enter a raid without at least this level of protection while class 5 and 6 are best saved for more difficult raid objectives where you expect significant PvP, Scav Bosses or Raider encounters.
Tarkov Best Class 3 Armours
- BNTI Kirasa-N body armour: A trader purchasable armour that has great armour coverage, affordable price and high durability.
- BNTI Zhuk body armour (Press): The “Press” armour is readily available from Scavs, the Flea Market and trader barters which keeps it affordable with a wide spread of soft protection areas that combine with the modular options for a one of the best budget armours in Tarkov.
- 6B5-16 Zh-86 Uley armoured rig: One of the budget armour options this version of the Uley is available early on and can be used for Scav hunting and basic quests given it has decent armour coverage at predominately class 3. One thing to be aware of is that your back armour is only class 2 with this armour so positioning your PMC and map knowledge is critical.
- NPP KlASS Kora-Kulon body armour: A simple and affordable armour to cover the three core areas of stomach, thorax and back with class 3 soft armour so players don’t need to worry about setting up armour plates.
- DRD Body Armour: One of the streamer items this is a simple class 3 armour that is affordable through the Flea Market and is made from aramid which is the best armour material in Escape From Tarkov. Given the bright red colour can make it easy to spot in raid this should always be combined with a large rig that will cover most of the armour for safety. The UNTAR (blue armour) is similar in this regard and a potential alternative although it’s armour is slightly weaker given it is made from Aluminium.
Tarkov Best Class 4 Armours
- 6B13 assault armour: One of the best budget armours for class 4 the 6B13 assault is available from traders and regularly on Scavs while also offering reliable class 4 on front, back and great soft armour class 2 coverage.
- 6B5-15 Zh-86 Uley armoured rig: Another cost effective class 4 option that is highly rated with its important protection areas covered and being readily available. The weaknesses of this rig are the weight and small rig size that will need some adjustment to a lighter overall raid kit and larger backpack if available.
- ECLiPSE RBAV-AF plate carrier (Ranger Green): The Eclipse is on the larger side of armoured rigs that means it is rare you’ll have one return on insurance but it is affordable and effective at the core protection areas.
- NFM THOR Concealable Reinforced Vest body armour: With soft armour class 3 and class 4 plates on front the THOR is a durable armour although has limited protection areas and availability.
- 6B3TM-01M armoured rig: Originally one of the most popular armours in Tarkov and often referred to as the “rat rig” for its budget popularity this offers average space and coverage although your back is exposed with the tier 2 armour class there.
- Eagle Industries MMAC plate carrier (Ranger Green): A popular choice in the Tarkov community given the availability of this rig and reasonable inventory space for the cost. It does not offer significant armour coverage but is perfectly suited to budget loot or Scav hunting runs.
Tarkov Best Class 5 Armours
- BNTI Gzhel-K body armour: The Gzhel is another armour option with good soft armour coverage that makes it an attractive choice at class 5 despite the patchy availability and ceramic material of its plates.
- NPP KlASS Korund-VM body armour: Often considered to be the entry level class 5 armour you have large soft protection areas, side plate cover and some trader availability that keep it affordable compared to rarer options.
- FORT Redut-M body armour: While not having the availability or light weight of the other class 5 armours there is still enough available that keeps this a reasonable option given its strong soft class 3 coverage.
Tarkov Best Class 6 Armours
- LBT-6094A Slick Plate Carrier: The top tier of Tarkov armour the slick armour itself is readily available although finding the necessary plates will be a challenge but does offer the best protection.
Written by
Samuel Franklin
Samuel Franklin is the founder and lead editor of the Games Finder team and enjoys video games across all genres and platforms.
Sam (Seelyon) is a seasoned Escape From Tarkov player with over 1,000 raids across multiple Tarkov patches while accumulating thousands of player kills and maintaining a 50% survival rate who favours a calculated playstyle. During these wipes he has earned the coveted Kappa secure container, proving his determination in the unforgiving world of Tarkov. His passion for the punishing game goes beyond personal accomplishment and he is driven by a desire to guide new players on their own Escape From Tarkov journey one raid at a time.
Through countless firefights, strategic flanks and exhilarating boss encounters, he has accumulated a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics and nuances that allows him to offer valuable insights and strategies to those seeking to navigate the complexities of Tarkov.
