The folks at LifePro Shield were kind enough to send us a set of their level IIIA backpack/briefcase soft armor insert panels for testing recently. As soon as we had a clearing in the long Midwest snow season, we took them to our range for some testing to see if they could meet – maybe even exceed – the NIJ’s ballistic test standards.

Recently, one of my stranger hobbies has become collecting body armor and, naturally, shooting it with various guns. From helmets to bulky hard plates and concealable soft armor panels, it’s always fascinating to see what actually happens when bullets meet the “bullet stoppers.” Not everything I’ve tested has held up to scrutiny.

So, here’s what happened when we put the LifePro Shield level IIIA soft armor through a five-caliber test.

Table of Content

Review Video
NIJ Test Setup
Soft Armor Specs
Testing & Analysis 
Pros & Cons
Final Thoughts

Review Video

NIJ Test Setup

All handgun test shots for this soft body armor were made at a distance of 5 meters in accordance with the NIJ ballistic test standards. Our standard test handgun calibers included 115-grain FMJ 9mm with an average muzzle velocity of 1,160 fps, 230-grain FMJ .45 ACP with a muzzle velocity of 890 fps, and 180-grain FMJ .40 S&W with a muzzle velocity of 1,000 fps. Velocities are based on the manufacturers’ stated specs for each round.
 

This level IIIA armor is supposed to be able to stop up to 240-grain .44 Magnum traveling at a velocity of 1,400 fps. Since we did not have a .44 Mag handgun available, we added two dark horse contestants to our firearms list.
 

First, we added the 87-grain FMJ 7.62x25mm Tokarev round. This was our spiciest round with a zippy muzzle velocity between 1,600 and 1,700 fps. I have personally tested this on various hard Kevlar armors, and it has occasionally defeated the Kevlar in similar testing that stopped 9mm NATO ammo.

Related: Zastava M57 7.62x25mm Tokarev Pistol Body Armor Test
 

The armor itself was securely strapped to a 2.5-gallon water jug for all handgun testing. This was done to add weight behind the body armor and to mimic the type of hydrostatic response a flesh-like medium would offer. This allowed us to examine the impact of backface deformation on the water jugs.

For the final 12-gauge testing, we placed the already damaged armor into a small briefcase to see if any of our 00 buckshot pellets could penetrate the armor and case.
 

Armor Specs

LifePro Shield delivers a very lightweight and concealable yet ruggedized armor option with these level IIIA panels. The company claims a multi-hit capability for these 1-pound 10x12-inch flexible bullet stoppers. 

You could be forgiven for thinking this is your classic flexible Kevlar that we were all taught was the miracle armor. While it’s been around since 1965, Kevlar has grown increasingly less common in modern armor with the development of materials like UHMWPE, or simply polyethylene for us non-scientists.
 

This polyethylene material is what LifePro Shield has in its level IIIA soft armor, though it can be formed into thicker hard rifle-rated plates. The material is lighter than Kevlar, and even the thick hard plates will float in water. Polyethylene also has a better track record for surviving multiple hits than Kevlar, and it’s less prone to backface deformation and transferring force into the user when shot. 

I’m a huge fan of this material because it’s incredibly light, strong, and versatile. Don’t let the term polyethylene fool you; this is hardly simple sheets of plastic. Manufacturing and forming UHMWPE requires quite a bit of work and advanced materials.
 

Here are some basic specs for our LifePro Shield level IIIA backpack/briefcase insert panels:

• NIJ Ballistic Rating: Level IIIA – stops up to .357 SIG and .44 Magnum (NIJ Standard-0101.06)
• Material: UHMWPE (polyethylene) 
• Weight: 1 pound
• Size: 10x12 inches
• Thickness: 0.53 inches
• Warranty: 10 years

I think it’s really important to note here that there is a significant difference between stopping a bullet and stopping a bullet while capturing the projectile. This soft polyethylene is designed to capture projectiles instead of simply – and dangerously – deflecting them off into some other place and/or body part. 
 

This armor has some nice ruggedization with its densely woven outer layer backed by a rubberized material. The edges are rounded with fabric stitched over the seam. Its size is just right for a backpack, which LifePro Shield also offers. 
 

It would also easily fit in most briefcases and messenger bags. Heck, you could probably get away with tucking this thing into a binder, big handbag, or even a large leather portfolio.
 

Live-Fire Testing & Analysis

I’ll confess that I have an issue with remembering not to try and always hit the center of my target when testing body armor. Generally, it’s advised that you leave a few inches between your shots to give the armor a fair chance. 
 

I did not do this with my first four shots from our 115-grain FMJ 9mm, 230-grain FMJ .45 ACP, 180-grain FMJ Speer Lawman .40 S&W, or the extra zippy 87-grain 7.62x25mm FMJ Tokarev. Although all these rounds fell within 3 inches of each other, the armor captured all of them without letting them penetrate our water jug.

On our fourth shot, I did notice that the 7.62x25mm Tokarev traveling between 1,600 and 1,700 fps managed to cause some minor splitting in the water jug due to the backface deformation. Again, this is after that area of the armor had already taken three previous strikes. It is not penetration, simply minor backface deformation damage. I mostly point it out for those who question the veracity of the old Tokarev round.
 

Finally, we blasted this armor twice with our nine-pellet 00 buckshot 12-gauge fired from my Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical at a distance of 10 yards. Again, we had zero penetration through the armor even after the previous strikes from the handguns. We did have some backface damage to our tiny testing briefcase, but it was honestly way less than I expected.

Here’s a breakdown of what I found when I finally got home to root through the body armor after testing:
 

If this was a game of “Deal or No Deal,” I would have to say that this LifePro Shield gets a solid deal rating. The armor falls on the more affordable side for body armor on the market these days, and it has shown it can survive multiple hits from multiple handgun calibers while also defeating two 12-gauge shotgun blasts of 00 buckshot.
 

Pros & Cons

Here’s my short list of the pros and cons for the polyethylene-based LifePro Shield level IIIA backpack/briefcase soft body armor panels:

Pros:

• Effective level IIIA ballistic protection
• Multi-hit capability better than Kevlar
• Captures projectiles inside armor
• Affordable
• Lightweight
• Durable construction
• Flexible
• Water-resistant
• Concealable
• 10-year warranty

Cons:

• Not rated for rifle calibers
• Soft armor can have more backface deformation
• Polyethylene is less stab resistant than Kevlar
   

Final Thoughts
 

I’ve tested a fair number of different wearable body armor types and brands over the years. The biggest issue I’ve had with all of them is practicality. Generally speaking, I’m not terribly excited about having to wear bulletproof layers on a daily basis.

LifePro Shield’s level IIIA backpack/briefcase/etc. soft ballistic inserts work to stop basically all handgun threats and proved effective even against close-range 00 buckshot from our 12-gauge shotgun. It’s a good stopgap option for those looking to have concealable armor handy without the many issues that come along with wearing it every single day.