Steel vs. Ceramic Hard Armor: Which Should You Actually Buy?

TL;DR for Skimmers

If budget and abuse tolerance matter most (training, truck kit, loaner rigs), steel can be a durable, entry-level option—provided it’s properly coated for spall and you can accept the weight. If you prioritize mobility, comfort, and top-end ballistic performance—especially against high-velocity threats—ceramic (Level III/IV, or NIJ .07 RF2/RF3) is the better call. For most serious end users, modern multi-curve ceramic wins.

Quick Comparison Table

Factor	Steel Plates	Ceramic Plates
Typical Price	Lower upfront cost	Higher upfront cost
Weight	Heavy (often 7.5–10+ lb per plate)	Light to very light (as low as ~5.9–7.7 lb depending on model/size)
Thickness/Concealment	Thin profile aids concealment	Often thicker than steel, but modern ceramics are slimmer than you think
Multi-Hit Durability	Good against non-AP, but spall risk without build-up coating	NIJ Level IV (or RF3) is tested to defeat AP; many models are multi-hit rated, though ceramics can crack
Spall/Fragmentation	Primary concern; requires quality strike-face coatings	Minimal spall (ceramic breaks/erodes threat)
Comfort & Mobility	Fatiguing over long wear	Superior mobility, less fatigue
Environmental Abuse	Steel shrugs off drops/rough handling	Ceramics need thoughtful handling but are field-tougher than many assume
Best Use Cases	Budget kits, static posts, training beater plates	Duty use, home defense, patrol, high-threat or prolonged wear

The Case for Steel: Honest Strengths—and Real Caveats

Why people choose steel

• Cost: Steel has long been the most inexpensive on-ramp to rifle-rated armor. If you’re equipping a training class, loaner rigs, or a “truck kit,” the immediate savings can be compelling.
• Abuse tolerance: Steel tolerates rough handling—drops, edge dings, hard training days—without the anxiety some associate with ceramic edge chips.
• Thinness: Steel can be notably thin, which can help with concealment under a jacket or slick carrier compared to some legacy ceramics.
• Multi-hit resilience (with asterisks): Quality steel will usually soak up multiple non-AP impacts on the strike face without the crack propagation you see in monolithic ceramics.

The big drawbacks

• Weight = fatigue. Steel plates commonly weigh in the high-7 to 10-plus-pound range per plate, and weight compounds brutally over hours. That directly reduces your ability to sprint, mount guns, climb, and stay switched on. Independent overviews regularly cite steel’s weight penalty vs. ceramic.
• Spall/fragmentation risk. When bullets hit steel, metal fragments (spall) can explode laterally and upward into your throat, arms, or face unless the plate has a high-quality strike-face build-up coating and you pair it with appropriate soft backers/coverings. Industry tech notes discuss how thicker coatings (40–60 mil) dramatically improve fragment capture.
• AP threat ceiling. Many steel plates struggle with modern penetrators (e.g., M855A1) or true AP, whereas ceramics designed/tested for those threats shine. (Check each plate’s certification and test protocol.)

Bottom line on steel: If your priority is lowest price and abuse resistance and you’re realistic about spall mitigation and weight, steel can be serviceable. But if you expect any prolonged wear or need higher-end performance, the weight and spall tradeoffs are hard to justify in 2025.

The Case for Ceramic: Why It’s the Modern Default

Why professionals gravitate to ceramic

• Best performance-to-weight. Modern ceramic (alumina, silicon carbide, boron carbide) plates with composite backers offer dramatically better wearability for the same or higher ballistic performance. Even budget-friendly Level IV ceramics are now closing on 6.8–7.7 lb in medium sizes.
• High-velocity / AP defeat. Under NIJ 0101.06, Level IV is tested against .30-06 M2 AP; under NIJ 0101.07, RF3 is the analogous rifle level. RMA’s Level IV lines are explicitly engineered for those higher threats.
• Multi-hit performance is real. The mythology that “ceramics are one-and-done” lingers, but many modern plates are multi-hit rated by manufacturers and still pass NIJ protocols (drop, temp, submersion) before ballistic testing. RMA’s own educational note clarifies what multi-hit rating means and that Level IV certification involves a suite of pre-conditioning tests.
• Minimal spall. Ceramics break and erode the projectile—rather than deflect it—so you avoid the lateral fragmentation cloud associated with uncoated steel.
• Comfort & mobility. Less mass on your chest means quicker mounts, less cumulative fatigue, and better decision-making under stress.

Ceramic tradeoffs (be honest)

• Price. Good ceramic costs more up front—materials and QA matter.
• Handling anxiety. While modern plates are tougher than many imagine, you still shouldn’t throw them around, and you should inspect after hard knocks.
• Thickness vs concealment. Some ceramics are thicker than steel (though many new models are impressively trim).

Bottom line on ceramic: For duty, defense, patrol, home defense, or anyone who values mobility and performance, ceramic wins—especially multi-curve Level IV/RF3.

Understanding the Standards (So Your Purchase Isn’t Guesswork)

• NIJ 0101.06 (legacy but still widely referenced): Classifies hard armor as Level III (rifle, 7.62×51 M80) and Level IV (.30-06 M2 AP), plus soft armor levels.
• NIJ 0101.07 (current): Expands rifle levels to RF1 / RF2 / RF3. Broadly: RF1 ~ traditional Level III threats, RF2 covers intermediate including 5.56 M855A1, and RF3 covers AP threats similar to prior Level IV. Always check the exact test rounds/velocities.

Takeaway: Match your plate’s certification (or documented testing) to the specific threat you care about. If you want credible AP defeat, you’re shopping Level IV (0101.06) or RF3 (0101.07)—that’s ceramic territory in practice.

RMA Armament: Concrete Plate Options Worth Your Money

“Our primary goal with every new product is to provide the highest quality protection while balancing cost, weight, thickness, speed, and strength.” — Blake Waldrop, CEO, RMA Armament.

• Budget-friendly, do-everything Level IV: RMA 1155 Gen 2 Level IV/RF3 — Starting at ~6.8 lb (10×12 shooter’s cut), multi-curve across the board, made in the USA. This is the value benchmark for a real AP-rated plate in 2025.
  Link: Model 1155 Gen 2 Level IV/RF3
• Multi-curve workhorse Level IV: RMA 1155mc — Multi-hit rated Level IV, edge-to-edge coverage, professional wrap, water resistant; a proven duty-grade ceramic that balances performance and price.
  Link: Model 1155mc Multi-Curve Level IV
• Lightest historical RMA Level IV (now discontinued): RMA 1192 — Multi-curve Level IV around 5.9 lb. Discontinued due to supply constraints, but it shows where top-end ceramics are headed. If it returns, it’ll be the featherweight RF3 to beat.
  Link: Model 1192 Level IV (discontinued)
• Level III and III+ Category Page (for lighter, non-AP needs): If your threat profile is non-AP and you want the lightest, check RMA’s Level III and III+ ceramic offerings. Some models are engineered to handle M855A1 even before .07 baked that into RF2.
  Links: Level III plates • Level III+ plates

Pro tip: When comparing plates, look at weight by size (M SAPI vs. 10×12 vs. L/XL), curve geometry (multi-curve > single-curve for comfort), edge protection/wrap, and documented test data (NIJ certification, RF level, specific rounds defeated).

“Multi-Hit” Reality Check (For Both Materials)

• Ceramic: NIJ Level IV is required to defeat one M2 AP round under .06—but that doesn’t mean it fails after one hit in the real world. Manufacturers (including RMA) often multi-hit rate plates and publish data. Remember: NIJ certification includes pre-conditioning—drop tests, submersion, temperature cycling—before the ballistic test, which is an underappreciated part of why NIJ-listed ceramics are trusted.
• Steel: Often touted as “multi-hit monsters,” which can be true against certain non-AP rounds—but spall management determines whether those “survived” hits also injure you. If you go steel, invest in plates with serious build-up coatings and pair with appropriate soft armor accessories (e.g., throat/neck protection) as needed.

Weight & Wearability: The Hidden Performance Metric

Weight kills performance. It slows decision speed, weapon handling, agility, and fatigue resistance. If a plate shaves 2–4 lb per side compared to your steel setup, that’s the difference between making a 30-yard sprint to cover vs. slogging. This is why serious end users tend to accept ceramic’s cost: it buys time and mobility, which is performance.

Modern examples: RMA’s 1155 Gen 2 in common sizes is now listed starting at ~6.8 lb (10×12), with 7.7 lb SAPI medium options—numbers that used to require pricier ceramics. View at RMA Armament

Spall & Fragmentation: Don’t Ignore This

If you choose steel, spall is your dragon. Without thick, purpose-built coatings on the strike face, fragment clouds can injure you or a teammate. Industry tech notes quantify how moving from ~40 mil to ~60 mil coatings dramatically increases fragment capture. In contrast, ceramics absorb/erode the projectile, making spall a minimal concern.

Cost Over Time: The “Cheap is Expensive” Problem

• Steel: Lower upfront, but you might pay later in physical cost (fatigue, slower times, training injuries). You may also buy add-ons to mitigate spall and comfort (foam backers, extra carrier padding), and many folks eventually upgrade to ceramic anyway.
• Ceramic: Higher upfront, but you start with the mobility and performance you actually want. NIJ-compliant ceramics are lifecycle-tested under drop/temperature/submersion regimes to ensure reliability.

What Would We Buy Today?

If I’m equipping a serious duty/home-defense setup:
Go ceramic Level IV / RF3—specifically, multi-curve plates from a reputable, NIJ-listed maker. RMA 1155 Gen 2 is a standout value that brings “serious plate” performance into a price bracket that used to belong to heavier ceramics. If you want even more comfort, the 1155mc is an easy recommendation. View at RMA Armament

If we’re building a budget trainer or a loaner carrier:
Steel can make sense only if you:

• Buy a model with robust build-up spall coating
• Accept the weight tax during long classes
• Understand its threat limitations vs. AP / M855A1 (verify testing)

If concealment is your priority:
Steel’s thinness helps under street clothes, but consider the total equation: ceramic’s weight savings and multi-curve comfort often conceal just as well in a purpose-built low-profile carrier.

Evidence-Based Calls & Expert Voices

• NIJ .06 and .07 standards remain the touchstone for rifle plate classification. If the spec sheet doesn’t reference them (or equivalent instrumented testing), keep walking.
• Blake Waldrop (RMA CEO) has been clear for years about balancing weight, thickness, and strength in armor design—an ethos visible in the 1155 lineage: “provide the highest quality protection while balancing cost, weight, thickness, speed, and strength.”
• RMA’s public education pieces on multi-hit and Level IV testing provide useful context beyond the spec sheet.

Recommended RMA Buying Paths (Good / Better / Best)

• Good (Value AP Protection):
  RMA 1155 Gen 2 Level IV/RF3 — Start here if you want real AP defeat at an honest price and reasonable weight.
  👉 Buy RMA 1155 Gen 2
• Better (Comfort-First Duty Plate):
  RMA 1155mc Multi-Curve Level IV — Adds comfort and edge-to-edge protection in a professional, water-resistant wrap.
  👉 Buy RMA 1155mc
• Special Case (Lightest Historical LVL IV):
  RMA 1192 Multi-Curve Level IV — ~5.9 lb (medium), currently discontinued, but illustrative of where high-end ceramics are going.
  👉 RMA 1192 product page (discontinued)
• Alternate Threat Profiles (Non-AP, Lightweight):
  Explore RMA Level III/III+ ceramic for M80 ball and certain enhanced threats (check .07 RF2 if you need M855A1).
  👉 RMA Level III • RMA Level III+

Pros & Cons Summary (Critical, No Nonsense)

Steel — Pros

• Lowest upfront cost
• Thin profile aids concealment
• Robust against rough handling
• Solid multi-hit against some non-AP threats

Steel — Cons

• Heavy (hurts mobility/endurance)
• Spall without serious coatings (safety risk)
• Typically weaker vs. AP/M855A1 compared to RF3 ceramics
• Comfort suffers during real wear

Ceramic — Pros

• Best performance-to-weight for serious use
• AP defeat at Level IV/RF3
• Multi-hit options exist; NIJ pre-conditioning is legit
• Minimal spall; better end-user safety

Ceramic — Cons

• Higher purchase price
• Slightly thicker vs. steel (model-dependent)
• Needs sensible handling/inspection

Our Verdict (Opinionated, Experience-Driven)

If you’re buying one set to trust for mission-critical use, buy ceramic—specifically Level IV / RF3 multi-curve plates from a reputable maker on or aligned with NIJ standards. In 2025, the weight and performance delta makes it the rational choice for anyone who actually wears armor for more than a few minutes.

Steel has a place as a budget trainer or loaner solution—just don’t fool yourself. The weight and spall compromises are real, and if you’re ever going to sprint, fight, or problem-solve in that plate carrier, ceramic pays for itself the first time you move like you don’t have a boat anchor on your chest.

Shop a wide selection of steel and ceramic body armor at RMA Armament.