Best Fencing Chest Protector for HEMA and Olympic Fencing [Updated 2020 Guide]

Weak bones, strong bones… It doesn’t matter! You need a fencing chest protector and here’s why.

When you advance as a student of HEMA, you can expect to see (and feel) advanced techniques and higher levels of force. You took care of heavy gloves, forearm protectors, mask with an overlay, and now it’s time for a padded jacket. Jackets need to take care of a few things at once, and 2 of them are the ability to move and be well protected. There are some parts on the jacket that are well protected, and there are some parts, that aren’t because the fighter needs to stay agile.

COMPARISON TABLE – Best Fencing Chest Protector in 2020 List

Why is a fencing chest protector important?

Most of the time, hands are the ones that take the most hits in sparring, but they can be well protected by heavy gloves. But what if the hit connects under the fighter’s arm? It happened many times that ribs got broken or heavily bruised, not because fencers used a lousy jacket but because some jackets use padding that can’t properly protect you sometimes.

Some jackets don’t absorb much of the force. Force usually just spreads it around the area. This means that under a massive impact, the energy will definitely be spread a little bit, but not enough. The force will be pushed into your body, potentially deep enough to hit your ribs and this could hurt and seriously injure you.

That’s why we will talk about one more important layer of protection – fencing chest protector.

April 2019 – Update

A Top 20 HEMA fencer Victor Lavialle (check an interview with him here) shared some comments about products that he’s using on tournaments.

1. PBT Full Fencing Chest Protector

This product may look like it’s nothing special, but it helped many HEMA students in the past, and we’re sure that it’ll be the same in the future.

It’s a full fencing chest protector, which means that it provides full torso protection (this includes lower torso). It looks bulky, but it actually fits the body very well. The chest protectors are for protection against cuts. But if you worry about the blade breakage, take the plastron.

You can buy a version for women here.

If you decide to buy the torso protector, just make sure that you have enough of extra space under your fencing jacket.

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• This one is a cheap and vanilla item, most protectors I’ve seen are basically the same. It’s very affordable, and it does its job.

2. Leon Paul Lightweight FIE Plastron

Even though it’s not explicitly made for HEMA, Leon Paul’s FIE plastron is an amazing fencing chest protector. This 800N lightweight underarm chest fencing protector offers fantastic protection against thrusts. It’s lining is very breathable, and it’s also made of anti-bacterial technology.

A version for women can be found here.

What we didn’t like about this plastron is its length, but that isn’t a big issue, because this plastron is made for rapiers, epees, and other types of swords which focuses on thrusting techniques, so your hands will very rarely go above your head.

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3. PBT Full Body Underplastron 800N

PBT full fencing chest protector is made from a high-quality material, which was tested in the laboratory. It protects the whole upper body, and it’s t-shirt structure protect the spot under the armpit against thrusts. It has an elastic material on the back, which can stretch when you move, and it won’t interfere with your movement. The good thing about this fencing chest protector is that it can be worn by men and women.

If you wear a heavily padded fencing jacket then underplastron could be enough for a proper protection. The only problem we have with this underplastron is its length. It’s not long enough if you’re a HEMA fencer.

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4. SPES “VG” Fencing Chest Protector

The “VG” Body Protector is designed to protect the torso against stronger thrusts. It is made out of 6 layers of thick woven fabric and attached on the back with three straps. Same like most other chest protectors, it has a weak spot under the armpit. It also has an additional throat protector, but we still recommend that you wear proper gorget.

This one is an interesting mix of a plastic fencing chest protector with an underplastron, so if you aren’t sparring with longswords or feders and you still don’t like to feel every possible thrust, then buy this one. It’s more padded than other underplastrons, but still, it can’t be compared to the plastic one.

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5. Absolute Force Fencing Chest Protector

Absolute Force’s fencing chest protector is perfect for HEMA fencers. Hard plastic covers rib area well, and because of it’s thin structure you can wear it under most of the fencing jackets. The elastic band is secured by velcro which can be adjusted to your body width. It’s suitable for men and women.

For a well under $50 (40€), you can get another piece of protection, which will boost your confidence when sparring.

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Most popular fencing chest protector designs explained

When you’re in the process of buying one for yourself, you need to know for what you’re going to use it. Thanks for innovative companies, we have a lot of different products available on the market. As you can see by now, there are various designs available for every fencer, so let’s take a look which fencing chest protector suits your needs best.

The Standard Plastic One-Piece Protector

In our opinion, this is the best choice for all fencers. HEMA, SCA, or Olympic fencers will all love this design because it provides protection against cust and thrusts. They’re usually more massive than plastrons, so you need to consider buying a bigger jacket for yourself as well. They typically cover the whole chest area, along with the stomach and lower belly area. They can usually be easily adjusted, and they don’t move when fencing.

Underarm Plastron Protector

If your primary weapons are thrusting weapons, then you can pick this kind of a fencing chest protector. They’re usually lighter and much more comfortable than protectors mentioned above. There are different kinds of plastrons. They’re a fantastic piece of equipment when it comes to stopping the strong thrusts, but when it comes to cuts, they don’t provide enough of protection.

Conclusion

Fencing is becoming more and more popular among people. That’s why it’s essential that each and everyone knows about even the most unusual pieces of equipment. To be honest, a fencing chest protector isn’t one of the first pieces of equipment which comes in mind, when we mention fencing, but this doesn’t make it less important.

We hope that you liked our Best Fencing Chest Protector for HEMA and Olympic Fencing article, and let us know which fencing chest protector is your favorite.