duty-belt-pads · headband-pads · holster-pads · plate-carrier-shoulder-pads · plate-carrier-ventilation · 4 comments · Feb 09, 2022

ICEVENTS® Classic Heavy vs. ICEVENTS® Aero Minimalist Plate Carrier Shoulder Pads: What is The Difference?

by Justin Li

IceVents Plate Carrier Shoulder Pads Plate Carrier Stand-Off Ventilation Pontoons

Launched on Thanksgiving Day 2019, ICEVENTS® are the gold standard in plate carrier shoulder pads, stand-off ventilation for body armor and duty belt padding. No other technology on the market can deliver the capabilities of ICEVENTS® for Military Plate Carriers, Law Enforcement Body Armor, Duty Belt padding or shoulder pads for rucks/backpacks.

But with the release of the all-new ICEVENTS® Aero, what is the difference between ICEVENTS® Classic and ICEVENTS® Aero? While the main difference is the shape, we put together this table for easy reference.

	ICEVENTS®
Variant	Classic	Aero
Dimensions	10.25" x 3.125" x 0.25"	10.25" x 1.5" x 0.25"
Shape	Soft Rectangle	Tapered Arrowhead
Weight	0.8 oz	0.5 oz
Strap Slits	8	4
Material	Thermoplastic Elastomer	Thermoplastic Elastomer
Colors	Coyote Brown, Black	Coyote Brown, Black
Best For	Max Comfort, Heavy Loads: Shoulders (Heavy Armor/Packs, Entry Kit), Duty Belt Tailbone, Stand-Off Ventilation Pontoons	Max Mobility, Lighter Loads: Shoulders (Minimalist Plate Carriers), Duty Belts Hips, Headband



Country of Origin	100% Made in USA	100% Made in USA
Patents	Patented: ICEVENTS® Classic USD887,716S ICEVENTS® Classic USD887,717S Additional US and International Patents Pending.	Multiple US & International
Operating Temperature Range	-40 to 198 degrees F	-40 to 198 degrees F
Antimicrobial at Molecular Level	✓	✓
Universal Fit	✓	✓
90% Air by Volume	✓	✓
Omnidirectional Ventilation	✓	✓
Hexagonal Honeycomb	✓	✓
Abrasion Resistant	✓	✓
Washable (if needed)	✓	✓
Stimulates superficial blood flow	✓	✓
Hydrolisis Resistance (does not retain water)	✓	✓
Nylon Mesh Covering for frictionless interface	✓	✓
Starting Price (single pad price in 10-Pack Bundles)	$32.50	$32.50

IceVents Aero Ultralight Hydrophobic Ventilated Plate Carrier Shoulder Pads

4 comments

Qore Performance Feb 09, 2022

No worries Gt and thank you! Let us know if there are any other questions we can answer for you. #StayFrosty
Gt Feb 09, 2022

Ah, pardon my ignorance about your processes! Regardless, it’s a fantastic product.
Qore Performance Feb 09, 2022

Gt – thank you for your interest in IceVents Classic vs. IceVents Aero. The difference in cost comes from tooling and yield. Less material actually results in more waste, which drives up cost. It also results in more post-processing, not less.
Gt Feb 09, 2022

It’s odd that the aero is essentially the same thing, but with less material and less post processing, but costs more.

Back to INSIGHTS: Military, Law Enforcement, Civilian

Outstanding Product

Totally satisfied with the product, stucked it in my bullet vest on duty and saved my day, because of its body shaped form, you cant feel it after 10min and it really cools you down and gives you the long run

Instagram Handle: None

It felt abrasive in the beginning, after 3 or 4 day of wearing that start to mold, but the glue between the velcro start to separate. It may need extra sew around it so it doesn't start to come apart

Hi there,

Thank you for your feedback on our ICEVENTS® Classic Plate Carrier Ventilation Pontoons. We apologize for the delamination - that is definitely not normal. Please contact our Customer Service Team and they'll get you squared away under our Forever Warranty. We appreciate your support and hope you continue to enjoy your ICEVENTS® Pontoons.

#StayFrosty
Qore Performance Customer Support Team

Instagram Handle: Hogrider177

Fantastic addition, makes daily carry more bearable.

Hi Kelly,
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review for your ICEVENTS® Aero Holster Pad. In reading your review, it sounds like it works great for you, so I wanted to personally check-in with you and see why that resulted in a 1-Star review?
Thanks again for taking the time to leave a review!

Ballistic Plate Armor.

Yo, so like, ballistic plate armor? Total game-changer, no cap. It’s like having a boss shield that’s built to flex and keep you safe when the heat is on. These things are mad durable, almost like wearing a bodyguard in your fit, making sure you stay Gucci even when the situation gets lit.

Honestly, the tech in these plates is next level—light enough to not weigh you down but strong enough to handle all the smoke. It’s straight fire for real, especially when you’re out here in the field or just tryna stay plugged in about your safety.

Lowkey, the only vibe is making sure you got the right fit—because a weak plate is a no-go, fam. But overall? It’s a W. Keeps you protected, looking fresh, and ready for whatever the streets or missions throw at you. Stay safe, stay stacked. GFYMITA .

Love em

I love my ventilation pontoons. They’ve definitely made a difference in the ventilation of air in between my vest and my body. My pontoons are coupled with the ice plates, which help with the spreading of the coldness to my body. I’m glad I purchased them and would recommend them to anyone who wears a plate carrier/vest.

Instagram Handle: @Smallville_Will

The ICEFLASK is something I didn't know I needed until it became a thing. As my position has been significantly downgraded, the need for a large amount of hydro on the X is no longer a thing. But, it still gets hot, and cold.
What ICEFLASK has allowed me to do is convert ICEPLATE into a permanent heating/cooling apparatus while still maintaining an adequate amount of drinking water.
Now, why ICEFLASK over any other water carrying device? Because of durability and kit-fit. The old school bladder was probe to bursting, creating an uncomfortable situation. Much like many other (nalgene, GI Canteen), the discomfort would come from having to "kit around" something that isnt built for accommodation. ICEFLASK fits into your kit, and works around what you've already built. Nothing says Fxxx it like having to rearrange your kit to add something as insignificant as "water"...
But, yeah. ICEFLASK, like many of the Qore products, is a good piece of kit.

The ridiculous hike in price makes this the last ice plate I will be purchasing. About $80 for a water bladder is not very affordable.

Hi Qunicy,
Thank you for taking the time to leave an honest review of your ICEPLATE® Curve experience. We are sorry to hear that you feel ICEPLATE® Curve is not very affordable, but we thought some additional information might be helpful context:
1. We've actually been able to DROP the price of ICEPLATE® Curve drinkable down to $75 from over $100 where it was in 2023 - still 100% Made in USA.
2. ICEPLATE® Curve itself is actually just $50. The Source90 Drink Tube is the other $25 and is completely optional. Our ICECAP is compatible with just about any drink tube on the market today for exactly this reason: user-choice. Details:
https://www.qoreperformance.com/products/source-90?_pos=1&_sid=ad152d88b&_ss=r
3. ICEPLATE® Curve is far more than a water bladder - it is a 24/7/365, all-environments, all-season heat-injury prevention tool that weaponizes temperature to enhance performance and survivability in the field. To date, ICEPLATE® Curve has roughly 7,000,000 hours worked in the field without a single minute lost to a heat injury since commercial launch in 2017. No water bladder on the planet can match this performance track record. Given that a hospitalization for heat stroke, rhabdo, or similar costs well over $40,000 in 2025, ICEPLATE® Curve is a bargain at ten times the price...
We hope this helps, but please let us know if you have any additional questions.
#StayFrosty
Qore Performance Customer Support Team

Fits right side port iceplate excellent! Managed to find iceplate exitport right on ebay. I do hope these can be produced again!

Truth be told, these had the potential to be very helpful for keeping cool but unfortunately I still find myself getting hot inside my vest.

They are super simple to use and install but the material should be thicker to give more space between you and your vest to allow more air flow.

Hi William,
Thanks for taking the time to leave an honest review of your ICEVENTS® experience. Two quick notes that will hopefully be helpful for you:
1. Previous generations of ICEVENTS® Pontoons were thicker, but customers complained that they were 'too thick' and wanted a thinner profile. We obliged.
2. ICEVENTS® significantly boost evaporative 'thermoregulation' but they will not make you 'feel' cool.' Here are the two articles from our INSIGHTS blog with the science and engineering deep dives behind ICEVENTS® real world performance against legacy materials and what to expect:
ICEVENTS® vs. Spacer Mesh, Foam
https://www.qoreperformance.com/blogs/military-insights/plate-carrier-cooling-heating-thermal-transmission-performance-of-plate-carrier-liners-like-spacermesh-sportskin?_pos=1&_sid=0f35f4da2&_ss=r
ICEVENTS®, Convection Testing
https://www.qoreperformance.com/blogs/military-insights/convective-cooling-conductive-cooling-and-pressure-distribution-testing-of-life-saving-equipment?_pos=8&_sid=4423636ab&_ss=r
3. For max airflow, push your ICEVENTS® all the way to the edges of your carrier.
We hope this helps, but please let us know if you have any additional questions.
#StayFrosty
Qore Performance Customer Support Team

Instagram Handle: Sjblanchard18

Good for certain loadouts

These pads are good if you’re wearing a kit that’s minimalist in nature. Once you start adding a considerable amount of weight to the plate carrier, these pads simply don’t have enough padding and do not disperse the weight far enough to relieve pressure points. Great product, love the company but if you’re wearing anything more than a basic loadout I’d recommend a different product.

Hi Shane,
Thanks for taking the time to leave an honest review of your ICEVENTS® Aero Minimalist Plate Carrier Shoulder Pads. Your observations are 100% spot on and consistent with our design/engineering intent as the ICEVENTS® model you purchased (Aero) are for minimalist/lighter plate carrier loads. ICEVENTS® Classic are for heavy/full duty loads. We note same on the product page above:
'BLUF:
ICEVENTS® Aero are for lighter, minimalist plate carrier setups, SOF and SWAT type applications.
ICEVENTS® Classic are for heavy, full duty/conventional combat loads loads and similar.'
Right below that guidance, we also provide this hyperlink to an article from our INSIGHTS blog with a detailed breakdown of the difference between ICEVENTS® Aero and ICEVENTS® Classic. Here is the link for your reference:
https://www.qoreperformance.com/blogs/military-insights/what-is-the-difference-between-icevents-classic-and-icevents-aero
Good news: it sounds like you just have the wrong product for your application. Better news: easy fix. Please feel free to reach out to us at Info [at] Qore Performance [dot] com and we'll be happy to see what we can do to get you the correct product for your application.
We hope this helps, but please let us know if you have any additional questions.
#StayFrosty
Qore Performance Customer Support Team

ICEVENTS® Classic Heavy vs. ICEVENTS® Aero Minimalist Plate Carrier Shoulder Pads: What is The Difference?

4 comments

Leave a comment

Let customers speak for us