Best Plate Carriers 2025 - Technical Review

Choosing the best plate carrier for 2025 isn’t just about aesthetics or brand loyalty—it’s about survival. When mobility, durability, and smart design come together, they can mean the difference between mission success and failure. This year, we’ve taken our data-driven approach to the next level, focusing on the most critical metrics to help you make an informed decision. Forget trends and hearsay; precision, objectivity, and transparency are the foundation of our analysis.

In this overview, we’ll dive into hard data on the top plate carriers, both issued and commercial, that are available today. Our lineup was selected entirely by votes from our viewers and customers via social media comments, emails, and DMs. The 2025 lineup includes the First Spear Strandhogg V3, US Army IOTV, Qore Performance ICEPLATE EXO® Gen 3, Ferro Concepts Slickster, Armored Republic Testudo Gen 3, US Army MSV, and the USMC PC Gen 3. Each section highlights the best and worst performers across key metrics, so you can decide which plate carrier deserves to accompany you in the field. Without further delay, let’s get into it. 

Click here for The Best Plate Carriers of 2024

Format

​​If you're new to this series, our technical reviews are far from typical "reviews." They’re designed to answer frequent customer questions about how to best integrate our IceAge Ecosystem's thermoregulation and hydration tools with popular plate carriers. We take a purely data-driven approach, offering objective, measurable insights backed by instruments and documentation whenever possible. Facts don't change most people's opinions because most people don't base their opinions on facts. Instead, they shape the 'facts' to fit their opinions. We strive to change that. With life-preserving equipment, there is no room for letting bias and emotion stand in the way of performance. In our reviews, you will find no opinions or guesswork.

PLEASE NOTE: In addition to the seven plate carriers reviewed in our Best Plate Carriers of 2025 technical review video, we have included the data for those alongside every other plate carrier we have tested in this article for an even deeper and more comprehensive dive.

IceAge Ecosystem Integration

Answering customer questions about integrating our IceAge Ecosystem of thermoregulation and hydration accessories with other plate carriers on the market is how this video series began, so this is where we will start today.

Thermoregulation is crucial for maximizing performance and survivability in extreme conditions. Our IceAge Ecosystem tools augment and enhance plate carriers that lack organic thermoregulation capabilities. If you want to improve your gear’s thermal efficiency and comfort, check out the all-in-one solutions we offer through our Universal Plate Carrier Upgrade Kits, linked in the show notes below. Now let’s check out how our contestants stack up when it comes to IceAge Ecosystem integration.

Most Comprehensive Integration: Qore Performance ICEPLATE EXO® Gen 3

Some of you might cry foul on this one, but let’s be clear and revisit the origins of this review series: to answer customer questions about how to integrate our IceAge Ecosystem of thermoregulation solutions with various plate carriers on the market today. From there, we had tons of customers asking us to build our vision of a plate carrier that natively and organically integrated our IceAge Ecosystem with thermoregulation and hydration built-in from the ground-up. It should come as no surprise then that the manifestation of that vision, ICEPLATE EXO® Gen 3, is the archetype of comprehensive IceAge Ecosystem integration. The Qore Performance ICEPLATE EXO® Gen 3 is designed for seamless compatibility with ICEVENTS® Plate Carrier Ventilation Pontoons on both the plate bags and the cummerbund, ICEVENTS® Aero Plate Carrier Shoulder Pads, IMS Pro Gen 3 for internal cooling, heating, and hydration via its interior Velcro® brand loop. An externally mounted IMS Pro Gen 3 Combo can augment your internally mounted IMS Pro Gen 3 with 50 ounces of additional hydration, bringing total on-board hydration stores to 100 ounces or 3L combined.

Last, but certainly not least, ICEPLATE EXO® Gen 3 is fully optimized for our all-new and best-selling ICEFLASK with ICEFLASK Wing or MOLLE Holsters.
(show ICEFLASK in each corner, from 1 to 4 total units, then 2 additional placements in dangler mode with the “anti-knock your balls” demo with text on-screen that says “setup is for demonstration purposes only to show what is possible, not necessarily to serve as a recommendation”).

Each ICEFLASK packs 500ml or 16.9 ounces of water and 23 watts of cooling power or 17 watts of heating power. ICEFLASK makes hydration and thermoregulation more modular than ever before, filling just about any negative space you can think of. Note for our mall ninjas out there: ICEFLASK is NOT a replacement for radios or mags - it is just another tool in the tool box…just one with nearly unlimited implementation possibilities.

Least Comprehensive Integration: Ferro Concepts Slickster

While functional with our universal tools like ICEVENTS® Aero and Classic shoulder pads, IMS Versa Gen 3, and CATAMARAN Gen 3, the Ferro Concepts Slickster is unable to seamlessly integrate IMS Pro Gen 3 for internal thermoregulation and hydration, as is the case for all of the other plate carriers in our lineup that lack internal Velcro fields. However, the reason we have placed the Slickster at the bottom of the list for IceAge Ecosystem integration is its inability to mount IMS Pro Gen 3 to the rear plate bag for an additional 50 fluid ounces of hydration. Because the Slickster is inherently a slick plate carrier, it is not designed to be loaded down with additional equipment and therefore does not include MOLLE fields on the front and rear plate bags like the other carriers in our lineup. The Slickster does, however, have Velcro fields on its rear plate bag, which allows for IMS Pro Gen 3 to be mounted for an additional water reservoir instead of IMS. Ferro Concepts also sells accessory panels to add MOLLE, making IMS Combo mounting possible. These are not “out-of-the-box” solutions, but they do work and they are available.

For turn-key solutions to upgrading your plate carrier, check out our Plate Carrier Upgrade Kits:

• Universal Plate Carrier Upgrade Kit - Ventilation only
• Universal Plate Carrier Upgrade Kit - Ventilation and Hydration
• Universal Plate Carrier Upgrade Kit - Ventilation, Cooling, Heating, Hydration
  
   

IceAge Ecosystem Integration Comparison Chart

Weight

Dry Weight

Few things impact human performance more than weight. Ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain. We've all heard it. We all know it. The modern science behind the impact of weight on human performance traces its origins to Nike Co-Founder and legendary University of Oregon Track and Field Coach Bill Bowerman. Bowerman discovered that removing just one ounce from a shoe eliminates 55 pounds of lift over the distance of one mile when calculated using the gait of a six foot tall runner. This can add up to thousands of pounds of effort over the course of one mile, with the effect compounding over the distances commonly encountered while wearing a plate carrier for its intended purpose.

Using Bowerman’s formula, we can see that the ICEPLATE EXO® Gen 3 is 73.97% or 43.2 ounces lighter than the US Army IOTV. This means the ICEPLATE EXO® Gen 3 will save you 2,376 pounds of lift effort over the course of a mile.

Plate carriers that are inherently designed with minimal weight gains in mind are ideal for enhancing mobility, endurance, and performance in high-stress environments. Let’s toss these plate carriers on the scale and see what their weights come out to.

Lightest: ICEPLATE EXO® Gen 3
At just 0.95 pounds (15.2 ounces), it’s the lightest plate carrier in our lineup.

Heaviest: US Army IOTV
Weighing 3.65 pounds (58.4 ounces) without soft armor, its robust materials come with a weight penalty. 

Wet Weight

Does wet weight matter more than dry weight? It depends on your mission. Performance under wet conditions matters for maritime, jungle, rainy, or humid environments. Whether dealing with salt water or sweat, a plate carrier’s ability to repel and shed water weight quickly can significantly affect operator performance. Let’s see how our contestants stack up after we dunk them.

As with all our tests in the Technical Plate Carrier Overview series, we keep it simple: submerge the carrier in water for 60 minutes, hang dry for 60 seconds, and record the weight. We run all tests in our new HQ2 facility in Knoxville, TN, to eliminate environmental variables like sunlight or wind.

Lightest: ICEPLATE EXO® Gen 3
Coming in at 1.35 pounds (21.6 ounces) when wet, the ICEPLATE EXO® Gen 3 leads this category with its hydrophobic materials.

Heaviest: US Army IOTV
With a wet weight of 5.15 pounds (82.4 ounces), the IOTV retains significant moisture, impacting mobility.

Thermal Transmittance

What is Thermal Transmittance, and why does it matter for plate carriers? 

Thermal transmittance refers to the rate at which heat moves through a material. In the context of plate carriers, it specifically pertains to the body-facing side of the plate carrier plate bag.

When a material, such as a wall or a plate bag, is well-insulated, it has low thermal transmittance, making it effective at protecting against external temperature changes—ideal for homes, vehicles, or cold-weather gear. Conversely, poorly insulated materials have high thermal transmittance, which is beneficial for active or athletic apparel like running gear, PT outfits, combat uniforms, or plate carriers. High thermal transmittance allows the body to release excess heat generated during intense physical activity.

Given that tactical gear inherently provides some level of insulation, it's crucial to choose equipment, particularly plate carriers and body armor, with the highest possible thermal transmittance. Essentially, you need gear with minimal insulation to enable your body's natural cooling processes to function optimally, helping you manage body temperature independently of your gear. This is critical to prevent heat-related issues, ensuring you remain effective and increasing your survival chances in the field. Some plate carriers, such as our ICEPLATE EXO® Gen 3, augment and enhance your body's natural thermoregulation mechanisms, boosting your physiological performance. For carriers lacking this feature, you can integrate items from our IceAge Ecosystem, like the IMS Pro Gen 3, IMS Versa Gen 3, ICEVENTS®, and CATAMARAN Gen 3, to improve their thermal efficiency.

For a detailed understanding of heat transfer methods and their relevance to your gear, check out the infographics in our INSIGHTS blog article titled "The Methods of Heat Transfer," linked in the show notes below.

For all of the super nerds out there who want to know the Experimental Design for our Thermal Transmittance testing, here it is: [on-screen text] 

1. FLIR camera surface reading of the body facing side of the plate bags at room temperature.
   
   
2. Place a single ICEPLATE® Curve, fresh out of the freezer, into the same plate bag.
   
   
3. Close the plate bag and place a hard armor plate on top of the plate bag for 30 seconds to simulate the effect of putting on the plate carrier. Use short exposure time to test efficiency, not capacity. 
   
   
4. Remove the hard armor plate from the surface of the subject plate bag.
   
   
5. Take a new FLIR surface temperature reading.

Now let’s find out which carrier was the best in our lineup. 

Highest Thermal Transmittance: ICEPLATE EXO® Gen 3
With a thermal shift range of 19 to 67 degrees fahrenheit, depending on the placement of the FLIR camera, ICEPLATE EXO® Gen 3 was far and away the best performer. 

Lowest Thermal Transmittance: US Army IOTV with Soft Armor
With its thick material, pervasive amount of insulating spacer mesh, and soft body armor panels inserted, the IOTV recorded the lowest thermal transmittance in our lineup at just 0.75 degrees Fahrenheit.  

For a full breakdown on the issued plate carrier’s results with soft armor inserted, check out their individual videos in our Insights playlist. 

What do these numbers mean? The smaller the spread between the Initial or Baseline Surface Temperature and the surface reading at room temperature, the lower the Thermal Transmittance of that plate bag. We’ve added two data tables for an unbiased analytical context: Mean on the left and Median on the right. As a quick refresher, the Mean, often called the average, is the sum of all values divided by the number of values. The Median is the middle value of a dataset when ordered from smallest to largest. If there is an even number of observations, it is the average of the two middle values. When the data is symmetrically distributed, and you want to account for all values, including extreme ones, you should use the Mean. The Median is the preferred analytical tool when the data is skewed or contains outliers that might distort the Mean.

Plate carriers with low thermal transmittance readings will trap and retain more heat, making you hotter. The larger the spread between the Initial or Baseline Surface Temperature and the surface reading at room temperature, the higher the Thermal Transmittance of that plate carrier. Plate bags with these larger spreads are better at removing heat to let your body’s thermoregulation mechanisms work as naturally as possible. Issued plate carriers like the IOTV, MSV and PC Gen 3 highlight a key tradeoff: the added shrapnel protection of soft armor comes at the cost of poor thermal transmittance, increasing the risk of heat exhaustion or becoming a heat casualty. While kinetic threats vary in volume, frequency and intensity, the environment is with us all the time. When configured without soft armor, these issued plate carriers exhibit a significantly larger thermal shift, and perform better than many tried and true commercially available carriers. This is likely due to modern material choices, like laminate, and advanced construction methods such as laser cutting.

The tables below represent the thermal shift data from the plate carriers we featured in Best Plate Carriers 2025:

These tables show how the Best Pate Carriers of 2025 contestants stack up against the entirety of other plate carriers we've tested in our technical review series: 

 
Below is a comparison of plate carrier's Thermal Shift that we have tested. Let’s talk about what Thermal Transmittance actually is and why it matters.

Learn more about Methods of Heat Transfer here.

Flexibility in attachment options ensures you can adapt your loadout as needed. Limited attachment options restrict modularity, reducing a plate carrier’s adaptability. Let’s see which of the plate carriers we’re analyzing today have the most versatility. 

Most Attachment Mechanisms: ICEPLATE EXO® GEN 3
With five possible attachment mechanisms in the form of Velcro®, Molle, Swift Clip, G-Hook, and Zipper back panels adapters, ICEPLATE EXO® Gen 3 offers maximum versatility.   

Least Attachment Mechanisms: US Army MSV
The MSV has the least amount of versatility, with MOLLE being its primary means of attachment. However, products like the AXL Army AVP do allow swift clip and G-hook mounting.

Variety

Customization options for color, size, and configuration offer a wide variety of choices, enabling users to select the best combination to meet their specific operational and personal preferences. So let's see which of the options have the most variety. 

Most Variety: US Army IOTV
The IOTV features the most extensive size range, with a staggering 11 options. However, it is only available in two color ways, UCP and OCP. The Ferro Concepts Slickster boasts the most color way options, as it is available in MultiCam, MultiCam Black, Coyote Brown, Ranger Green, Black, and Wolf Gray, but only two sizes. 

Least Variety: US Army MSV
The MSV has the most limited options for color ways, but is available in six sizes. The Qore Performance ICEPLATE EXO® Gen 3 has the most limited options for sizing as it is only available in small/medium, though a large/extra large ICEPLATE EXO® Gen 3 is coming in early 2025.

Country of Origin

Country of origin is a critical consideration when selecting a plate carrier. It is a dependable but not absolute indicator of innovation, quality, and craftsmanship. So, where do all of these plate carriers come from?

Made in USA: 
ICEPLATE EXO® Gen 3, Strandhogg V3, Slickster, IOTV, MSV, and PC Gen 3 are all Made in the USA, supporting domestic manufacturing excellence

Not Made in USA: 
The Armored Republic Testudo Gen 3 is Made in Vietnam. 

Country of Origin Comparison Chart

Price

Price is the least important factor when it comes to choosing a plate carrier because this is life preserving gear. How much is your life worth? The priority is ensuring that the equipment can perform when needed most. So what are the lowest and highest priced options in this lineup? 

Lowest Priced Option: Ferro Concepts Slickster
The lowest priced option is the Ferro Concepts Slickster, which starts at $160.00 for all colors in both Medium and Large, except for MultiCam Black, which raises the price eight dollars to $168.00 for Medium and Large.

Highest Priced Option: US Army IOTV
The IOTV Gen 4 we are reviewing can be found on the surplus market for approximately $1,200.00 to $1,500.00, including Deltoid Protector Assemblies and a Groin Protector. Prices can vary based on condition, and purchasing just the plate bags and cummerbund can cost between $500.00 and $800.00.

Conclusion

That wraps up our data-driven review of the best plate carriers for 2025. From integration with cutting-edge accessories to performance under extreme conditions, this analysis ensures you can make the best choice for your needs.

Let us know in the comments which plate carriers you want to see in future videos.

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @qoreperformance and subscribe to LaunchPad emails to stay up to date on all of our continuing efforts for Building A Superhuman Future®. Thanks for watching and until next time, #StayFrosty.
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About Qore Performance

For those of you who are new to Qore Performance, we live for Building A Superhuman Future. It is why we exist. We help customers be the greatest version of themselves, to create competitive advantages where none previously existed. We design, build, and manufacture thermoregulation and hydration solutions that weaponize temperature to improve performance and survivability for military, law enforcement, prepared citizens, pilots, outdoor enthusiasts, and industrial professionals at America’s greatest companies. If you’ve purchased chicken or coffee from a drive thru in the United States, there is a high probability you’ve seen our ICEVEST HiVis Safety Vests, our ICECASE iPad Cooling cases or both in use while rolling through one of these corporate powerhouses.

Check out our SAFETY + DEVICES Collection.