‘Most Significant’ Kevlar Update In 50 Years Can Stop Bullets With More Comfort

For over five decades, law enforcement and armed forces all over the globe have relied on Kevlar to keep them safe. Interestingly, the material—created by chemical company DuPont—makes use of soft, flexible materials rather than tough, rigid plates to keep bullets and shards out.

According to Forbes, this counter-intuitive method works as soft armor is able to withstand a projectile the same way a net does, by slowing the item down gradually instead of all at once. This idea first came to light in 1897 when a Polish priest demonstrated an armor made of silk.

Now, in 2023, DuPont has announced a new and improved form of protection: Kevlar EXO, with the firm calling the material the “most significant aramid fiber innovation in over 50 years,” boasting that the technology can “serve endless applications” where protection is required.

Compared to its predecessor, Kevlar EXO is described as lighter and more flexible, thus allowing military and police officers who don the armor to experience levels of protection together with mobility and comfort that wasn’t possible in the past.

One reason for this is the material’s pliability, enabling it to contour to the curves of the wearer’s body, providing a more “body-inclusive solution” and less restrictive movement while still offering the same degree of safety, which impressively remains constant after years of wear.

Furthermore, the redesigned soft armor is inherently flame- and temperature-resistant, melt- and ignite-proof up to 500°C (932°F) while remaining “endlessly customizable” for different types of use and body types.

“We’ve spent over a decade developing, refining, and perfecting Kevlar EXO, and the result is an industry-altering platform that has captured our life protection capabilities to a whole new level,” remarked Steven LaGanke, Global Business Leader at DuPont Life Protection.

“Whether for military members, law enforcement officers, private security, or emergency responders, pound for pound, Kevlar EXO users can better manage energy output even during the most demanding physical tasks.”

[via Forbes and Popular Science, images via DuPont]