Armor vests

 are worn to reduce damage from gunfire. They are often complemented with Helmets.

To learn more about the effectiveness of body armor check the Ballistics page.

Escape from Tarkov classes body armor under the Russian armor system, GOST, instead of the American NIJ system. (See trivia section for more info)

Armor Plates are a new addition to the game, and can be viewed in the Armor Plates page.

Trivia

 * The GOST armor system is classed from 1-6a, a total of 9 ranks.
 * The GOST classifications can be found here as a table.