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Apr 28, 2023

Kevlar EXO: Making Armor Better

DuPont's marketeers make much ado about the ability of Kevlar EXO to adapt and

DuPont's marketeers make much ado about the ability of Kevlar EXO to adapt and fit to any body shape size. You may not be a police officer vaulting fences to chase down perps, but if this material makes it to civilian riding gear, that improved comfort will still be welcome. Photo: DuPont

There are certain materials that you expect to see used in riding gear, such as leather, waxed cotton, and Kevlar (or Kevlar-style heat-resistant aramid fibers). And now, thanks to developments from DuPont, Kevlar might be getting a lot better, which will hopefully mean more comfortable gear for riders.

DuPont has just announced its new Kevlar EXO material, which is supposed to offer "an unmatched combination of protection, lightness and flexibility." It's currently marketing the material to police and military customers, saying Kevlar EXO is "the most significant aramid fiber innovation in over 50 years and an entirely new technology platform… ."

That's a big claim. How does DuPont justify it? According to their PR, they’ve been working on this material for more than a decade, emphasizing on reducing weight and making the material more flexible, which should make it more comfortable. For users looking for actual body armor that protects them in a shootout, the resulting benefit from those improvements is as simple as this: You’re more likely to wear your body armor if it's more comfortable, and you should be happier and more capable if you’re wearing it. DuPont says "With the unmatched combination of flexibility and protection of Kevlar® EXO, the usual distractions of wearing body armor can be greatly reduced. This means you can feel much more free to focus on every task at hand—because when there's less in your way physically, there's less in your way mentally. " Deciphering that marketing-speak, what they’re trying to say is: You won't get as sweaty and worn-out in this material; it's also supposed to be very heat-resistant, and resist degradation over time.

That would be good news for motorcyclists who want high-quality, easier-wearing protective gear, although to be clear, we don't know exactly the capabilities or appropriate applications for this new material. For now, DuPont is keen to sell it to customers in, errrr, "ballistically-oriented" trades. But the original Kevlar material has been far repurposed outside of its original intended use in car tire construction. It will be interesting to see if Kevlar EXO can do the same.

Here are DuPont's listed highlights for the new material.