Tactical gear has come a long way in the past 10 years. Manufacturers spend a lot of time and money to accommodate officers’ safety needs, comfort, and durability. They use gender-specific materials, and focus in on providing safe, comfortable and reliable equipment.
There is a lot of factors to consider when researching tactical gear, below are five of the most common considerations:
- Durability: The ability for your gear to last is important these days as prices climb and budgets for new gear shrink. As a professional you need your gear to survive the duties that you carry out on an everyday basis. You need your gear to hold up against weather and how often you use it. Most manufacturers don’t cover anything other than a product defect warrantee for normal wear and tear, you should be looking for your tactical gear to last between 3 to 5 years. Kevlar and ballistic nylon materials provide the best durability but if you are looking for greater comfort and professional appearance look to leather.
- Functionality: Tactical gear is designed with a specific function in mind. Make sure what you looking at can perform those duties. If you have learned certain skills on specific equipment then consider buying that same equipment.
- Maintenance and Serviceability: Cleaning your gear should be easy; it shouldn’t require a lot of scrubbing or the need to purchase special cleaning products. You should be able to clean your gear with non-oil base soap, water and a soft bristle brush. Hang your equipment up when you aren’t using it. All gear wears out and you will be forced to replace it at some point, look into purchasing gear that can be repaired easily.
- Appearance: Know your work dress code and keep it in mind when buying your tactical gear. You don’t to buy something only to find out that you can’t use it because it doesn’t keep to the dress code. Returns and exchanges can be frustrating and time consuming.
- Comfort: This should be at the top of your list. I don’t know about you but being comfortable is important to me. Most manufacturers design their gear with comfort and durability in mind.
These are just a few things to consider when buying tactical gear. Ultimately it comes down to personal preference as there are so many different manufacturers and styles out there to choose from.