Condor XL Plate Carrier 2020 – Review and buyer’s guide

Would you agree?

If I told you that from doomsday preppers to people who are just afraid that their enemies have hired a hitman to kill them, everyone thinks every now and then about a bulletproof jacket or am XL bulletproof plate carrier.

These items are made to sustain the maximum amount of shock and protect you from getting injured.

Unlike the common belief, these plates and jackets are just not 100% safety assuring. See, these are made of items like Kevlar fabric, ceramic, metal, and plastic etc.

You must know that none of them can assure you that the bullet will not touch your body. Whether they are thick or thin, small or big, all they do is they reduce the impact of the bullet.

So, in case someone shoots right at you, such a plate or jacket will stop the first bullet and it might stop a few more, if someone shoots you, with accuracy, at the same spot, the bullets will eventually go through the plate and hurt you.

In this review, we will fully discuss Condor XL plate carrier and we will try to discover all important dimensions that explain this product and how good can it be to protect you from harm.

Condor XL Plate Carrier Review and Buying Guide

Well:

Here comes my disclosure.

In case you want to find flaws in this product, you can hardly find two or three (just like I mentioned above), but if you go about mentioning the pros of this product, they are simply too many.

So:

I think it is appropriate if we first talk about the cons of this product:

1. The modification is needed to hold side-plates

Side plates?

Well, when you go and face the music, you should be ready for a bullet coming from any direction.

As a matter of fact, I simply cannot fathom the idea of having this much protection for heart, while we leave Mr. Brain totally uncovered to be hit by a bullet anytime.

Think of our brave and skilled servicemen who offer their services in police, military, and coastguards etc.

They go to a job every day where they can get shot anytime.

This is the reason why people who wear bullet proof vests like to keep those side plates too. They make sure that you do not get shot into your ribs.

And this is where this modular chest set fails you. It does not have pockets for side plates. So you have to modify the jacket on your own or you take it to a place where they sew or modify such things.

2. Too Big and Loose

This is not actually a con, it’s a problem with people who do not understand what an XL plate carrier will be like.

This is definitely not some slim fit formal shirt 100% appropriate to one’s size, it is made for everyone kind of thing and when you get it you pay some price.

The size of this modular vest is Large. To be more exact, it is 18.2 x 12.2 x 2.5 inches. However, since this vest is adjustable, the sizing can be changed to accommodate an XL or Medium body.

However:

For people extra-ordinarily thin, it will be a problem because, with all the modular attachments and your gun, you will find it difficult to handle.

So:

These were the cons – the most noticeable cons about this product. As a matter of fact, I believe that only the first one is a real problem, the other one is not really an issue.

Even the readymade formal dresses for a certain size do not fit so well to everyone. This is a modular attachment set and whether or not you want to shoulder a rifle system makes a lot of difference.

Now, that we have talked about the cons, let us talk about the pros as well. In this section, I will talk about all the important pros including the most important ones that I’ve mentioned above.

1. Modular Chest Set

It was only a Condor XL plate carrier, then it wouldn’t be as impressive as it is being an adjustable modular vest that you can use to house a lot of modules that are needed in everyday combat or survival e.g. first aid kit or grenades etc.

The material of this modular set is a little thin and that is good because this vest or modular chest set is nothing in itself.

Remember that you have to add AR500 plates to it and then you have to add other accessories such as spare mags, canteen and stuff that is an important part of survival routine.

There are three internal mesh pockets in this modular chest set. This many pockets on the inside are abundant for keeping your wet items.

2. Heavily Padded Shoulder Straps and MOLLE Webbings

Since this modular attachments vest hosts one to two XL plates and a lot of other heavy items, it all becomes so heavy and saggy.

Thankfully, you get a very and properly padded set of shoulder straps. The shoulder straps too have enough MOLLE webbings to keep the important attachments intact.

However:

Since this is a modular chest set, the whole purpose is to make the vest easy to hang or hold all the important items. In this case, this modular chest set is too good because it is full of MOLLE and other attachment hooks and cords with which you can hang your necessary EDC equipment.

3. Built-in Hydration Bladder Carrier

One of the three mesh pockets is a big one and although you can improvise and use it to carry whatever you want, the intended purpose of this pocket is to be used as the hydration bladder pocket.

It can easily house a hydration bladder from 1 to 2-liter maximum, and this can give you more time to stay in the field and enjoy hunting or whatever you’re getting it for.

Remember:

The purchase of Condor outdoor modular chest set does not cover a free hydration bladder, so you would have to buy it separately.

4. Adjustable Waist and Size

As it has been stated above, this item houses XL plate. In simple words, it is an XL plate carrier.

This is why some people with short height and thin waist have issues with it.

However, it is a relief that while this item comes for large size, you can easily adjust it for extra-large too.

The fully adjustable and modifiable modular chest set’s waist can also be adjusted and the chest size can also be adjusted as per your width.

Not only the chest platform, carrying a good number of MOLLE, can be adjusted as per the width of the user, but you can removable it as well.

However:

In that situation, it will be no longer able to house the XL plate or any protective plate for that matter.

Alright:

Now I am done with the 4 most important pros that I noticed, but this product is simply too good that only 4 most important points cannot cover the whole truth.

I’m not saying that this is a perfect MOLLE chest set and XL plate carrier on Amazon because there are many others that look better and perform better, but for the price, this vest offers a really good value.

Here are some other pros of this product that you must know before you take the decision to buy it or not.

5. 7 Built-in Mag Pouches

In case you need this modular chest set for hunting and you normally travel with lots of extra rounds with you, this what is exactly you need.

On the exterior side of this Condor XL plate carrier where the thickly padded shoulder straps connect with the round webbing of the vest, you find not 2 or 4 or 5, but 7 mag pouches that can adjust and keep mags of all sizes and widths.

The outer side of these mags is full of webbing for MOLLE attachments and no one can tell that there can be 7 mags inside that thing.

6. High-Quality Webbing

You must have noticed this in case of many bags, pouches, jackets, and vests with MOLLE webbings that the webbing is made of the soft and smooth end of Velcro tape.

There is nothing bad with that because not only it helps you to attach more stuff in “Velcro” way using the rough side of the Velcro, but you can use that Velcro webbing to attach all important items that you need.

However:

The problem that comes with that type of webbing is that soft Velcro webbings and their stitches give up to the weight.

You will see them bending and this weighs them down too. Then you will start losing the stitches and this is not acceptable.

If you want a professional, military standard webbing to hang your important EDC items, you need a proper webbing with high-quality stitching.

What they did with this Condor modular vest, is that they bent two sides of a wider piece of material with which they made the vest: bent both sides inside and then stitched them to the stretch between both sides, and this strengthened an already strong material.

You can hang anything that people usually hang or attach to webbing and you will never have a problem. As far as our testing is concerned, I definitely second to the fact that this is a heavyweight webbing made to bear weight, pressure and time.

7. Same on the Backside

There are those MOLLE webbing vests that have all the bells and whistles on the front, but if you turn them around and take a look at the back, it is mostly plain with zero attachment webbings or pockets etc.

Same is not the case with this XL plate carrier and modular chest set.

It has full back with MOLLE attachment webbings all over it, so you can attach the items that you do not need always or immediately.

For example, you can attach a MOLLE first aid kit to the backside MOLLE webbing and this is something that you might not have to use for months and you always have time to detach it and use when you are at a safe place.

8. Bungee Cord Loops

The Condor modular chest set has 4 bungee cord attachments on the front side.

If you have been into hunting, adventure and outdoors hobby for a long time, you must know that from bushwhacking backpacks to survival backpacks (with MOLLE webbings) to everyday backpacks and hiking backpacks, bungee cords are considered one of the most important attachment gimmicks.

From guns to batons to anything around which a small loop of bungee can have a good grip, you can use bungee cord loop attachments in all settings.

Hiking, hunting or survival!

9. High Quality and Sturdy Buckles

This whole thing is a setup!

Well:

You might not have heard anyone saying this in a good way. However, this whole thing is a set-up and works like a magic.

And what do I call this a set up? It is because it is amazingly customizable and adjustable. You can see that this is not one completely connected item. It is connected with bits and pieces that can be adjusted to change its shape.

And it cannot be possible without so many buckles.

Roughly, three to four sets of very high quality and sturdy buckles help the whole MOLLE chest set to remain intact.

Also:

The color of these buckles also matches to the Multicam color pattern of this modular chest set and XL plate carrier.

10. Price Matters

This rig includes the chest piece that is used as XL plate carrier and there is the basic structure that is full of MOLLE webbings and mesh pockets including one in which you put the bladder.

Remove the chest piece and you still have enough pockets to stack everything important and double the ammo.

Yet:

When you compare the price of this rig with others like SOE, you would see that it delivers almost same that SOE does and yet the price is roughly half of the price that SOE or any famous brand charges for such rigs.

That’s a big Yes. In terms of quality, this rig is almost the same that SOE offers, but price is one third or half at best.

11. Chem Light

When we talk about the qualities of a particular product, sometimes people make a purchasing design only because of the bells and whistles attached to that product.

This product comes with some bells and whistles that make it special.

You can consider them a free gift from the manufacturer because they are not pricy.

For example, this rig comes with a free of cost chem light, which you know, can be very useful in the dark and in a situation where your search light stops working without warning.

13. Padded Mesh Interior Lining

The lining inside this rig is padded mesh lining that is preferred because first of all it is padded and thus it provides good comfort to your body, and secondly, it is breathable so you do not accumulate too much sweat and thus too many bacteria.

This is very important for the purpose you need it for. Considering that most of the people who buy this rig are into armed forces and police, one can easily tell how important it is for them to have a good air-ventilation rig on them.

Air easily go through it, it does not let your sweat to stay there and it gets dried up real quick.

On top of that padded mesh makes the weight of attachments e.g. gun, mags, torch, first-aid and water easy on your shoulders.

13. Easy to Insert and Remove the Plate

The chest platform can be removed, but you can use it without a plate as well.

In the case where you do not need the plate but you want to use the chest platform to keep more attachments, you can easily slide out the XL plate that makes this rig bulletproof.

Likewise, removing the plate is also very easy. You can pull it out with one swift and easy move. However, let me clarify that it still needs force because the plate is sturdily padded and stuffed in the chest platform when you push it inside.

There is no chance for you to drop that plate by mistake.

14. Emergency Drag Handle

Although you cannot see it from the front (which is good, because from an aesthetic point of view it will not look any good), there is a drag or hold the handle on the top back side of this modular chest set.

It is exactly on the back side of where both shoulder straps meet and make a silhouette. It is just as strongly sewn as the handle of a hiking backpack.

This strong and sturdy nylon handle makes it easier for you to hold and lift the Condor XL plate carrier even when it packed and loaded with lots of modular attachments.

15. Design of the Pockets

Not only the pockets that come with this product are really useful, but they are also designed in a better way as well. The big strap with a lot of webbing that goes around your waist is where you get mesh pockets in which you can store all important items.

16. Front Opening Style

This vest has a front opening style. This means you have to detach the buckles on one side to open the vest. It is good from many different angles.

First of all, it makes it easier for you to open the vest every time or wear it when needed. Secondly, the best thing about this kind of vests is what officers improvise to do with them.

If you have a file or a big stack of papers that you cannot keep anywhere else, it is easy to keep them close to your chest and tightly buckle the vest to keep the important papers intact and safe.

Most importantly, front opening style helps a solder lay prone in the field and save their life.

17. Good for Hunting Carry Gear

If you’ve been a hunting hobbyist and trophy hunting is your thing you must be aware of the usual and unusual hunting rig used by the hunters.

The outer-frame backpack, the modular chest vest that keeps the mags and other stuff and provides a good housing for hunting gear.

18. Stitches and Seams

Of all the people who have bought this modular chest set, the majority loves it for high-quality stitching and seams.

The Condor vest is made for loading and latching heavy gear. Not only this gear drastically increases the weight of the set, but it can also even end up tearing apart the stitches and seams around mag pouches and webbings.

But this does not happen with Condor modular vest. Its stitching and seams are done with due care and there is not a single complaint about it.

19. Customizability

Well:

If you ask me the best reason why a hunter, civilian contractor or armed forced person should buy this vest, this will be without any doubt, the customizability.

This vest is customizable as anything.

Remove the chest part if you want to or keep it.

Stack two magazines in magazine pocket or just keep one magazine at a time because those pouches are elastic.

The kind of and quantity of gear that you can keep in it and latch to it is simply beyond expectation. This is why a lot of people commented that the vest was big for them, but when they applied all the gear, it fit perfectly.

From handguns to shotguns to bigger guns, there are no guns and ammo that cannot be attached to or stored in this vest.

Well:

You can attach all your hunting gear to the webbings on the Condor plate carrier and enjoy blending in without much effort.

So:

These were all the important details that you needed to know about Condor XL Plate Carrier. There were the pros that may make you buy or consider buying this product.

However:

Let us take a look at some technical details now.

Product’s Important Details:

As it has been mentioned, the size of this XL plate carrier by Condor is 18.2 x 12.2 x 2.5 inches.

The size goes from Large to Extra Large.

Weight is roughly 2.4 pounds. It is definitely a considerably lightweight modular attachments chest set as compared to others.

 Conclusion

There are many XL plate carriers in the market and as a matter of fact, you need to make amendments to use this modular chest set as a plate carrier.

However:

It is much more than that. The webbings and water bladder pocket and the mag pouches and internal pockets are the reasons why you should prefer this to many other “just XL plate carriers” out there.

This thing can reduce the need for a big backpack for hunting or equipment. From your guns (handgun to shot gun to M16 or hunting rifle) to their magazines and ammo to their maintenance stuff and items like first aid kit and radio etc. … the list is long.

You can latch or store all those items with or in this vest and go “battle ready” even if it is just a hunting trip.

The webbings are so strong and sewn in a way that strengthens them. You can use carabiners to boost the customizability and adaptability of the vest.

Also:

It is a season friendly vest. In summer, in case you do not need extended protection from bullets, you can always remove the chest piece and enjoy using its maximum possible capacity.

However:

As has been mentioned, there are two main issues.

First of all, you cannot really use side plates with this and you will have to modify it for them.

It is more on large and XL size. So unless you are near 6 feet and with a bulky body, this will not fit you right without using it to its fullest e.g. water bladder, magazines in pouches, other attachments latched to the vest and all pockets stuffed etc.

All in all, this is a good XL plate carrier and modular chest set vest for maximum customization that one might need in the battlefield, security situation or for hunting.

Summary

Reviewer

RICKYDEAN

Review Date

2019-03-02

Reviewed Item

Condor XL Plate Carrier

Author Rating

5