I think body armor is important.
But it's not fun, not enjoyable to wear, certainly not enjoyable to "train" in while doing shooting or other physical activities that might involve ducking, squatting, running, etc.
That being said, I think a person who wants to be better prepared to confront a bad guy, if the scenario allows you a few minutes to prep (enough time to go into your gun safe and get out your baddest weapons, ought to have body armor in there.
The best body armor is a combination of both soft armor that covers your entire torso (with a few necessary gaps around your armpits and such), AND some hard plates over the center of your vitals.
Hard plates alone don't appeal to me because they have much less coverage (in surface area-- square inches) than soft vests.
But it's not fun, not enjoyable to wear, certainly not enjoyable to "train" in while doing shooting or other physical activities that might involve ducking, squatting, running, etc.
That being said, I think a person who wants to be better prepared to confront a bad guy, if the scenario allows you a few minutes to prep (enough time to go into your gun safe and get out your baddest weapons, ought to have body armor in there.
The best body armor is a combination of both soft armor that covers your entire torso (with a few necessary gaps around your armpits and such), AND some hard plates over the center of your vitals.
Hard plates alone don't appeal to me because they have much less coverage (in surface area-- square inches) than soft vests.