5.11 TacTec Plate Carrier vs Box women's weighted vest

This is a comparison between the of the 5.11 TacTec plate carrier and the Box women's weighted vest including pros, cons, and alternatives. This was originally posted in which weighted vest to get from Rogue.

Overview and review of the Box women's weighted vest

This is an overview of the Women's box weighted vest including pros, cons, and alternatives. This was originally posted in which weighted vest to get from Rogue.

BOX Women's Weight Vest - Weight Training | Rogue Fitness

Overview of the Women's weighted vest

Price: $122 - $144

The women's box vest is a redesign of the time tested box vest classic. Some of the material of the vest has been removed at the chest to make it a better fit for women. This lowers the maximum amount of weight the vest can take to 25lbs. In return, you will have less fabric in the wrong places, especially if you only work at lower weight rates anyway and bring in a sizeable front yourself. (Box themselves avoided to say this, if you have a better way of explaining this, please let me know. It is pretty obvious what this design for women is about.)

Pros of the Women's weighted vest

The pros of the women's box vest are:

A different color scheme from black
Zipper in the front
Better suited to a female anatomy

This vest has been designed with women in mind. You can call them out for gender stereotyping, as this is always a challenge with gender-specific products. Still, I think it makes sense to have a vest that is a little lighter and leaves space in the right places to perform your best without creating unnecessary pain.

Cons of the Women's box weighted vest

The cons of the Women's box weighted vest are:

Less fabric
Price

While the design helps to give you more freedom and provides less fabric than other vests at a similar price point. This also means there is less surface to stick weight into which lowers the overall capacity to 25lb. Combined with the fact that the base price of the women's box vest is the same as their standard vest I find it to be a little bit of a ripoff. I think it would be fairer to deduct $20 as this clearly uses less material than the standard box vest unless somebody explains to me how the production of this vest is a lot more complex.

Alternatives to the women's box weighted vest

Alternatives to the box weighted vest are:

If you hate gender stereotyping and do not mind that a weighted vest covers your full front, then the box weighted vest gives you more capacity for the same price. You can use the same weights and train with a battle-tested classic. The only downside is that it might be a little more painful than with the women's version.

The Rogue plate carrier is gender-neutral and goes up to 40lbs in weight. This is a great value for money option that also leaves you with possibilities to customize the vest with your own patches.

The MiR short vest is a great option if you want to maximize your weight at a relatively low cost for up to 90lbs. In this segment, you can not beat the MiR short vest in the Rogue shop.

Conclusion for the women's box weighted vest

If you need it for what it has been designed for, it is a great fit. Otherwise, it is overpriced and you should go for something else.

Overview and review of the 5.11 TacTec Plate Carrier

This is an overview of the Rogue 5.111 TacTec plate carrier including pros, cons, and alternatives. This was originally posted in which weighted vest to get from Rogue.

Overview of the Tactec Plate Carrier

Price: $199.99

The Tactec Plate carrier is a repurposed military body armor for fitness purposes. The maximum weight that can be added to this vest is 30lb. You multiple options with a front and backplate and six different weight plate options from Rogue. The Velcro in the front and back also makes it possible to add patches and individualize your vest even further. Compared to other models you have fewer straps to secure the weight and extra padding on the shoulder where you feel the most of the weight. The full specifications of this vest are:

500D Nylon Construction
Water-Resistant Coating
Vest Weight: 2.5LB
Fits all Rogue Weight Vest Plates and any 24MM wide Medium (12.5" H x 9.5" L x 2" W) or Large (13.25" x 10.25" x 2.25") SAPI plates
Back yoke shoulder pads for even weight distribution
Adjustable weight and tensional bands
Extendable GrabDrag handle for emergency exfiltration
Oversized airflow channel padding
One-handed Quick Release
Duraflex® hardware
Web ID Loop
Standard cummerbunds will accommodate a 52" circumference with the elastic relaxed, and up to 57" when fully extended
Color: Black, Navy, Tac OD, Sandstone, Camo (+$30), Terrain, Night, and Storm

This is the vest to get if you mainly do sprints, will take it through a lot of abuse and you are not planning on tumbles and cartwheels while wearing your vest.

Pros of the TacTec Pate carrier

The pros of the Tactec plate carrier are:

Many color options
Many weight options
Durability

This vest can be washed, thrown into the dirt, rubber against a tree, and will still come back strong. If you want to break it you need to cut it or intentionally rip it at the seams. With the six plate weights rogue provides and the two pouches, one in front and on in the back, you have many options to add resistance and move around. This vest is fun to wear, you can make it your own and challenge yourself. This is the option for anyone who likes spending money on good tools that can be used in many scenarios.

The cons of the Tactec carrier

The cons of the Tactec carrier are:

Price
Design
Weight limitations

For a vest that only goes up to 30lb, the price is on the high side. You can get cheaper vests in the market that give you the same amount of resistance. Will you look as cool? Probably not? Can you put those into the washing machine with some bricks? Definitely not. Still, $200 for one vest without any weights is a big ask. The design is also not for everyone. If you love the military, good for you, you found your match. If you live in the suburbs and do not want the neighbors to worry, this might not be the best pick.

Alternatives to the Tactec Plate carrier

Alternatives to the Tactec plate carrier are

The box 100lb straightjacket is the maximum amount of weight you can strap to your body without using a carabiner, chain, or metal pin. The original box vest was the start in CrossFit gyms for resistance on the bodyweight WODs and this vest takes it to the extreme. Not just on weight, but also on price. If you have outgrown the vests up to 50lbs, because you are such a beast, then this is the next challenge to tackle. Downsides of this model are a less nug fit and that you have no customization options. You can still throw a rock on it and it will be fine.

The Hyper vest elite is the right option for any athlete who wants to add resistance to prolonged exercise. If you are a long-distance runner, a hiker who wants to keep their backpack for food but still make it more challenging or someone who wants to do tumbles and cartwheels while having a vest on, than this is your best bet. The only downsides of this model are that it only goes up to 20lbs and that it is only available in black. If you are worried about what the neighbors think and you do not like the military design of most vests Rogue provides, then this is a good alternative.

The Rogue Plate carrier is the budget option of the Tactec vest from Rogue. On some of their most successful products, Rogue likes to provide a clone that has been stripped to the bare minimum to save cost. The Rogue Plate carrier is the stripped-down version of the Tactec plate carrier which comes in at $125. You will get a little bet less padding and additional material, while the design mainly focuses on strapping two carrier plates to you in the least expensive, yet functional way. The Rogue plate carrier is available in 4 colors.

Conclusion for the Tactec plate carrier

If some turned around to me and said "Hey, which weighted vest should i buy" and was not allowed to ask any questions, then it would recommend the 5.11 Tactec. This vest can be used by all ages and sizes and can be applied to many scenarios.If not abused in a horrible way it will also last a lifetime. There are 100s of positive reviews for this vest on the Rogue website and that is for a reason. The only turn off is the military design, but if no one sees you exercising in it, who cares.