The Seat weights about 5 1/2 pounds, a little less than a six-pack (of bottles), easily carried using the shoulder straps or under your arm.

With the optional ballistic plate, the total weight is around 11 pounds.

The vest is designed to accommodate various sizes. The vest has been tested to fit people from 4'0" to 6'3". The length of the adjustable shoulder straps were engineered to NASA specifications that allow most adults to fit the CoverMe-Seat to their body type. The ballistic inserts are industry-standard sizes designed to maximize vital organ protection in most adults and adolescents.

In seat form, the self-supporting back will support people up to 275 pounds.

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylne (UHMWPE) material is known for being rugged, light,and flexibe. While capable of achieving the same level of protection as Kevlar, UHMWPE fabric has the benefits of being more durable, comfortable (with a higher rate of heat dispersion), and has superior resistance to water and UV.

In fact, we left one panel of our UHMWPE out overnight in the rain the day before our supplemental testing. (We also baked it at 200 F for two hours the night before!) Incredibly, the distressed panel performed just as well at the shooting range as the others.

The standard ballistic inserts are 300mm (12 in.) wide by 350mm (14 in.) tall, and are positioned flush with the top of the vest panel.

The back insert is sized to receive our ballistic plate, sized at 300mm (12 in.) tall by 250mm (10 in.) wide, and is also positioned flush with the top of the vest.

The CoverMe-Seat includes an insert for a 300 x 250mm hard armor plate. You can use your own, or purchase one from us for less than $100. Our plate is a highly durable UHMWPE/Ceramic Composite, certified to NIJ IV standards, and manufactured according to industry-leading processes.

​

By utilizing the optional plate, you can achieve an additional layer of protection that's capable of stopping even high-powered rifle fire (including AR-15s). This makes the Seat more protective than practically every bulletproof backpack (and most vests) on the market, because it can provide protection against the most powerful weapons that might be used by a shooter.

​

Experts agree that the best course of action in any active shooter event is to flee, so we ask that you utilize the plate in the seat back, since that section converts to the back panel of the vest.

For sure. Check out our product video at the top of this page!

The ballistic material embedded in both panels of every CoverMe-Seat is testet to NIJ IIIA standards. This means it can protect against almost all handgun-calibers, including powerful munition types like the .44 magnum. These types of weapons have been used in more than 75% of school and workplace shootings over the last five years.

When the embedded material is used in conjunction with a back plate, maximum protection is achieved. Our plate is tested to NIJ IV standards. At this level, your back is protected against some of the most powerful rifle-caliber bullets in the world, including and even exceeding guns like the AR-15.

Unlike traditional ceramics, ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethelyne (UHMWPE) plates are rugged, and are meant to absorb multiple ballistic impacts. It is far less brittle than pure ceramic, and doesn't need to be tested regularly for micro-fractures that could compromise the protective ability of the material. Since you'll be using the CoverMe-Seat as a chair most of the time, it's important to use material that can survive an occassional bump.

Steel is another option for durable plates, but because the CoverMe-Seat might be used in crowds, we wanted to minimize the risk of ricochet injurying others. (Even with anti-spalling coating there is a small risk of shrapnel when hit by a high-velocity round).

While UHMWPE composite plates are more expensive than steel and pure ceramics, we source our plates ourselves and can afford to offer them to you directly at a price similar to or even less than the cost of most equivalent steel or ceramic plates.

All materials are sourced directly from Chinese manufacturers, and assembled overseas before being shipped to our domestic distributor. This allows us to offer the CoverMe-Seat at a low price to customers all over the world.

The CoverMe-Seat is able to achieve the highest level of ballistic protection available for a soft-fabric vest, using only suppliers that pass a robust due diligence process, including the following:

- Evidence that manufacturing meets international standards (ISO or equivalent)

- Passing a third-party-administered quality assurance audit

- Review of ballistic certification and successful independent testing

- Government license, if applicable

We leveraged our professional expertise in compliance and product safety to create and implement a manufacturing due diligence program. We only purchase ballistic material from suppliers that have required government certifications, an industry-standard testing program, and a internationally certifed quality control program. Our quality control requirements, which are extended to our chair manufacturer, forces our suppliers to maintain a robust inspection and tracability regime at all stages of manufacturing.

We purposefully selected ballistic materials that do not require periodic testing. The ballistic materials have a shelf-life of at least 5 years.

We will replace any vest that takes a bullet or is otherwise damaged during an attack. Just email us a police report and a picture of the vest, and we'll ship you a new one, without questions and completely free of charge.

Expert guidance tells us that the best response to an active shooter event is to flee, if possible. It was extremely important to us to design a product that encouraged the user to follow this advice, so the highest level of protection can only be added to the back of the chair. Second, a soft chest insert is more flexible and can conform better to your chest, offering more comprehensive protection against small arms fire.