The armor is built with good worksmanship in construction, given at least it is not created entirely by hand, but through automated/machined process. The armor is pretty comfortable, but perhaps not quite the right fit, so it might be wise to go with a size smaller if the margins are small between a fit according to the size chart, and then simply expand the armor from the waist buckling component. The velcrow straps which apply with the magnetic latching can come loose, and be lost. I unfortunately lost mine nearly immediately after unboxing my item, but the folks here at Citizen Armor were graceful enough to offer me replacements as a kindness and a way of extending a branch of peace and protection to me so that I may continue to do great things and protect what is good, as so shall I, so long as I am me.
The vest has plenty of Molle webbings, although the waist webbings can be a bit hard to work with, as the vest does restrict mobility some. The strapping which hold the shoulder pieces together work well and are effective at being adjusted without too much finnicking, although I advise you try to have the vest adjusted before using it, for best result. The waist portion of the vest uses an adjustable velcrow belt-like portion that tucks into the vest, and this is easy enough to get adjusted, but you might be putting on the armor a few times to get the right dimensions squared away. The magnetic clasps can be a bit difficult to get on, at least for my unit, which might have been a small amount oversized, at least right off the bat, but with a small amount of working with it to get it clasped, and some patience, it will work out.
As advertised, this vest comes with the ultra-lightweight and soft armor inserts, which are easy to remove and replace. The armor could have been a bit longer, to cover more of the internal organs when bending over forward, such as the lower portion of the back; You can't have things perfect in this world, and I do feel like this armor offers adequate shielding for general chest and torso protection.
Wearing this armor while also using a backpack may be a small bit challenging, as the packs I use do not seat on it properly, and the shoulder straps can snag on the velcrow clasping when taking a backpack off if you do seat it directly onto the armor's shoulder piece.
This has been my first piece of body armor, and I am happy with the purchase for it's price+value/usefulness, although, I was a bit disappointing to have it not be effective once wet with water, and must be dry before being capable of stopping bullets again, from what I understand, but I have been unable to find the hyperlink to the instructions for assembly, cleaning, storage, and overall care, and cannot be entirely sure of exactly how it functions because of this.
If you were looking for an all-in-one, ready to go piece of kit, I would advise this model, except, go for the Elite IIIA+model so long as you can afford it. Either way, you are getting a good quality American made product for a fair price; Its a pretty great situation. I would recommend getting extra armor plate inserts for any serious protection, as nearly anybody else will tell you.
You also probably want to get one ASAP, since the globo-h*m*s want to take all of this away. And stay armed, because a vest won't help you much if you cant defend yourself beyond that.
Also, I would like to thank the customer service person who offered to replace my missing straps, as though it does still technically work without them, naturally, it is incomplete. Thanks for being generous in spirit; It matters!
