A
ballistic vest or
bullet-resistant vest, often called a
bulletproof vest, is an item of
personal armor that helps absorb the impact and reduce or stop penetration to the body from
firearm-fired
projectiles and
shrapnel from explosions, and is worn on the
torso. Soft vests are made of many layers of woven or laminated fibers and can protect the wearer from small-caliber
handgun and
shotgun projectiles, and small fragments from explosives such as
hand grenades.