5.11 Tactical TacTec Plate Carrier – Our Review

The 5.11 Tactical TacTec Plate Carrier is one of the most famous weighted vests in the fitness world.

To be fair, I’m not exactly sure what constitutes, or even how to measure, “weighted vest fame”, but it’s the thing that immediately comes to mind when you think of a weight vest (unless you’re into one of those weird, Olympic weight plate loaded things…).

If you’ve been paying attention to the most popular functional fitness methodology in the world for ~10 years or so, you’ve probably seen multiple high-level athletes rocking this vest during brutal workouts…

However, despite the TacTec Plate Carrier being the vest of choice for the fittest athletes on Earth, more casual athletes, weekend warriors, and even rucking enthusiasts can find a lot of value in this item.

I can remember the first time I tried a weighted vest workout.

It’s certainly grouped in with the more expensive weighted vest options, but for those who prioritize actual functionality and a high level of comfort, it’s worth a hard look. Let me tell you all about my experiences with it:

Sizing (unscored)

I want to provide a few special pictures of this plate carrier to give an idea of sizing. For reference, I’m ~5’8″:

Rucking

I know I just discussed some of the merits the TacTec Plate Carrier has in the realm of CrossFit (and other “dynamic” activity we will discuss shortly), but I’ll be darned if I don’t get things started with the way this vest has pleasantly surprised me.

It is a legit vest for rucking (or for more general weighted vest walking).

Between the overall feel and comfort of the TacTec Plate Carrier, “storage” capacity, and, to a lesser degree, plate load capacity, it is a solid option for those more interested in this type of activity over higher-intensity weighted vest workouts (or…ya know…you can always do both!)

Right off the bat, this vest is way easier on the shoulders than just about any weighted vest (and even a lot of bags) I’ve ever rucked in. I’m not sure if it’s because of slightly heavier padding or thicker straps themselves (that better distribute the weight across the shoulders and traps), but it just feels comfortable.

(I know that strenuous activity isn’t really supposed to be “comfortable”, but it should not be uncomfortable or difficult for the “wrong” reasons i.e. product design).

I was also pleasantly surprised to find decently large internal storage areas that can accommodate a decent-sized stash. A regular-sized water bottle wouldn’t exactly cut it, but a few snacks, phone, keys, skinny wallet (so that if you rucked to a convenience store, you’d be able to purchase the aforementioned water!) all work here.

The ability to take all of this stuff along during rucks may not matter to a lot of enthusiasts, particularly those who generally stick to shorter outings. However, if you prefer to go for legit hours at a time, this is one of the outlier vests that can more effectively operate as a “standalone” option. Plus, if you get thirsty, you can always MOLLE one of these bad boys on.

One of the last surprising (at least to me) and unique capabilities of the TacTec Plate Carrier is that it…well…this is a little awkward…yeah…it actually lives up to its namesake…

Plate Carrier

Not “certain types of ‘plate carrier'”. Not “these types of ‘plate carrier'”.

Just “Plate Carrier”…because it can handle a wider range of plates than most weight vest options.

While I will always contend that 20 pounds is pretty much all most people need for dynamic activity, rucking is a bit different. Now, I don’t think most people should be loading up the equivalent of their bodyweight in added resistance, but most people are going to want to go above and beyond a couple of 10-pound plates during their outings.

The TacTec Plate Carrier accepts larger (Medium-Large) EASPI (armor) plates and others that are of a similar size and design (ex. the PT-R Flex Weight Plates). It also accepts more generic, “standard”-sized plates like the Rogue Echo Weight Vest Plates (which top out at 20 pounds) and even (“standard”) GORUCK Ruck Plates (which go up to 30 pounds).

I know that 60 pounds of added weight doesn’t put it up there with the heaviest hitters, but this is a pretty decent load for most ruckers…especially if you’re putting in some miles or traversing hills or other uneven terrain.

Overall, I’ve been very pleasantly surprised with the 5.11 Tactical TacTec Plate Carrier’s rucking capabilities as I always associated it with more with “hardcore tactical training” than…walking. However, it’s easily one of the best rucking vest options I’ve ever come across.

Rucking: 90

“Dynamic” Rucking

A lot of what I write here is (obviously) pretty subjective and based off of my personal experiences, but man…this vest has been excellent for my “weighted bodyweight” workouts as well as for individual vested movements.

It’s probably more exciting to talk about that latter point first (since, reading it back now, the way I wrote it is kinda awkward).

In a world where “functional fitness standards” keep rising higher and higher, I have found that more and more difficult movements have been programmed into my training workouts. Unfortunately, I’m not the best at higher-level gymnastics movements on my best days and if you throw in a vest, I’m usually really in trouble…until now…

The freedom of movement and range of motion the TacTec Plate Carrier affords me has helped me to get my first weighted/vested ring muscle-up (pretty easily at that). The way other vests sit always feel like they’re compromising my overhead reach or ability to quickly turn over. In this one, the only added challenge is from the added weight.

I get that most people aren’t interested in doing these (but now you know they’re possible in this vest!) so let’s take a look at what I did just before I worked on vested muscle-ups that day…”Half Murph”. I’ve decided that this workout (1/2-mile run, 50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 150 squats, 1/2-mile run) is going to be a new barometer for how well weighted vests treat me.

(you’re welcome!)

The TacTec Plate Carrier isn’t the most adjustable weighted vest out there, but it is easy enough to tighten to a level that works for me during the running portions and to loosen (just a little) for the calisthenics portions. As mentioned above, it is easier/less restrictive for me to overhead reach in this vest, making the pull-ups easier to navigate.

Another very underrated (but very important) quality of this vest is how it opens up lower-body movements. Despite it hanging as low as most other vests, for some reason it doesn’t really get in the way during air squats and does not require as wide of a stance to be taken during these (if you watch people squatting in most other vests, they gotta get pretty wide to accommodate).

You’re probably starting to notice a trend here…or at least a common theme: freedom of movement. This is a quality with weight vests that you don’t really notice until you have one that doesn’t restrict movement.

Ultimately, having used the TacTec Plate Carrier quite a bit for metcons and workouts with varying degrees of high and low-level movements, it is very obvious to me as to why this has been the vest for high-level CrossFit competitions for over a decade now.

Only downside is, now it’s gonna be hard to want to do these types of workouts in any other vest…

Dynamic Rucking: 100

Load Capacity

The TacTec Plate Carrier is somewhat unique among 5.11 Tactical vests in that it has a bit better compatibility with non-5.11 Tactical and non-EASPI-shaped plates than most other vests.

A lot of these types of brands (you know the ones) seem to have a little bit of a disconnect between fantasy and reality when it comes to the word “tactical”. As if wearing a weighted vest with 200 pounds of weight loaded into it is “tactical” in any sense (well, unless I guess your squad’s “tactical” objectives involve your death).

Anyways, the TacTec Plate Carrier does a better job of living up to its company’s namesake in “limiting” its load capacity to ~60 pounds (which includes its own weight when fully loaded up). Due to the somewhat unique shape of its plate pockets, it is able to accommodate the heavier GORUCK Ruck Plates (up to 30 pounds on each side) and legit SAPI (body armor) plates (these generally weigh up to ~7.5 pounds, although some larger ones are closer to 9).

For those who are looking to really load up…well…you’re probably not in the market for anything with “tactical” in the name (and if you’re still able to move and operate in this manner with that much weight hanging off of you, you’ve probably been genetically engineered and are being equipped with the best, non-commercial gear possible). As such, this won’t be able to accommodate your “needs”.

I’ll always contend that 60 pounds is more than heavy enough for most people (heck, Murph with 20 pounds is devastating), even if it doesn’t rank this vest up their with the real big boys.

Load Capacity: 90

Materials and Construction

The 5.11 Tactical TacTec Plate Carrier is mainly comprised of 500D nylon.

For those who aren’t as familiar with the intricacies of weight vest and/or tactical gear construction, 500D ballistic nylon is one of the “Big 3” material types that are the most commonly found in this type of gear (1000D Cordura and 600D polyester are the other two).

To understand why 500D ballistic nylon is used in this vest is to better understand the whole point of “tactical gear” in the first place. According to legend, the DuPont company originally “started making Flak Jackets for the Second World War airmen. The name ‘Ballistic’ was used because this nylon fabric can protect its wearers from flying debris and fragmentation caused by bullet and artillery-shell impacts.”

When you consider that just below this sentence, its confirmed that the TacTec Plate Carrier can accommodate ESAPI ballistic plates (aka armor), everything about the vest’s design should start to make at least a little bit more sense…

You got body armor that you can do CrossFit in.

Comfortable body armor at that as the vest in its entirety (and in shoulders, specifically) is the most comfortable one I’ve ever put on. Part of this comes from its combined durability and abrasion resistance that is complemented by superior softness. What this translates to is less chance of tearing or scuffing even after the classic “post-workout plop”

(Although this vest is comfortable enough that I don’t really feel the burning need to get this off me like I do with other vests).

One last thing to note is that although the TacTec Plate Carrier doesn’t have as many MOLLE attachment panels as some others, it still has more than enough for significant customization. This isn’t really my thing (as you can tell from…like…all of my vest and ruck photos), but if it is for you…you got options!

Materials and Construction: 100

Price

In our experience, we have observed an odd relationship between the price of a weight vest and its “perceived level of ridiculousness”.

While this isn’t always the case by any means and there certainly isn’t a direct correlation between these qualities (ex. some of the worst weight vests we’ve seen have been really cheap), it has started to become one of those “impossible to ignore” oddities.

Take this vest for example…it’ll run you a bit over $200…

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I’m here to tell you that the 5.11 Tactical TacTec Plate Carrier unfortunately breaks this mold…i.e. it is a really good weight vest that also happens to be pretty expensive.

(Correlation doesn’t equal causation or something…)

At $220, it’s by no means an inexpensive weight vest and I’d argue that it is one of the most, if not the most expensive weight vest or plate carrier that I would actually want to use (in case you couldn’t figure it out, I have no interest in using the kinds of vests I linked above). It has the utility and build quality to justify a higher-than-average price point, but be aware of just how expensive it actually is.

To be fair, this is the only real “below average” category for the TacTec Plate Carrier, but price is, understandably, one of the most important categories for most buyers.

Price: 70

Customer Reviews

One of the things about the TacTec Plate Carrier that I really appreciated about it before I got my hands on it were the sheer number of customer reviews out there related to it. What’s more is that these reviews come from a variety of sources and places.

The 5.11 Tactical main page, Rogue, Amazon, just to name a few.

With such a large sample size to draw from, combined with easily found reviews in places that the company does not control, I felt (and I would think that others would feel) pretty confident in the plate carrier’s high collective review score:

Looking at the reviews on Rogue, specifically, out of the 452 (when you add in the Rogue Europe reviews) current reviews, only 20 are 3-stars or lower. Of these, the most common complaints seem to be about quality and…to my utmost surprise…about complexity of use.

This is extremely interesting to me as, in my experience, this vest is much easier to coordinate, adjust, etc. than other vests (I like the GORUCK Weight Vest 3.0, but getting plates in and adjusting it is really difficult for me).

With that in mind, assuming you can figure out how to load and adjust your vest (which shouldn’t take more than a few tries), you’ll likely find yourself in the ~600+ users who give this one a perfect review score.

Customer Reviews: 96

Customer Service

Not too much to say here which, in my experience at least, generally tends to be a good thing.

Straight up, 5.11 Tactical is an easy company to deal with:

• They ship quickly and without issue
• They respond to emails in a generally fast manner
• They provide requested information in a sufficient, albeit not always extensive manner

As much as I’ve been accused of preferring 1,000 words over a picture (if you’ve made it this far, this probably isn’t all that difficult to believe), I don’t expect 5.11 Tactical customer service reps to provide me with a tome for every piece of equipment I have a basic question about.

To add to this, the company has a decent, although by no means spectacular, warranty the applies to the vast majority of its products. This warranty generally lasts for a year after purchase although “Damage resulting from extended wear and tear” isn’t covered…so…maybe give your vest a break every now and then in order to not void the warranty!

Customer Service: 95

Who is the 5.11 Tactical TacTec Plate Carrier really for?

The simple answer here is…everybody…however, there are likely people who will be able to appreciate this plate carrier more than others. Whether this is due to their specific training or comfort preferences, let’s look at who is the most likely to appreciate it:

For those who want to get the most out of weighted vest workouts

I could never really understand why the CrossFit Games organizers (as well as those responsible for planning out many other high-level CrossFit competitions) always seemed to outfit athletes with the TacTec Plate Carrier. There are a lot of vests out there, why always…this one…?

…because it’s a really good vest for CrossFit workouts and any other workout calling for dynamic movement in a weighted vest!

I can’t emphasize enough how little this vest restricts movement and better facilitates both “basic” bodyweight movements as well as higher-level activity.

Tldr: this is almost certainly going to be my Murph vest next year!

For those who want a very comfortable vest

Although the TacTec Plate Carrier is the best weighted vest for CrossFit, its “comfort-promoting” qualities make it a particularly attractive option for those who prefer to do their rucking in a vest.

Personally, my shoulders experience the most significant levels of soreness when I ruck (relative to other places) which is why I prioritize bags with overly padded shoulder straps. The TacTec Plate Carrier’s straps do have more robust padding than many other options, but these straps are also just softer on the shoulders (amongst other areas).

You pay for this comfort (as we’ll discuss in a moment), but it’s a very small price to pay for how much better you’ll likely feel over time.

Not for those who want an inexpensive vest

As we mentioned above, you can certainly find more expensive weight vests and/or plate carriers than the TacTec Plate Carrier, but the vast majority of these are going to be of the overly niche and, frankly, impractical (for most people!) variety.

Granted, none of the 5.11 weight vest options are “bad” options and both happen to be really legit vests. Just bear in mind that the one we’re discussing today is definitely not the cheapest option.

How we reviewed the TacTec Plate Carrier

I’ve actually been on somewhat of a weight vest “spree” over the last ~1.5 months, using a number of different vests in a number of different workouts/to perform a number of different exercises. Of course, I like to give them all a fair shake and put them all through different testing protocol…but this is the one I found myself gravitating to the most.

As I previously mentioned, I put the TacTec Plate Carrier through a “half Murph” and a series of higher-level gymnastics movements, but also spent a significant amount of time doing more “casual” rucking and other lower-intensity activity…truly the full gamut of weighted vest training modalities.

5.11 TacTec Plate Carrier Alternatives

It’s tough to go against the best weight vest for CrossFit (and related “functional fitness” activity), but if you are interested in the best alternative options, here are some pretty legit vests to choose from:

Frequently Asked Questions

The TacTec Plate Carrier is a pretty popular training vest. However, it’s plausible to assume that you might have some lingering questions about it. We’re going to cover the most common stragglers here:

The 5.11 Tactical TacTec Plate Carrier…the best weighted vest for CrossFit

It seems a bit too obvious, or maybe too easy, to declare a vest that just so happens to have gotten a lot of attention over the last ~10 years in major CrossFit events to be the best vest for this type of activity…

…yeah…I definitely thought so until I got my hands on one and started putting it to work. What’s more, I could pretty much tell from the very first time of using it how good it actually is.

At $220, the price is understandably a sticking point; it can be hard to justify spending this amount of money to what, for most people, amounts to an accessory piece. However, I have found that I have fallen into whatever the opposite of a “vicious cycle” is as a result of having the TacTec Plate Carrier.

I have a more expensive, but objectively better vest and now I want to use it for more activities.

(“Price-to-garage gym workout” ratio hasn’t ever been a metric for us, but maybe it should be!)

Ultimately, the freedom of movement this plate carrier promotes makes it an exceptional CrossFit vest, although it’s comfort and “longer outing”-enhancing properties also help it to score some major points for the rucking/walking in a weighted vest crowd.

If you’re on the fence with this one, I can assure you that it is truly a “you get what you pay for” item.