Adept Armor Launches Lightweight BulletFoam Torso Pad
The 231-gram panel, the first product built from Adept Armor's BulletFoam material, is rated to stop handgun rounds and fragments.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Consumer Electronics
Adept Armor has launched the BulletFoam Torso Pad, a 231-gram ballistic panel that weighs 0.51 pounds and stops handgun rounds and fragments. The product is the first made from BulletFoam, a material the company filed a patent application for in August 2026.
Why it matters
The panel is designed to make armor weigh about what padding weighs, which the company says could make protective gear easier to wear. Knee, elbow and helmet pads made from BulletFoam are planned to follow.
Testing by Element U.S. Space & Defense on July 8, 2026, recorded a 9mm 124-grain round stopped at 1,330 feet per second and a 17-grain fragment simulator recorded at a V50 of 1,385 feet per second under MIL-STD-662F. The panel's rifle performance and NIJ listing have not been established.
The players
Adept Armor
Adept Armor is the company that developed the BulletFoam material and launched the Torso Pad as its first product.
Element U.S. Space & Defense
Element U.S. Space & Defense is the testing firm that evaluated the Torso Pad's ballistic performance in Belcamp, Maryland.
The details
The Torso Pad measures 10 by 12 inches and half an inch thick, using BulletFoam, which holds aramid and UHMWPE fiber inside a proprietary closed-cell foam structure. The material slows a projectile through the panel's thickness rather than stopping it at a single plane.
Timeline
July 8, 2026: Element U.S. Space & Defense tested the Torso Pad in Belcamp, Maryland.
August 2026: Adept Armor filed a patent application for BulletFoam.
October 2026: Adept Armor announced the Torso Pad from Denison, Texas.
Roadmap
The Torso Pad's fragment performance was measured under MIL-STD-662F, the standard used to report V50 ballistic limits for armor materials. Its weight-to-protection claim positions lightweight composite armor against heavier traditional ballistic padding.
The Torso Pad is designed to be worn as lightweight protection, and the company says knee, elbow and helmet pads will follow. Buyers should note it is not rifle-rated and not NIJ-listed.
The takeaway
Lightweight ballistic materials could change how protective gear is worn, but buyers should confirm a product's rated threat level before relying on it. Check certification details for the specific threats you need covered.
Further reading
Explore more Consumer Electronics coverage to see how new materials and devices reach everyday users.
Source note: This article includes information reported by European Security & Defence.
