The K3 Keramon Plate Carrier comes from a relatively new player to the combat gear market. The Israel based gear-producing company has been a quickly emerging player on the combat gear market, especially making a mark in Israel. Compared to the standard IDF vests and plate carriers, there is no doubt the K3 is definitely a step in the right direction. This was the first fully modular plate carrier designed and released in Israel. Unfortunately, while it’s a decent first try by Agilite, several shortcomings leave definite room for improvement.

Design:

The K3 inherently, is designed to function with the standard issue IDF ceramic bulletproof plate, the ”Hashmonai”. That in itself, is a big issue for the design, seeing as the bulkiness of the plate does not allow for a sleek plate carrier design, unlike the standard 12*10 plates. The back and front are completely covered in molle, however because of the aforementioned configuration of the plate, lots of molle loops end up being slanted or plain unusable because of their size. The K3 features a laser-cut velcro front panel that can either be used for patches or for additional pouches. Above that, there is a handy zippered pocket, useful for either documents or small items. When inserting plates, this space becomes quite restricted though. The K3 is not compatible with side plates. While wearing the K3, we found putting on the carrier wasn’t an issue but it would near-rip our ears off when taking it off. The design makes it so that the shoulder straps are way too close to one another, making it incredibly painful and difficult to remove the plate carrier over your head. Inserting the plates is quite difficult, and even after you succeed to, they don’t sit deep enough, and the opening won’t close fully. That being said, many of the flaws have to be seen within the context of the carrier accomodating for an already flawed and outdated plate system. The K3 does not feature a quick release system, something seen on a number of top-tier carriers.

Material:

The material used for the K3 seems very sturdy and tough, even after years of abuse. It’s made  with 1000D Cordura and shows since it definitely stands up to a lot of usage and abuse. Color-wise, it is obviously only available in OD-green, seeing as it was produced for IDF use.

Comfort:

While the K3 is quite well designed with regards to air flow and temperature control, it falls short in almost every other category. Despite the manufacturer’s claim of minimalist design, the vest is quite bulky, and feels that way too. When wearing the carrier without plates, the K3 feels hollow and unnatural. As mentioned before, taking off the carrier is quite the ordeal, a painful one at that. That being said, it is much lighter than other carriers within its class.

Storage:

The K3 scores high in this category because unlike many other manufacturers, Agilite ships these with a number of pouches included, which is appreciated. That being said, inserting pouches on the side is definitely not an option, and there is a marked lack of options when it comes to quick-release mag pouches, a novelty not quite well-known in Israel. Instead, they come with standard pouches. Agilite offers a variety of AMAP backpacks and others to attach to the back.

Versatility:

The Plate carrier comes available standard in several optional configurations. With options for commanders and light machine gunners, this offers a nice basic setup. Unfortunately, for people looking to play around with configurations, the K3 is not quite forgiving.

Price:

The price for this carrier sits pretty high at 1375₪, which translates to around 390$. Not cheap for a carrier that couldn’t be classified as absolutely Top-Tier. Yet, Agilite are one of only two companies fulfilling the need for ”Hashmonai” plate accessibility, and being a small company, the price is understandable, yet lacks affordability.

In conclusion, while being a leap forward in the Israeli plate carrier market, the inherent design flaws and lack of functionality, leaves a lot to be desired. Yet, having worn these for 3 years, they definitely last, and fulfill a critical need in the IDF. Additionally, it must be noted that Agilite changed the design, leading to new products not being compatible with slightly older K3 versions, an issue the company has failed to address, or take responsibility for.