[freedash22]

Upon closer examination of the plates being offered by Israeli Weapons on ebay, I must say that these are the first trauma plates I have seen where it specifically says it should be placed BEHIND the soft ballistic panels (or plates). I think this is okay and reasonable but unusual as I am used to seeing them placed in front of most vest panels.

That said, I think they offer less spall protection than most (non-ballistic) trauma plates but for the price and specific trauma reduction purpose they serve, they are quite a good deal.

If you are interested in trauma reduction using level IIIa soft plates, you can try Rhino armor or ARMA plates on ebay. ARMA (made in Netherlands) is cheaper but appears to be just as good and they come in Kevlar and Dyneema Hybrid variants. Both offer them in various sizes. I should note that ARMA appears to have more stitching (which increases stiffness and trauma reduction) than other soft IIIa inserts I had used.

However, if you want the best trauma reduction from a IIIa trauma pad, try "semi-rigid" plates. Impac ST and HT are good examples. You can also use Canadian-made IIIa semi-rigid inserts sold by apmt1999 on ebay. These are better but may compromise the concealability of your vest as they may print through your clothing. Also, due to the extra lamination process in their manufacturing (which really enhances trauma reduction capabilities), they cost much more than soft IIIa inserts (which traditionally use stitching to reduce trauma).