For Rob Hausman, a 20-year disabled US Navy veteran turned CEO of Legacy Safety and Security, witnessing firsthand how military personnel and civilians alike leave their heavy armor plates and wear empty vests in order to move more freely during life-threatening situations was enough for him to see what was severely lacking in the industry -- LIGHTWEIGHT, ERGONOMIC, AFFORDABLE BODY ARMOR.
Today, Bulletproof Zone talks to the mastermind behind Legacy Safety and Security, one of the up-and-coming body armor brands.
Get to know more about how Rob's experience inspired him to start his own company, his favorite product, and what's next in store as they gear up to leave a legacy in the world of body armor.
Q: Tell us a little bit about how you started Legacy Safety and Security. What was the inspiration and the goal behind the brand?
Rob: During my time with the U.S Navy, I have done yearly tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
During those dangerous tours, there were often times military troops and civilian personnel who were "REQUIRED" to wear body armor. It was during these times that I witnessed people sacrificing their protection in exchange of mobility because the armor plates were simply too heavy.
We started Legacy in 2016 with one goal in mind and that goal was to provide the highest performing, lightest armor possible so that those who actually needed it and were required to wear one would do so comfortably while maxing out their performance.
Q: You have a huge variety of products available right now - from ballistic helmets, armor plates, bulletproof vests, riot shields - how do you choose which products to offer next?
Rob: We are constantly working and testing new materials and lowering the weight of our armor.
We have recently reduced our Legacy Level IIIA Dual Threat Armor from 1.25lbs to a low .75 lbs. this past year (10x12 panel).
We are constantly sending our products to various NIJ accredited labs for testing to ensure our products are up to the NIJ performance requirements.
Q: What is your favorite body armor and why?
Rob: My favorite body armor is our Legacy Level IIIA Armored Shirts. We were the first company to create the Original Compression armored shirt.
We noticed that many other companies have followed our lead and have created their own version of this product and for us that's a huge compliment to know other companies have adapted what we first started many years ago.
This shirt is one of the most concealed options on the market and it really gives the operator the ability to wear any attire they want over top of the shirt.
Q: With the hundreds of body armor manufacturers in the US alone, what do you think sets Legacy apart from other brands?
Rob: We pride ourselves in only offering our customers just one option at each level.
This option is hand-picked by us to be the best and our selections are the lowest weighted items that are multi-hit at each and every level.
The folks at Legacy do not offer any one-hit plates and we do not offer heavy steel plates as our focus is only on providing you the lightest multi-hit plates possible at each level of protection.
Q: What’s next for Legacy Safety and Security?
Rob: We are hard at work on launching our Level III Helmet line as we feel it's about time the head is protected vs. Rifle threats. This has been a long time coming and we have already sent off our first batch of helmets to an NIJ lab for testing.
We also just released some new Vest options including our IIIA EMS Vest, IIIA Security Vest, and our IIIA Hunter's Vest which should be a big hit this hunting season.
BULLETPROOF ZONE'S TOP PICKS
Legacy Safety and Security's lightweight body armor has always been a hit with customers and is consistently one of Bulletproof Zone's best-selling vendors. Check out our favorite Legacy products below!
LEGACY MICH LEVEL IIIA BALLISTIC HELMET
This lightweight, multi-layer combat helmet is perfect for professionals in critical law enforcement and military jobs who may find themselves in close proximity to gunfire threats on a daily basis.
It can defeat a .357 sig full metal jacket flat nose rounds (FMJ FN) and .44 Magnum semi-jacketed hollow point (SJHP) rounds at velocities traveling up to 1450 ft/s.
Weighing only 3lbs., this level IIIA ballistic helmet is designed to meet the modern realities for militaries on the battlefield.
With an emphasis on weight-saving and performance characteristics, the Legacy MICH helmet delivers all counts with superb design and functionality.
LEGACY LEVEL IIIA TACTICAL VEST
Legacy's Tactical Vests with IIIA Soft Armor panels provide effective and comfortable ballistic protection for officers working in a variety of special capacities and in uniformed patrol environments.
This system is lighter, more breathable, form-fitting, and can provide front, back, and side coverage.
LEGACY LIGHTWEIGHT MULTI-HIT LEVEL IV BODY ARMOR PLATE
Lightweight true multi-hit Level IV plate that far exceeds the NIJ Requirement of only stopping 1 round of an armor-piercing round.
This Level IV body armor plate from Legacy is not only one of the lightest plates on the market for this level (only 5.8 lbs.!), but it is also the BEST as it stops 6 shots of that .30.06AP round.
WATCH: Test video of the Legacy Level 4 5lbs. body armor plate
Final note: In life-threatening situations, make sure your body armor covers not only your protection but also your survival ability.
The rapid increase of crime rates and mass shootings has made this an important topic for many people and with the constant improvements to safety and comfort from brands like Legacy Safety & Security, it is now made affordable and more accessible than ever before.
To find more information about their products, check out Legacy's collection page!