Saddle River, NJ – August 18, 2018
With the rise of active shooters go the sale of bulletproof backpacks, but do they offer real protection or just a false sense of security?
The fact is, nearly all of the bulletproof backpacks and inserts sold are NIJ level 3A protection which will work against handguns, but NOT rifles. So if you’re looking to stop an AR-15 firing a 5.56 round, you need a higher level of protection and one company is giving you just that.
Enter the Bodyguard Switchblade, a backpack that converts into a bulletproof vest in about a second. The Switchblade comes with standard level 3A protection but you can upgrade to 3+ protection which will stop rifle rounds without any issue.
Damian Ross developer of the Switchblade is concerned that people are buying unaware, “People need to understand how ballistic protection works because not all protection is created equal. 3A will stop the majority of handguns, but to stop a 5.56 or a 7.62 round fired from a rifle, you need 3+ or greater, and this is what the Switchblade gives you.”
In 2016 Ross partnered with an Israeli Ballistic Protection Manufacturer to develop a line of bulletproof jackets and last year began development and testing on the Bodyguard Switchblade Backpack.
“We wanted something that will give you the protection you want. One day someone shoots up a school with an AR-15 and the next parents are buying 3A inserts that will FAIL when facing that weapon. As a parent of two kids (one in middle school, the other in high school) I wanted something that would actually work so we developed the Switchblade.”
Watch the Switchblade in action below:
“When you buy a 3A backpack or backpack insert you’re saying – I hope I (or my child) only get shot in the back with a handgun.” Ross continues, “If you’re going to accept the possibility that you or your child is going to face an active shooter, then you should get the best protection possible – why bother with anything else?”
