Tested by a police officer from Massachusetts

Assembly – The instructions are clear and easy to follow. You will definitely need a pair of pliers to assemble the vest rest. The connectors used to hold the two halves together are tight and take some force to snap into place.

I used the Vest Rest for about a week with my patrol vest. I found the Vest Rest to be extremely helpful in drying the interior of my vest for the next day. However, I do not have a large locker and the Vest Rest took up most of my hanging space in my locker.

I am very particular about how my vest fits and once I have my patrol vest properly sized I prefer to only undo one side of vest at the end of the day. I weigh 165lbs and have a medium-size vest. My vest does not fit right on the large Vest Rest unless I undo both sides of the vest. This made putting my vest on every day a chore.

So, with limited locker room, I moved the Vest Rest into our SWAT room where we have ample space. I have been using the Vest Rest on my tactical vest for the past few weeks. The Vest Rest has held up to the heavy tactical vest (full gear and trauma plates). It helps maintain the shape of my tactical vest and this is an added benefit since, in the past, I would just throw it on a shelf. We had SWAT training last week in the rain and then an operational call-out two days later. Thankfully, my vest was the only completely dry vest.

Overall it is a good product if you have the room.

Tested by a police officer from Kentucky

The Vest Rest is a wire-basket-type box that you put your ballistic vest around to assist the vest with drying. I have to admit that I was somewhat skeptical from the beginning. Like most everyone else in law enforcement, I hang my vest over the back of a chair or just put it up and never worry about allowing it to air-dry.

The Vest rest is a good concept, but I really didn’t like the overall bulky design. The Vest Rest was difficult to snap together and I found that it was really bulky. The manufacturer states that the Vest Rest is more than capable of holding a vest that weighs less than 50 lbs. My team deploys with a vest weighing close to that, and the Vest Rest handled the weight with no problem.

The design of the Vest Rest allows you to drape your vest over a wire-basket- type structure, thus allowing air to circulate in and around the vest. Again, it’s a good concept, but I have always flipped my vest inside-out and hung it on our team wall with heavy duty hangars.

I’m not a patrol officer, so I admit that this device will probably do the trick for you, if your significant other allows you to hang your sweaty vest in the closet with the rest of the clothes. I’m not that lucky, plus our SWAT gear never makes it inside to mingle with the rest of my clothes.

If you find that reversing your vest and hanging it over a chair or from a heavy duty hook does not allow your vest to smell as fresh as it could, you might want to consider purchasing the Vest Rest.

Tested by a police officer from Pennsylvania

I had the opportunity to test the VEST REST a ballistic vest storage system. This system is designed as a storage system for your vest that will help maintain its ballistic protection and shape integrity. It is made with 1/8 rolled steel and coated to help prevent rust and corrosion. Once your vest is placed on the rest, (as if you were wearing it) the separation between the panels allows it to breathe and dry out while maintaining its shape.

The rest was very easy to assemble – the two halves of the rolled steel cages are snapped together with six connectors and the hook snaps in to place. When assembled the rest is approximately 18 inches in length and 23 inches in height including the 6-inch hanger. It is 7 inches deep. It is this space that allows for the air to flow between the panels drying the vest. The rest is very sturdy and designed to hold up to fifty pounds. The rest is backed by a 10 year limited warranty should the rest fail.

I found the Vest Rest to be very well made and excellent product. I am a twenty-three year law enforcement veteran with twenty years of SWAT experience. I have been fighting and losing the battle on how to keep my vests dry and smelling reasonable well without taking up much of the space in my bedroom at home or the locker room at work. One of the main problems I have faced is trying to dry my level IIIA duty vest between shifts, usually hanging it on a wire hanger, without the elastic in the straps stretching out. In my department the patrol guys work twelve-hour shifts and there are many days when you put your vest on before the shift it is still wet from the previous day. I have tried draping the vest over the back of a chair this helps the vest keep its shape; however it keeps the vest from drying as its panels are unable to breathe. The Vest rest solved this problem and helped to keep my wife happy because my stinky vest is no longer hanging on the back of her bedroom chair.

This is especially true with my Tac vest. The added weight and bulk of the Tac vest even without the inserts would bend the wire hangers and take several days to dry. The Vest Rest eliminates this problem; it easily holds the Tac vest in place allowing the air to flow between the panels drying it over night. I tested the rest by fully loading my Tac vest with as much gear as I could possible load into it, including the inserts and strapping it on the rest and letting it hang for four days. At the end of the four days the rest was still hanging and it held its shape with no evidence of any problems.

In my department storage space is very limited. The Tac guys are given one small area of our armory to store their gear. Several of the operators have had to store their vests lying flat on a shelf with their go bags on top, after removing most of the gear from the pockets to prevent it from being crushed. This works fine except after a twelve-hour training day or a callout especially in the summer months, then having to take the time to re-position the gear in the correct pockets. The Vest Rest solved this problem by just hooking the hanger over the underside of the shelf I was able to hang my vest out of the way allowing it to dry and not taking up valuable storage space. I was able to keep the vest loaded with gear. I also put my vest on the rest and tossed it into the back of the patrol car and the Vest Rest system kept the vest and its gear in place during travel.

At first glance the Vest Rest system seems to be a little pricey at just under fifty bucks plus shipping costs. However after using the system it is well worth the price. I am sure it more than makes up for its cost by extending the life of your vest and maybe even help saving your life. Because I believe that most Cops are more likely to wear their vest if it maintains its shape and it is dry when they put it on before their shift; in addition it doesn’t smell. Although the system seems very simple and it is, I am surprised that no one came up with it earlier. I would highly recommend the Vest Rest ballistic vest storage system.

My name is Craig Black and I serve as the Assistant Chief for the West Valley City Police Department in Utah. After many years in law enforcement, I have seen many new ideas in regards to Police equipment, some good and some bad. However, upon learning about the VEST REST and the concept behind it, the idea only made sense. The West Valley City Police Department currently employs approximately 190 Police Officers. We are a full service department with many different specialties and a wide array of cultural and economic demographics, with its share of violent crime. The use of the ballistic vest is imminent with our Officers and within our functions as a department. As an administrator, I often consider the safety of our officers and the state of the equipment used. Though there are many tools used to ensure Officer Safety, the bullet proof vest is among the most important. I was pleased to learn of the VEST REST and the protection is provides for the ballistic vests. After testing and using the VEST REST, our administration decided that the VEST REST was an incredible, inexpensive way to ensure that our vests maintain the desired quality and protection intended. We were pleased to issue the VEST REST to every Officer within the department and have heard many good reports as to the quality of protection it provides for the vests. The quality, durability and low cost of the VEST REST is a great way to reduce replacement costs and maintain the safety of our Officers. Thank you VEST REST.

Sincerely,

Craig Black
Assistant Chief
West Valley City Police Department

Our founder, Mikal Wersland, was interviewed on a video podcast called You Know What They Say. The interview turned out great! It’s exciting to see so much happening with our wonderful ballistic vest hanger.

See the interview at TheyResearch.com

We just finished filming our first promotional spot for the Vest Rest. Our founder, Mikal Wersland, handled the interviews and explanation very well and we are excited to see the finished product in the coming week.

The Vest Rest ballistic/flak vest hanger and storage system is the best thing in the current market for keeping your vests dry, clean, mildew free, and ultimately ready to protect your life.

The trial period is over! The Vest Rest has been certified a success! After testing our product for years, our first large order has been sold and our inventory is getting replenished. That means thousands of peace officers are using the Vest Rest to keep their ballistic vests in peak condition.

Consequently, our initial offer price has changed to $49.99.

The reviews are pouring in and we will have them here…so keep watching. The Vest Rest ballistic vest storage system is growing in popularity, and we’re growing, too.

My name is Eric Collins and I am currently a Captain with the Logan City Police Department Administration Division. One of my many assignments includes management of the nearly six million dollar budget for our department. As an administrator, safety of our officers is about the only thing that keeps me up at night. Like all public safety departments we spend a great deal of the limited operating funds on safety equipment including bullet proof vests. After review of the data with regard to the “Vest Rest” maximizing the life of our the vests, it became a no-brainer that we should purchase these for every officer, protecting the substantial investment we make in the purchasing of bullet proof vests. The quality of the construction is superb and they will no doubt last longer the an officer’s career.

- Eric Collins, Captain, Logan City Police Department

Dear Vest Rest,

I am currently serving with the US Special Forces. I have just recently purchased your Vest Rest Ballistic Vest Storage system. I have been on many military deployments and have already done a tour in Iraq. Everyone I know over there is trying to figure out some way to hang, store and dry their body armor in the hot desert. I am being deployed to Iraq once again this month and I can’t wait to show the VEST REST to all my buddies, serving over there. I can’t believe how easy it is to assemble and use. This thing is just plain TUFF!!! check out the pic…. That’s me standing on it.

Sincerely

R. A.

US Special Forces

Our first run of Vest Rests has been completed and we are excited to announce that the Vest Rest is now available for purchase!