Frequently Asked Questions

Have a question?

Explore our Frequently Asked Questions or give us a call at 1.844.HARDWIRE

Who uses Hardwire?

Hardwire has provided protective armor to military, law enforcement, and public entities such as school systems, including the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Special Forces, State Department, police departments, and many more.

What level of protection do Hardwire’s safety solutions provide?

Hardwire offers a variety of products which defend against handguns, shotguns, and assault rifles. Hardwire’s school safety solutions are made with a material called Dyneema, which is twice as strong as Kevlar and 15x stronger than steel. Additionally, all Hardwire products exceed the National Institute of Justice Ballistic Standards.

What are the school safety products Hardwire offers?

Hardwire products designed specifically for consumers and schools include bulletproof emergency response shields, clipboards, and backpack inserts.

Click for FAQ's about Emergency Response Shields >

How do Hardwire’s safety solutions fit into current school safety procedures?

Hardwire’s products work with the Homeland Security Active Shooter Preparedness Program recommendations: Run, Hide, Fight. In school lockdown or evacuation situations, Hardwire armor products empower students, faculty, and staff to defend themselves from a threat with added confidence and a greater chance of survival.

Will the force of the bullet's impact with the shield knock me over?

No! That's a question we get quite a bit. The amount of force that you feel when the shield is impacted all comes down to conservation of momentum. Assuming the gun and shield weigh about the same, the force that you feel in accelerating the bullet (shooting the gun) is equal to the force you feel in decelerating it (holding the shield). So especially with 2 hands on the shield, you will be able to hold it just fine.

What is the difference between Level 3A and Level 3?

The levels reference the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), which is the Government organization that writes ballistic protection standards. Hardwire designs and tests its products to work in compliance with these standards. Level 3A vs. Level 3 denotes what type of bullets the armor is designed to stop. In a simplified summary, Level 3A armor stops most gunfire from handguns and shotguns. NIJ Level 3 armor stops most non-armor piercing gunfire from assault rifles. To learn more about armor grades, see the linked article. The test standards for the levels include:

 Protection Level NIJ Test Round

Level 3A

9mm FMJ, .44 magnum, .357 sig
Level 3

7.62x51 mm (M80)

 What is the size of the shield? Is 18” x 20” large enough?

Hardwire’s shields have been specifically sized to optimize protection, weight, and cost. The shields are 3 times the size of a piece of police body armor. It is large enough to provide coverage for your vital regions. It’s also important though that the shields are light enough to carry and use for the everyday person. The size has been chosen so that the shield is also very lightweight. Lastly, Hardwire’s shields are made of high performance ballistic material, so we have sized the shields to also be affordable.

Note that Hardwire’s inserts and clipboards are also about the size of a piece of police body armor. So again, they’ll give you coverage of the vital torso area.

What is Hardwire's protocol on returns and exchanges?

Hardwire does accept returns and exchanges on some items. Read Hardwire's Return & Exchange Policy to learn more about our protocols.