CrossFit Zulu Vs CrossFit Five-Pocket Tactical Garment Carrier

With the introduction of the 511 Tactical Plate Carrier, CrossFitters are struggling to keep up with this new model. We wanted to know if the new model would give a competitive edge over other tactical styles that have entered the market. After all, the competition is fierce.

The five-pocket design of the CrossFit tactical garment carrier is a great improvement on its predecessors and what we saw with the older models. Since the five-pocket design means the plate carrier has to be taller, the manufacturers have figured out a way to put the plates on the bottom instead of on top.

You get more room between plates and shoulder straps in a five-pocket plate carrier design versus an upright design. While we did not test this design with the CrossFit garment carrier, we did see the same positive improvements in the Zulu Plate Carrier that CrossFit tested. It's a simple way to have a vertically elevated plate carrier.

CrossFit and the Zulu were neck-and-neck for overall comfort, but the new version has more features and padding. Some of the added features are knurling on the shoulder straps, special reinforcements on the shoulders and the water-resistant padding.

Even though the CrossFit model was the true tactical model of plate carriers, it didn't fare as well as the competition in our initial test. We could not find any plates that worked properly with the plates we could remove from the CrossFit models.

It's a shame because the nylon had just the right amount of weight so it was easy to snap the plates into place, but the water-resistant model did not fit properly when we tried to attach it to the sleeve. If we had the chance to use both products again, we may give the water resistant model asecond try.

Overall, we were quite impressed with the CrossFit and the Zulu Tactical Garment Carrier. They're much more comfortable than the previous models and offer a very competitive price. The stainless steel plate carrier is designed to be comfortable for the user but strong enough to provide the plate carrier with support.

We do not recommend the CrossFit model for the average everyday person. It's a little bit more comfortable, but the plates are much heavier and longer. This model makes sense for an athlete or someone who likes to compete in CrossFit competitions.

For the most part, the heaviest duty steel plates are available in black or white, but the zebra is also available. As a competitive athlete, we could not decide which model to buy, so we ordered both.

There was no need to worry because both the CrossFit and the Zulu plates worked great with our shirts and sweatshirts. The fabric of the pants did not get on the plates, even when we sat on the floor. The padding was adequate, but the padded panels did not offer the support we needed.

The CrossFit Tactical Garment Carrier is extremely light and very comfortable to wear while exercising or training. Both models gave us adequate support, but we were not able to get the level of support we wanted.

Overall, we found this model was very well built and easy to use. It fits just about anyone's budget, but we would recommend this model if you're interested in a light-weight but high quality plate carrier.