Tactical gear warranties.

[Farmboy]

I get asked about warranties quite a bit so I did up a quick overview.

Tactical gear warranties, what makes one better over the other?

There are different warranties out there and for some people it makes a difference.

The two extremes are Lifetime warranty and the other end which is, once you buy it you can’t even return it.

The different warranties include,
Lifetime
Limited lifetime
Set date warranty (Usually 1-5 yrs)
No warranty, but limited return time.
No warranty, no return

The no warranty is easy to spot, usually nothing at all is said or if something is said it usually states “All sales final”

Set date warranties aren’t too bad on tactical gear as a large number of people change their gear within the five years. These companies will usually fix anything within that set period of time.

Limited lifetime are usually worse than the set date warranties. In extreme cases where say a chest rig is partially destroyed in an IED, car accident, fire etc., sometimes the set date warranty will replace it where the limited lifetime won’t, if it’s within the time frame.

The limited lifetime warranties usually only cover workmanship of the product. In most cases they don’t cover normal wear and tear, which all tactical gear is subjected to.

This can cause a problem if the rig starts falling apart a few years down the road. Is it workmanship or normal wear and tear?

Lifetime warranties are the best, no question and you can either pay for it, or pay very little for it.

In the lifetime warranty category one of the best I have seen is Tactical Assault Gear, I might be biased because I sell it, but I haven’t seen many like it. It is so good, I warranty their products as well. This means I will replace your product if it needs to be replaced, then I am credited by TAG. An example of this is a chest rig that endured an IED and survived, it has also seen 3 tours overseas. The owner was told TAG would fix or replace it, and he hasn’t taken us up on the offer yet because it’s still working fine.

In the lifetime warranty category there are two styles, the kind like TAG where they know it will not fall apart or the other style, which is, a company that sells so much gear, at a very low price, but high margins, put a lifetime warranty on their product, not because it won’t fall apart, but because they have sold so many, that the very small percentage that are returned is not a drain on their revenue.

Which is better for you? That is up to you to decide. What you’re doing, budget, commitment and even your need to be satisfied.

If you demand the most from your gear and can not afford to be without it, then the lifetime warranty (paying a little more version) is for you.

If you want your gear replaced if it falls apart but it’s for 3 gun, the range, airsoft etc. Then the lifetime warranty (less expensive version) or set date warranty might be for you.

If you just getting started into something, then any of the other warranty options could work for you.

Paying $40 for a “knock off” vest compared to $200 for the original might work much better for you if you don’t know that you will continue with the sport your doing, or would like to try out some different options.

Again, it comes down to what you want or need.