How heavy was a suit of armour?

Less than you might think.

In order to answer and explore this question, it’s necessary to stipulate a general time and place, because otherwise this question becomes far too broad far too quickly. Given that the classic image of the “knight in shining armor” is based off the plate suits worn by the fighting classes in Europe during the late middle ages and early renaissance, this is the area that this post will focus on.

Starting from the bottom and working our way out, we start with the jazzerant.

By the late middle ages, the jazzerant, a padded arming doublet with maille attached to it to protect the vulnerable gaps where plate does not cover, had become the primary undergarment for a soldier in full plate kit. This example (housed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art) weighs 9 lbs/4.08 kg, and is a good example of the jazzerant’s typical weight.

Previous to this, a maille hauberk was often worn beneath the breastplate to protect the gaps.

This example, housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, weighs 20 lbs/9.07 kg. Most hauberks weigh between this and 30 lbs/13.61 kg, illustrating why the weight-saving move to the jazzerant was so universally accepted by the mid 15th century.

Now, if one opts for a brigandine rather than breastplate for any number of reasons (likely financial) you’ll be wearing something in a similar realm to the hauberk, between 20 lbs/9.07 kg and 30 lbs/13.61 kg.

This beautiful example (housed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art) weighs 23 lbs 6.4 ounces/11.06 kg.

Helmets, being some of the most varied pieces of armor, are naturally highly varied in weight. Some styles can be quite heavy, while others are lighter.

The most popular style of helmet at the beginning of the late middle ages was the houndskull bascinet.

This was a heavier form of helmet, weighing in the realm of 20-25 lbs/ 9.07-11.34 kg. This example, from the Royal Armouries, weighs 22 lbs/9.98 kg.

By 1415, the elimination of the maille aventail in favor for a stiffer plate aventail meant the elimination of much of the weight from the bascinet. This Great Bascinet would weigh typically in the realm of 10 lbs.

This example from the Met weighs 10 lbs 12 oz./4.88 kg.

The Sallet, another popular helmet from the 15th and 16th centuries, is highly variable and comparably typically quite light. There are many examples ranging between 8 lbs/3.63 kg to as light as 1 lb/0.45 kg!

This sallet and bevor (housed at the Met) weigh 4 lbs 15.7 oz/2.26 kg.

Armets, another helmet which appeared around 1410 and rose in popularity until the 16th century, are less variable. They tend to weigh between 6 1/2-8 lbs/3-3.5 kg.

This Royal Armouries example weighs 7.77 lbs/3.35 kg.

The Armet’s close relative, the Close Helmet, tends to be more variable, with examples ranging between 5-14 lbs/2.27-6.35 kg.

This Metropolitan Museum of Art Close Helmet in the style of Pompeo della Cesa weighs 13 lbs/5.90 kg.

Now, I could continue to go on about individual pieces of armor and how much they weigh, but in the interest of cutting a long post slightly shorter, I will now reference whole extant suits (as well as one reproduction suit.)

When Ian LaSpina wore the older version of his kit, he stated that it weighed about 60 lbs/27.22 kg in total, and that almost half of that weight was the hauberk he wore beneath.

As plate armor became more complete, the average weight would remain broadly similar, being transitioned into more plates and less maille.

This suit, housed at the Met and possibly having belonged to King Henry VIII, weighs 62 lbs 12 oz/28.45 kg.

This suit of Maximillian armor, also the Met, is slightly lighter, at 57 lbs 10 oz/26.15 kg.

Even suits of this sort of lamed style weigh about the same, with this example being 53 lbs 4 oz/24.20 kg.

As is plain to see, armor almost universally weighs in the realm of 60 lbs/27.22 kg. There are many myths around medieval armor, ranging on both sides of the spectrum from “armor makes you slow and cumbersome” to “you barely feel armor, and it doesn’t affect your movement at all.” Neither of these is entirely true, and even jousting armor, overbuilt for maximum safety, tends not to be much heavier.

This jousting armor, housed at the Met, weighs 44 lbs. 13 oz/22.14 kg, and would not weigh much more with the leg harness and gauntlets attached.

The myth of armor weighing over 100 lbs/45.36 kg overall is often perpetuated falsely in media, and although 60 lbs/27.22 kg may seem like a lot, it is important to remember most adults can lift that weight in their arms. With the weight distributed evenly across the body, its effect on an individual’s ability to move is minimal (but still extant.)

Armor was built to protect to the maximum possible extent while ensuring maximum freedom of movement and allowing the individual within to continue fighting. If armor were significantly heavier than  60 lbs/27.22 kg, the individual’s fighting ability would be compromised, and thus their life would be placed in danger.

-mod Armet

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