Product spotlight: This bulletproof hoodie can stop a .44 Magnum

A good bulletproof vest will protect you from harm, but it also sticks out like a sore thumb, thus telling attackers to aim for your head. Fortunately, a company called Wonder Hoodie Inc. offers hidden bulletproof hoodies for women and children at an affordable price.

The company’s hooded jackets and sweatshirts provide NIJ Body Armor Protection Level IIIA. One of their “soft” body armor products can stop .44 Magnum semi-jacketed hollow point bullets and anything weaker than that, including 9mm pistol rounds.

Not only do these hoodies protect their wearer from some of the most common firearms available, but they also look like ordinary clothes. The discreetness of the Wonder Hoodie may make all the difference.

When it’s time to wash and clean the hoodie, the bulletproof section unzips from the outer clothing layer. Wonder Hoodie intends to offer more outer layers for mixing and matching.

In addition to the hoodies, the company also offers stylish “Wonder Denim” jackets. These are also bulletproof.

“Wonder Hoodie has created and designed the world’s first NIJ-IIIA bulletproof hoodie — the only product on the market to seamlessly and discreetly protect your body and head from bullets and knife slashing,” said company founder Vy Tran. “We have patented our bulletproof head technology to protect your head (back, sides, etc.) when you need it.” (Related: Sen. Schumer wants to outlaw bulletproof backpacks that help protect children from violence.)

The Wonder Hoodie provides protection for children at an affordable price

A former health and safety manager for companies in the San Francisco Bay Area, Tran said that her company has set a new standard for bulletproof clothing. While most bulletproof jackets and vests protect only the body of their wearer, the Wonder Hoodie provides considerable protection for the head of the person.

She also added that her company’s hoodies cost 40 to 90 percent less than their hood-less counterparts from established bulletproof clothing companies.

“We don’t just make you slap on a few bulletproof rectangles into square pockets like our other competitors — our interiors wrap around your torso, protecting your sides and even offer 3 inches of overlap in the center of your chest,” she said.

Wonder Hoodie offers its bulletproof clothing for both children and adults. Kid-sized hoodies cost as low as $450, while the ones for adults start at $595.

Furthermore, hoodies bought for children will “grow” with them. When a child grows too big for his or her hooded garment, Wonder Hoodie will send a new one in the right size.

Wonder Hoodie also supports the Safe Schools Program. For every 10 items sold, the company donates a bulletproof hoodie or jacket to a student or teacher in the program.

One of these bulletproof hoodies may save your life in the future

Tran said that she came up with the idea to found Wonder Hoodie after her neighbor got killed by teenage robbers in front of her home. When the woman refused to hand over her purse, the culprits shot her several times.

The woman’s son witnessed the shooting from the window of their home. He called the police, but they couldn’t save his mother’s life.

After the incident, Tran feared that her mother and young brother might meet the same fate one day when they walk home in the same neighborhood. She began searching online stores for bulletproof clothing for children and women.

To her dismay, she only found bulletproof clothing and gear designed for adult men. Even worse, the available selection cost thousands of dollars.

The lack of affordable and appropriately sized bulletproof clothing for children and women drove Tran to found Wonder Hoodie. Her goal is to make protective clothing available for everyone who needs them.

Sources include:

PersonalDefenseWorld.com

Gizmodo.com