Kinetic armour was created to protect the wearer from non-projectile weapons such as the force pike, knife and vibroblade. The design is simple: rubber moulded into a compact honeycomb pattern, overlaid with a thin layer of durasteel alloy, and encased in a durable fabric vest. The rubber dissipates kinetic energy from impact while the durasteel protects against penetration from bladed weapons. The entire vest is thin enough to be concealed under clothing.

The armour provides very limited protection against projectile weapons and is ineffective against energy based weapons such as blasters. However, it is still useful for many activities and is commonly employed by martial artists, swoop racers and some backwater law enforcement services; for this reason it remains widely distributed and available on many worlds.