Do I have any ? Ain't sayin'.
I'm certain more knowledgeable folks will provide good info for you but you need to understand the differenced in types of armor.
Best for me to point you to
Bulletproofme.com and their FAQ page.
You can purchase armor on the interwebz.
Check the laws where you live first.
You must also understand plates go over soft armor to mitigate spalling (when boolets fragment on ur plates) and soft armor is merely boolet resistant, not boolet proof ; as in it will stop most handgun rounds but not most rifle rounds.
That's what plates are for.
Edit to add: None of this addresses the effect of something called...
IMPACT TRAUMA. which is what happens when your armor catches a boolet. But that's a whole 'nother discussion.
If
you feel
you might be caught up in say, civil unrest, a terrorist event or a revolution (
not advocating anything here) or just have the bad luck to live in a high crime area then
YOU NEED armor.
What other folks say about the
NEED vs
WANT of armor should not influence
YOUR decision.
Best wishes and good luck.