Agilite K-Zero: The Perfect Low-Profile Plate Carrier?

Plate carriers aren’t for everyone, but if you need one nothing else will do. While there are loads of options on the market for a huge range of prices and needs, Agilite K-Zero is targeted as a great middle-ground that can serve almost any user.

Comfort, design, and utility meet — but how does it actually perform? After a few months of use, here we are.

SPECS

• 500D CORDURA ® Mil Spec Tactical Nylon
• Proprietary Mil-Spec hardware
• Laser-cut Squadron™ laminate
• Laser-cut Velcro ® MOLLE overlay panels
• Integral closed-cell comfort foam
• Weight: 1.74Lbs (0.79kg)
• Placard-compatible
• Proprietary “V” design spreads weight over maximum surface from shoulders to center mass area to avoid pressure points.
• One-size fits all low profile cummerbund included
• Cummerbund allows you to switch between either velcro flaps or quick release buckles (quick release buckles not included).
• Rear loop back flap is compatible with the Agilite Warfighter Cummerbund or any other hook and loop based cummerbund.
• Built-in cable management elements in shoulders and front and rear plate bag.
• Free cable management kit included.
• Agilite AMAP III Assault Pack Compatible.

ON THE RANGE

Over the last few months, my K-Zero has been put through a fair amount of abuse. At least a dozen training days on the range, a night shooting class, and a half-dozen 2-Gun matches, all culminating in InRangeTV’s Woodland and Midnight Brutality. 

The least amount of time I wore the Aglite K-Zero was a couple of hours, with the max being for almost 14 hours straight during Brutality. In all, off my napkin math, I have about 65 hours total of wearing the K-Zero fully loaded with mags and plates. 

In the dirt, covered in mud, melting in the Arizona desert with triple-digit temps, and getting rained on in the wilds of West Virginia. 

Overall — I like this plate carrier. 

Agilite claims that this is the most comfortable low-profile carrier on the market, and while that might sound like marketing fluff, I can’t say I disagree with it. With all things in life, balance is key. Personally, I tend to like bulky carriers because they are often more comfortable especially when loaded with gear.

Ultra low-profile carriers like the Ferro Concepts Slickster aren’t my jam. The K-Zero strikes a great balance between being low-profile, but having exactly enough padding and having it in the right places to make wearing it for extended periods not suck.

The padding is also very well made for breathability. Most of my time is spent in the desert of Arizona while I regularly shoot 2-gun matches in 100+ degree heat. The K-Zero doesn’t overheat and you can feel every breeze that floats by as it passes through and between the carrier pads.

Aglilte makes a bold claim that there are no hot spots with the K-Zero, and it’s actually true. Never once has the straps worn down on me or some random spot under the plates rubbed weirdly.

A big part of this is the V-style straps that attach to the carrier for a more natural positioning on your body. Combined with easy-to-adjust straps, getting the perfect fit is a lot easier than many other carriers.

Durability

Prone in the dirt, sliding hard into shooting positions, and just getting thrown around in the car, some plate carriers don’t live as long as they should. So far, the Aglite K-Zero hasn’t had a problem with anything I’ve done to it.

Nothing has broken, nothing has come apart, nothing has worn down.

There is very slight fraying on some of the stitches of the magazine placard, but it’s minor and pretty understandable after what it’s gone through.

Everything else looks new, except for being covered in dried mud at present.

ACCESSORIES

A simple triple-mag pouch is normally what lives on my carrier. Agilite’s is well made, works well, and is easy to reinsert mags while also providing retention loops to ensure my mags never leave me.

The placard system is pretty standard these days, and Agilite’s isn’t much different from anyone else’s, just like it should be. This quasi-standardization means placards you already own will fit the Agilite K-Zero just fine.

Random GP under hanger from Amazon? Fits just fine. Velcro to molle placard that I have no idea where it came from but it was in my soft-goods box? Works perfectly. Molle holder for a multi-tool? No issue.

The back of the K-Zero is also outfitted with a host of molle loops to help you attach almost anything. I went with a 5.11 Hydration pack because it’s basically a small backpack. Agilite offers dedicated packs like the AMP III and Micro MAP, but I haven’t picked any up yet.

Cables & Hoses

This is the first hit-and-miss part of the K-Zero, it doesn’t really have options for natively routing com wires or hydration hoses. But to make up for that, Agilite does provide a cable management system with every K-Zero carrier.

The system is a small collection of velcro tabs that are purpose-cut to fit the shoulder straps of the K-Zero. This works fine. They stay in place, they don’t come undone, and I haven’t had an issue with them yet.

I don’t love this system because it’s another thing for me to lose eventually, but it also offers a lot of customization and options that often don’t exist.

This really comes down to personal preference, but even though I’m not crazy about the system, it does work and hasn’t actually been a problem. It’s just a possible problem in my head.

Cummerbund

If I have to point to a downside, this is it. The K-Zero standard cummerbund works, but it isn’t great. With the rest of the carrier being so good, this feels like more of a misstep than it might be.

Sizing is great and Agilite’s one-size-fits-all works. From sizing this down for my wife to sizing it way up to for me, it does fit just about anyone. 

The straps have small elastic bands that give the cummerbund just the right amount of movement while still keeping it tight. You never feel like it is restricting movement or breathing, but it stays locked in place even when you’re upside down shooting a VTAC.

On-the-fly adjustment tabs also make resizing the cummerbund, within a range, pretty easy. If you’re adding and subtracting layers, this can help out a lot.

The big trade-off of the cummerbund is that it has zero rigidity. Effectively, these are two straps that wrap around you. While you can attach side plates or some molle pouches to it, they aren’t really held in place super well and the straps tend to twist when you put the carrier on.

Checking to make sure the straps aren’t twisted is critical because if they are they will bite and rub you in unfun ways.

Agilite offers an upgrade cummerbund, the Warfighter, that seems to solve all the issues I had — but it feels like the base option could have been improved.

LOOSE ROUNDS

There is no perfect plate carrier. Your needs, body, budget, and tastes will make some plate carriers wonderful and others horrible.

For me, the K-Zero checks a lot of boxes for what I need and has proven very durable. I’ll upgrade the cummerbund, but otherwise, I dig this carrier and see myself using a lot in the future.