London Bridge Trading 6094a

  The London Bridge Trading 6094a has become a very popular plate, both in the real world battlefields and the airsofting skirmish sites. They have been made famous by the likes of the Navy SEALs and other SF units around the world such as the Jordanian Special Forces. Anyone wanting to do an authentic impression or just get a legit, well made PC have all probably looked at the LBT 6094 in its various configurations at one point or another. I was lucky enough to have the LBT 6094a run through my radar and made the purchase. It's been a long timing but here is our first review. After finally getting to run my London Bridge Trading 6094a through its paces at a few all day games, I would like to pass on my experience with it and let you decide if this is the right PC for your needs!

PRICING: Over the course of 6-8 months I had been pondering getting a ‘real’ plate carrier but they seemed just out of reach as far as price and as much as I wanted one it took me that long to make the leap, and I mean leap. This PC runs $354.55 on LBTs website, although I got mine for $330 at skdtac.com. After only two games I am very pleased and it is truly money well spent!

SIZING: The LBT 6094 comes in three sizes, A, B, and C or medium, large, and extra large respectively. There are also slick, low-vis, and releasable options available with different letter denotations.  This is obviously the “a” or medium size and it is still widely adjustable for average to skinny body sizes. For example, I’m 6’2” and 150lbs and it can tighten down enough for me and it is also the model the much bigger built guys like Navy SEALs where and it can fit them as well! The cummberbund and shoulder straps have a generous amount of adjustment in them for height and girth. The cummberbund is adjusted when you put the PC on with Velcro that attaches between the body of the PC and the front mag pouch flap. The shoulder straps adjust with a Velcro strap. Overall size of the PC is 15.5L x 13.5W

MATERIAL and SEWING: This plate carrier in its basic form comes in the very strong, yet heavier 1000D cordura and is ready for abuse. This material has been left behind in the mainstream gear whore arenas for the like of 330D cordura, which is much letter but not as tough, it is also not regularly available and hard to find in some cases for the 6094. It is really a personal preference as to whether one would want lightweight as the main deciding point or durability. This isn’t to say the 330D is easily ripped and the 1000D only adding minuscule amounts to overall weight. The type E thread stitching is top notch from LBT all over the vest with reinforced stitching and bartacked sewing in high stress points. This isn’t to say it is perfect. When used in conjunction with the LBT 3x M4 kangaroo pouch the top corners of the mag flap seem to be stretched. My 6094a suffered a small rip in the top right side of the flap about ¾” long but thankfully doesn’t seem to be growing after a few games. This should not happen without using the kangaroo insert.

COMFORT: This is a full size plate carrier and it is about as comfortable as one could be in a full PC. Being a full PC and not a PC built for lightweight features or to fit better under a parachute (such as the Crye JPC) it comes with features that make it much more comfortable for long patrols or just general fighting. The main thing for comfort is the shoulder straps, and they are very cushiony. They are very think and the top of them sit well above your shoulders, think comfort here, wearing an assault pack is slightly difficult but not impossible. One can also remove the outer wrap around sleeve for less bulkiness and less comfort. The cummberbund does have some cushion on the lower half that helps with the pressure around your midsection. The cummberbund also has elastic around back where the two sides connect allowing you to breath better even when the PC is tight with added weight from gear. I should also mention that the 1000D cordura previously discussed does tend to hold heat and it being a PC and not a chest rig it can get warm, I recommend wearing a combat shirt underneath to help with this. The overall weight is 1.265lbs.

OTHER FEATURES: The 6094a has many great features not previously mentioned such as the internal MBITR radio pouches on the left and right sides where one can fit various sizes of radios from simple Motorola Talkabouts up to actual MBITRs. The cummberbunds also have inserts for soft armor. Also on the lines of armor, the 6094a fits Medium sized ESAPI plates and fits my Medium Toy Soldier plates great! Another great feature is on either side of the PC along the shoulder straps and body of the PC there are velcro loops for routing hydration lines and communication wires. The back of the PC also has a very strong drag handle for dragging you should you need it. The last feature I will touch on is the velcro space on the space at the top center of the front panel. It is about 3” tall by 6” long and great for one of the huge 3”x5” American flag patches!

FINAL THOUGHTS: Overall this is a great plate carrier and one that deserves a look as the next PC you purchase. It is a little pricey to some airsofters but it comes down to you get what you pay for here, and that is possibly the last plate carrier you will ever need. This thing is loaded with great features and though I highly recommend this nice piece of kit from London Bridge Trading, don’t solely take my opinion. Look at any SEAL picture thread and just think, if it is good enough for them to fight for their country in harm’s way around the world, then it is surely good enough for me to use for an airsoft skirmish! Even in saying this, I know it comes down to personal preferences and hopefully this review does help in the process, thanks for reading!