If your armor isn’t up to snuff in Stalker 2 and you’re not using the best options available, you’ll be added to the ever-growing death count before you even get to see the game’s end. The Zone is a hellscape, packed with dangerous anomalies and trigger-happy humans just waiting for you to make a mistake.
There’s no magic armor store to make your life easier, so knowing which suits are worth your time (and which ones will get you killed faster) is essential.
Lucky for you, we’ve got an armor tier list to help you navigate the mess in Stalker 2, with each one ranked from best to worst for ultimate survival knowhow.
Armor tier list in Stalker 2
| Tier | Armor Suits |
|---|---|
| S | Liberty Exoskeleton, X7 Suit |
| A | Brummbar Exoskeleton, Cuirass Exoskeleton, Diamond Exoskeleton, Operator Exoskeleton, Ruby Exosuit |
| B | Exoskeleton, PSZ-12V Bulat, PSZ-20W Convoy Suit, SEVA-1 Suit, SEVA-D |
| C | Debut Suit, Mercenary Suit, OZK Explorer’s Suit, PSZ-5I Hawk, PSZ-5V Guardian of Freedom, Sunrise Suit |
Our tiers explained
- S: The best
- A: Very good
- B: There might be situations where these can perform well
- C: Best to avoid unless you find yourself drawn to them
S-Tier Armor Suit in Stalker 2
Liberty Exoskeleton
- Where to find: Pripyat, second floor of a bookstore.
The Liberty Exoskeleton offers high-end protection and five artifact slots, all of which make it a the best choice for armor in Stalker 2. This one gives you almost absolute physical protection; there’s just no way it doesn’t make it to the S-tier.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Thermal | 1.8 |
| Electrical | 1.8 |
| Chemical | 1.6 |
| Radiation | 4 |
| PSI | 2.1 |
| Physical | 4.3 |
X7 Suit
- Where to find: Complete the Down Below mission.
For those deep dives into cursed labs and shady missions, the X7 Suit has you covered – it essentially negates radiation. Great protection without being an outright exoskeleton.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Thermal | 1.8 |
| Electrical | 1.8 |
| Chemical | 1.6 |
| Radiation | 4 |
| PSI | 2.1 |
| Physical | 4.3 |
A-Tier Armor Suit in Stalker 2
Brummbar Exoskeleton
- Where to find: Found during the Ghost Train mission or for purchase at the Duty faction HQ.
After the Liberty Exo, the Brummbar is the best Armor Suit for physical protection in Stalker 2. That said, it’s also almost as heavy, so be prepared to sacrifice some space in your backpack.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Thermal | 1.5 |
| Electrical | 1.4 |
| Chemical | 1.5 |
| Radiation | 3.5 |
| PSI | 1.0 |
| Physical | 4.5 |
Cuirass Exoskeleton
- Where to find: Cooling Towers, SKD Assembly Unit.
The Cuirass Exoskeleton is The Zone’s equivalent of a tank. It provides unparalleled survivability but it weighs as much as your regrets for looting every single artifact.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Thermal | 1.7 |
| Electrical | 1.7 |
| Chemical | 1.9 |
| Radiation | 3 |
| PSI | 1.1 |
| Physical | 4.3 |
Diamond Exoskeleton
- Where to find: Yantiv Station during the Boundary mission.
This stolen government project provides solid protection across the board, especially in the physical and radiation department.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Thermal | 2.0 |
| Electrical | 2.0 |
| Chemical | 2.0 |
| Radiation | 4.0 |
| PSI | 2.1 |
| Physical | 4.0 |
Operator Exoskeleton
- Where to find: Fluoridation Station, second floor on a shelf.
If you’re combat-focused, then the Operator Exoskeleton grants you more than enough physical protection – but your PSI will suffer.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Thermal | 1.7 |
| Electrical | 1.7 |
| Chemical | 1.7 |
| Radiation | 3.4 |
| PSI | 0 |
| Physical | 4.0 |
Ruby Exosuit
- Where to find: Enerhetyk Palace in Pripyat.
This Exosuit undeniably gives you one of the most solid radiation and physical protections without neglecting the remaining categories. That said, 20kg is a heavy price to pay.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Thermal | 1.3 |
| Electrical | 1.8 |
| Chemical | 1.3 |
| Radiation | 4.0 |
| PSI | 1.1 |
| Physical | 3.7 |
B-Tier Armor Suit in Stalker 2
Exoskeleton
- Where to find: Cordon in the northwest, during Legends of the Zone.
The “starter pack” exoskeleton. Good for heavy loads and tough fights, though don’t expect S-Tier luxury here.
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PSZ-12V Bulat
- Where to find: Behind a locked door in the Chemical Plant’s army warehouse.
Decent stats and plenty of artifact slots make this a solid mid-tier option. Sure, it’s surplus military gear, but who’s complaining?
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Thermal | 1.0 |
| Electrical | 0.6 |
| Chemical | 0.7 |
| Radiation | 2.5 |
| PSI | 0 |
| Physical | 3.3 |
PSZ-20W Convoy Suit
- Where to find: Underneath a building in the outskirts of Zalissya in The Road to Salvation.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Thermal | 0.6 |
| Electrical | 0.7 |
| Chemical | 0.7 |
| Radiation | 2.1 |
| PSI | 0 |
| Physical | 2.5 |
SEVA-1 Suit
- Where to find: West of Duga or in the Yantar Production Complex.
The ultimate hazmat suit meets bulletproof vest. Great for anomaly-rich areas but might leave you longing for heavier physical protection during firefights.
| Stats | Value |
|---|---|
| Thermal | 1.3 |
| Electrical | 1.5 |
| Chemical | 1.5 |
| Radiation | 3 |
| PSI | 2.1 |
| Physical | 2.5 |
SEVA-D
- Where to find: Cement Factory Region, up in the Cage.
The “Duty-edition” SEVA with trade-offs. It’s a watered-down SEVA, but a solid option for beginners.
| Stats | Value |
|---|---|
| Thermal | 1.1 |
| Electrical | 1.45 |
| Chemical | 1.4 |
| Radiation | 2.5 |
| PSI | 1.55 |
| Physical | 2.5 |
C-Tier Armor Suit in Stalker 2
Debut Suit
The Debut Suit is the starter kit for Stalker fashion. You might want to avoid danger at all costs, though.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Thermal | 0.3 |
| Electrical | 0.2 |
| Chemical | 0.3 |
| Radiation | 0.5 |
| PSI | 0 |
| Physical | 1.1 |
Mercenary Suit
The Mercenary Suit is great against corrosive weapons but laughable against just about everything else.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Thermal | 0.4 |
| Electrical | 0.5 |
| Chemical | 0.5 |
| Radiation | 1.6 |
| PSI | 0 |
| Physical | 2.1 |
OZK Explorer’s Suit
The OZK Explorer’s suit focuses on physical, electrical, and chemical, but has no PSI protection, and an extremely low radiation protection.
| OZK Explorer’s Suit | Stats |
|---|---|
| Thermal | 0.4 |
| Electrical | 0.7 |
| Chemical | 0.8 |
| Radiation | 0.5 |
| PSI | 0 |
| Physical | 1.6 |
PSZ-5I Hawk
The Hawk is your best defense in the face of radiation and physical damage in the early game, but you might want to look for a helmet that boosts your PSI.
| Stats | Values |
|---|---|
| Thermal | 0.8 |
| Electrical | 0.7 |
| Chemical | 0.8 |
| Radiation | 2.1 |
| PSI | 0 |
| Physical | 2.3 |
PSZ-5V Guardian of Freedom
The Guardian of Freedom is a jack of all trades and master of none. And much like the other items in this tier, completely ignores PSI protection.
| Stats | Value |
|---|---|
| Thermal | 0.8 |
| Electrical | 0.7 |
| Chemical | 0.9 |
| Radiation | 2.1 |
| PSI | 0 |
| Physical | 2.2 |
Sunrise Suit
With Physical protection that’s okay, but not great, and Radiation protection that’s just enough to not make you wish you were dead, this is the quintessential early-to-mid-game choice.
| Stats | Value |
|---|---|
| Thermal | 0.7 |
| Electrical | 0.6 |
| Chemical | 0.7 |
| Radiation | 1.5 |
| PSI | 0 |
| Physical | 2.1 |
Now that you’re stocked up on what armors are best in Stalker 2, check out the best weapons in our tier list, the best mods available to download, where you can get ammo, and how to repair broken gear.
