Armor in Starfield is your first and foremost line of defense against various enemy attacks as well as harmful environmental factors. Great armors protect you from a wide range of toxic factors, including radiation, thermal waves, and even corrosive agents. While every armor in Starfield is unique in its own way, with some offering sentimental value, others offering heightened protection, and some might just match your aesthetic vibe.
Picking and donning the best possible armor can ensure that you have a pleasant and successful run-through, filled with exciting victories, endless exploration, and peace of mind while doing these two!
We have compiled a list of some of the best armor in Starfield so you can choose the best one possible, depending on where you stand in your main story gameplay.
Table of Contents
Best Armor in Starfield: Early in the Game
The best possible armor in Starfield that you can access early on in the game is the Gran-Gran armor set. Equipped with best-in-class defense, as well as a personal and emotional backstory, the Gran-Gran armor set is truly a must-have for players who are just starting their journey in the game. However, it is important to note that the Gran-Gran armor set will only be available to you if you select the ‘Kid Stuff‘ trait for your character in the beginning.
The Gran-Gran armor set includes a helmet and spacesuit, and the best thing is that it’s free. You are given this armor by your mother shortly after joining the Constellation, during the One Small Step mission. The Gran-Gran armor set is a reskinned version of the classic UC Marine Armor set and features exceptionally high damage resistance as opposed to several other armor sets available to you early on in the game.
| Armor Stats | Spacesuit | Helmet |
| Physical Damage Resistance | 76 | 26 |
| Energy Damage Resistance | 60 | 42 |
| Electromagnetic Damage Resistance | 68 | 34 |
| Thermal Env Resistance | 35 | 20 |
| Corrosive Env Resistance | 20 | 15 |
| Airborne Env Resistance | 10 | 5 |
| Radiation Env Resistance | 15 | 10 |
Best Armor in Starfield: Mid-game
Once you progress enough in the game, you will need a specialized and high-resistance armor set that keeps you safe through a myriad of challenging missions through treacherous galaxies. The weapons start advancing as you progress in the game, thereby necessitating you to use upgraded armor sets. As things stand, once you clear your main story progress after 50%, the best armor in Starfield for you is the Mantis armor set.
the Mantis armor set is a specialized armor set that offers enhanced protection to your varied needs. To acquire this armor set, you will first need to find, explore, and then loot the lair of a legendary vigilante known as the Mantis. You can check out how to solve the puzzle and complete the Mantis lair quest here. The Mantis armor set in Starfield comes with a spacesuit, helmet, and a pack.
| Armor Stats | Spacesuit | Helmet | Pack |
| Physical Damage Resistance | 116 | 54 | 47 |
| Energy Damage Resistance | 84 | 46 | 55 |
| Electromagnetic Damage Resistance | 100 | 50 | 51 |
| Thermal Env Resistance | 15 | 20 | 5 |
| Corrosive Env Resistance | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Airborne Env Resistance | 30 | 0 | 5 |
| Radiation Env Resistance | 15 | 0 | 20 |
Best Armor in Starfield: Late in the Game
Once you have completed your run-through and completed the main story at least once, you will be able to unlock the New Game Plus mode that will grant you access to one of the best armor sets in Starfield. This armor set is known as the Starborn Spacesuit Astra. This unique spacesuit consists of only one piece, i.e. Starborn Spacesuit Astra, which is in itself a combination of armor, helmet, and a pack, and comes along with a brand-new and superior-class spaceship called the Starborn Guardian.
Starborn Spacesuit Astra offers you excellent damage resistance across various environmental factors. In fact, with its upgradeable nature, you can easily make this armor set in Starfield one of the best suits that offer the highest environmental resistance of all. The only downside is that you won’t be able to use this suit in your first playthrough. However, once you start clearing the additional levels of New Game Plus mode, you will gain access to even better versions of this suit.
| Armor Stats | Spacesuit |
| Physical Damage Resistance | 149 |
| Energy Damage Resistance | 149 |
| Electromagnetic Damage Resistance | 149 |
| Thermal Env Resistance | 50 |
| Airborne Env Resistance | 50 |
| Corrosive Env Resistance | 50 |
| Radiation Env Resistance | 50 |
Overall Best Armor in Starfield
Considering that you have completed one playthrough of the game and unlocked the New Game Plus mode, your best bet for excellent armor in Starfield is various variants of the Starborn Spacesuit. While we saw that Starborn Spacesuit Astra is one of the best initial suits you can use in the New Game Plus mode, it also has a variety of variants that each boast different benefits along with massive defense against various damaging environmental factors.
All the Starborn suits offer the same environmental resistance of 50 for thermal, airborne, corrosive, and radiation. The only difference in these suit classifications is the protection they offer against physical, energy, and electromagnetic (EM) damage. Starborn Spacesuit Astra is the entry-level model that offers physical, energy, and EM damage of 149.
| Starborn Spacesuit Variant | Physical/Energy/EM Damage | Cost (in Credits) |
| Materia | 159 | 53,590 |
| Locus | 170 | 55,510 |
| Tenebris | 181 | 57,425 |
| Solis | 192 | 59,340 |
| Gravitas | 203 | 61,265 |
| Bellum | 214 | 63,180 |
| Tempus | 224 | 65,105 |
| Avitus | 235 | 67,025 |
| Venator | 246 | 68,340 |
