With enemies getting stronger and stronger as you progress through the game, you want to make sure your guard is up and your defense is high! In this list, we’ve narrowed it down to ten of the best that will make you harder to kill! The main focus of your armor is to provide Defense, and extra materia support if needed.

There is a lot of armor to choose from, and when they all provide different stats and bonuses, it can be hard to narrow it down to the right one. This list will take you from the early game choices that can replace your starting gear, all the way to the end game and New Game+ recommendations. 
 

10. Leather Bracer 

Leather Bracers, great early defense.

While you may have replaced Clouds starting gear with the Iron Bangle in Chapter 2, the Leather Bracer is the best early-game replacement. It has a focus on physical defense over Magic defense, and it provides two materia slots as well.

It’s best to replace the early gear acquired in Sector 7 with the Leather Bracer. This would be a great time to utilize the two materia slots to start leveling up materia that you will want later in the game, such as Healing materia and anything that can boost HP or MP.  
 

Leather Bracer Strengths: 

• Excellent early-game Physical defense. 
• Offers two unlinked materia slots. 
• Being easy to find, you can quickly replace your party's starting gear with something more sturdy.

 

Leather Bracer Details:

“A simple, homemade leather bracer made by the neighborhood watch.” 

• Physical Defense +26
• Magic Defense +6 
• Materia Slots - 2 Unlinked 

 

How to get Leather Bracers:

• The first pair of Leather Bracers can be found in a chest during Chapter 5 while completing the story quest “Dogged Pursuit.” When going through the Corkscrew tunnel, there will be a chest in the Section 5 side room where you can find the first Leather Bracer. Starting in Chapter 6 they can be purchased from shops and vending machines for 1600 gil. 

 

 

9. Mesmeric Armlet

The Mesmeric Armlet to protect you from magic damage.

The Mesmeric Armlet is the magic defense counterpart to the Leather Bracers. If you’re going to be up against enemies that deal out magical damage, this would be a great option to equip. It also provides two materia slots. I will often give this to Tifa as her defensive stats can be a bit low.

This is another great piece of armor to equip as you start swapping out beginner armor. I will often equip Fire and Lightning materia to these so that I can throw a couple of spells around in combat. 

Mesmeric Armlet Strengths: 

• Great early-game Magical Defense. 
• Offers two unlinked materia. 
• It’s easy to obtain and a solid early-game choice. 

 

Mesmeric Armlet Details:
“A sleek armlet graven with magic-warding glyphs.” 

• Physical Defense +6 
• Magical Defense +26 
• Materia Slots - 2 Unlinked 

 

How to get Mesmeric Armlets:

• The first set of armlets can be found during the story quest “Three Lamps Down” while in the Sector 4 plate. They can be found in a chest behind the final sunlamp.
• After that, they will be available to purchase from vending machines, shops, and the Sector 5 Slums weapons shop starting in Chapter 6 for 1600 gil. 

 

8. Titanium Bangle

   
A balanced bangle with materia opportunities.

The Titanium Bangle is a great midgame armor choice due to its balanced stats. This makes it one of the better armor pieces in the game, especially when you consider that more than one can be purchased from shops in Chapter 8. If you are trying to maintain a balanced build, this is one of your best options. 

Titanium Bangle Strengths: 

• Evenly balanced Stats between physical and magical defense. 
• Offers two materia slots. 
• Perfect mid-game armor.

 

Titanium Bangle Details:
“A titanium bangle supplied to all Shinra Units.” 

• Physical Defense +25 
• Magical Defense +25 
• Materia Slots - 2 Unlinked 

 

How to get Titanium Bangle: 

• The first bangle can be obtained as a loot drop after defeating the Airbuster boss fight in Chapter 7. Following this, it can be purchased from shops starting in Chapter 8.  

 

7. Studded Bracer 

Give your defense some edge!

The studded bracer is one of my favorite items in the game. Not only does it provide excellent physical defense and materia capacity, but it also looks like it’s straight out of a HotTopic, and we want nothing more for our edgy boy Cloud.

This is a great mid-game armor choice for Cloud, as it provides the best defense so far. It’s worth equipping party members who need a boost in physical defense as well. 

 

Studded Bracer Strengths: 

• The Studded Bracers provide the highest physical defense in the game so far and are a good replacement for the Iron Bangle and Leather Bracers. 
   
• Cloud can benefit from them as he already has a naturally decent magical defense.
   
• It provides two linked materia slots, which makes it perfect for equipping elemental materia if you need an elemental resistance buff. 

 

Studded Bracer Details: 

“A spiky bracer worn to  express one’s inner rebel.” 

• Physical Defense +40 
• Magical Defense +10 
• Materia Slots - 2 Linked 

 

How to get Studded Bracer:

• The Studded Bracer is obtained as a reward for completing the odd job quest "Paying Respects" in Chapter 8 after clearing the graveyard in the Sector 5 slums of venomantises.
   
• After that, they will be available from vending machines and the Wall Market weapon store for 3200 gil, starting in Chapter 8. 

 

 

6. Mythril Armlet

A bracelet made from magic metal gives magic defense.

The Mythril Armlet is a magic defense-oriented piece of armor that is a complementary piece to the Studded Bracers. These will have the highest magic defense out of any of the armor acquired so far in the game. If you’re going up against enemies that are dealing out a lot of magic damage, it may be a good time to get these equipped! 

 

Mythril Armlet Strengths: 

• Strongest Magical defense in the game so far. 
• 2 linked materia slots make this perfect for equipping elemental materia to further boost magical defense and provide extra resistance to a specific element like Fire or Lightning, making it even harder for the magic enemies to kill you. 
• Found in Chapter 8, this is perfect mid-game gear, providing good defense and materia capacity. 

 

Mythril Armlet Details: 

 “An armlet made from specially refined mythril infused with magic-repelling properties.”

• Physical Defense +10 
• Magical Defense +40 
• Materia Slots  - 2 Linked Slots 

 

How to get Mythril Armlet: 

• They are first available as Aerith’s starting armor in Chapter 8. After that, starting in Chapter 9 they are available to purchase from the Wall Market weapons store and vending machines for 3200 gil. 

 

5. Gothic Bangle

Balanced defense for the brooding heart.

The Gothic Bangle’s balanced stats make this an excellent mid-game to late-game armor. If you liked the equal stats of the Iron Bangle, then this will be the perfect upgrade. It also has great materia capacity to further buff your stats and is perfect for your spellcasters. 

 

Gothic Bangle Strengths: 

• Equal stats between physical and magical defense make this upgrade perfect for mid-game. 
   
• If you play a ‘middle-of-the-road’ build for Cloud, this is perfect. It’s a good choice for Barret as well, considering how much extra damage he’s prone to take as a tank. 
   
• 3 Materia slots make this perfect for materia growth and any HP buffs that will make you harder to take down. 

 

Gothic Bangle Details: 

“A goth-chic bangle popular in the more fashionable circles.”

• Physical Defense +33 
• Magical Defense +33 
• Materia Slots - 3 Unlinked 

 

How to get the Gothic Bangle:

• The first bangle can be found in the Train Graveyard during Chapter 11. After reaching the 2F of the maintenance facility, before going all the way up, descend the ladder on the right-hand side to find a chest with the bangle.
   
• After that, starting in Chapter 13, they are available in shops for 3000 gil. 

 

4. Astral Cuff

A gorgeous cuff with incredible magic defense.

The Astral Cuff has some insane magical defense and is where we get into the meat of some of the strongest armor in the game. It has a major drawback of not having any materia slots available. However, its insanely high magic defense makes this the perfect choice for when you know you’ll be facing off against some pretty big enemies, making their magic damage easier to take. 

 

Astral Cuff Strengths: 

• Highest Magic defense out of all the armor in the game. (This excludes special DLC codes and bonus items not available in the base game.) 
   
• Perfect for Tifa who is often in close combat with the enemies and has a lower magic defense.
   
• Perfect for boss fights at the end of the game and Shinra Battle Simulator fights that deal a lot of magic damage. 

 

Astral Cuff Details: 

“A cuff that prioritizes one’s magic defense over materia use.” 

• Physical Defense +20 
• Magical Defense +124 
• Materia Slots - None 

 

How to get Astral Cuffs:

• The first can be found in Chapter 17 during the quest “Deliverance from Chaos.” When you’re with Cloud's party in Ward 2, you can follow the path until you face off with two zenenes. After this, head through the door on the right and go down the hall. Take another right where you will find the chest in the Drum in the wider hallway.
   
• A cuff will also drop from the Jenova Dreamweaver, giving you a total of two astral cuffs in the game. 

 

3. Iron Maiden

A heavy metal defense!

The Iron Maiden is the physical defense companion piece to the Astral Cuffs. Its physical defense is absolutely beefy, allowing the wearer to take on a huge amount of damage. Similar to the Astral Cuff, there are no materia slots here. If you’re going up against some big hitters, this is a great end-game choice.  

Iron Maiden Strengths: 

• Incredibly high physical defense makes it easier to take damage. 
   
• It’s a good choice for Barret, especially if he’s using melee weapons like the Wrecking Ball, and you don’t anticipate having him as a secondary spellcaster or using much materia at all. 
   
• This is also great for the battle simulator when fighting enemies that don’t deal out a lot of magic damage and instead hit hard. 

 

Iron Maiden Details: 

“An elegant yet macabre bangle inspired by an ancient instrument of horror. Forgoes materia in favor of optimizing physical defense.” 

• Physical Defense +124 
• Magical Defense + 20 
• Materia Slots - None 

 

How to get Iron Maiden: 

• The Iron Maiden can be stolen while fighting the M.O.T.H. Unit. It can also be found in the Shinra Showroom. After you get the keycard, before going into the elevator, you can use the card on the door on the right to go into the showroom, where you’ll find a chest containing the cuffs.  

 

2. Cog Bangle 

The Cog Bangle provides balanced defense.

The Cog Bangle is an outstanding piece of armor that is better balanced for stats than those previously covered. If you’ve been preferring pieces like the Gothic Bangle and Titanium Bangle, then this is your endgame choice. Perfect for ‘middle of the road’ Cloud builds, it’s also easy to obtain, and you can get more than one if you want to equip Tifa and Barret as well.

 

Cog Bangle Strengths: 

• It’s the second-strongest bangle with equal physical and magic defense. 
   
• It comes with 3 materia slots, two of them linked, which provides excellent materia capacity, allowing for even stronger buffs, or spell casting abilities as well. 
   
• Perfect for late-game fights and when you're taking physical and magical damage.
   
• There are three available in the game, allowing you to equip three of your four party members. 

 

Cog Bangle Details: 

“A bangle inspired by the ever-turning cogs of fate.”

• Physical Defense +39 
• Magical Defense +39 
• Materia Slots - 3 (2 Linked) 

 

How to get Cog Bangle: 

• The first Cog Bangle drops after defeating the Valkyrie boss at the end of Chapter 15. After this, another one can be purchased from the Shinra Shop for 4000 gil. A third can be obtained after completing the “Cloud vs. SOLDIER Trainees” challenge in the Shinra Combat simulator. 

 

1. Chain Bangle

A balanced defense leads to a great offense!

While what can be considered the best armor is subjective and depends on your play style, the Chain Bangle is still easy to consider as one of the best armor items in the base game. Capping off the line of equally balanced stats, it also provides the best materia capacity.

So if you’ve been using the Iron Bangle and the Gothic Bangle this will be your final upgrade. You only get one, so think carefully about who you equip it to.
 

Chain Bangle Strengths: 

• Provides equally balanced physical and magical defense stats. 
   
• This has excellent materia capabilities, making it ideal for spellcasting or buffing your stats even further. 
   
• Great against big boss fights and end-game/post-game content. 

 

Chain Bangle Details:
“A bangle developed to enhance the connections between materia.”

• Physical Defense +50 
• Magical Defense +50 
• Materia Slots - 4 slots (2 Pairs of Linked Slots) 

 

How to get Chain Bangle:

• The Chain Bangle can be obtained while in the 2nd Ward of the Drum during the quest “Deliverance from Chaos” in Chapter 17. Following a cutscene, Cloud and Barret go up some stairs and meet up with Red XIII. Following this, the chest containing the Chain Bangle can be found in the next room. 

 

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