To brave the wilderness of the reborn world of Horizon Zero Dawn, Aloy has access to many different outfits to help her survive both the frozen wilds of the Banuk territory and the corrupted machines of her homeland of the Embrace.

By the end of the game, you should have access to around a dozen different outfits, with some simply being upgraded versions of the same armor, though some can be quite easy to miss, as they are only bought from certain vendors or are connected to a side quest in some way.

Updated October 9, 2023, by Sean Murray: Aloy deserves the best protection available, which is why we've refreshed this guide with improved formatting and more breakout tips to make finding the best armor easier than ever.

Carja Silks Heavy – The Best Multi-Modification Armor

The Carja Silks is the most basic armor in the game, providing no inherent resistances or buffs of any kind, and is comparable to the Nora Brave armor given to Aloy by Teb before The Proving.

However, it has the advantage of having an additional modification slot, allowing the Carja Silks to function in almost any way you can think of.

How To Get The Carja Silks

The Carja Silks can be found fairly early on, available from armor merchants in Meridian and Sunfall, though it can be very expensive the first time you visit the cities.

Nora Silent Hunter Heavy – The Best Stealth Armor

Nora Silent Hunter is one of the most useful outfits for both the early game and going into the late game.

As the name suggests, this armor boosts Aloy's already impressive stealth capabilities by a considerable amount.

It is very useful for taking down bandit camps, completing hunting trials, or simply picking off Watchers one at a time without them becoming suspicious.

How To Get The Nora Silent Hunter Outfit

The Nora Silent Hunter armor can be bought from Teb before Aloy becomes a Seeker, so long as you have enough Shards. It can be purchased from almost every merchant throughout the game after this.

Oseram Arrowbreaker Heavy – The Best Projectile Defense Armor

Despite the name, the Arrowbreaker armor is useful against all projectile weapons, not just arrows.

It is useful against bandits and Stalkers, Ravagers, and Thunderjaws and goes a long way in ensuring you don't die against the latter.

On higher difficulties, the Arrowbreaker armor is somewhat mandatory. Many projectiles can melt through Aloy's health very quickly when attempting to beat the game on Very Hard or Ultra Hard.

How To Get The Oseram Arrowbreaker Armor

The Oseram Arrowbreaker armor can be bought from most armor vendors after reaching Daytower, with one of the earliest being found along the Way of Broken Stones.

Oseram Sparkworker Heavy – The Best Shock Damage Defense Armor

While shock damage isn't all that common, it is usually found on some of the more deadly machines in Horizon, so being able to resist this damage is a good side effect of any armor.

The Oseram Sparkworker, as the name suggests, increases Aloy's shock resistance, which is particularly useful against Stormbirds and Shellwalkers.

How To Get The Oseram Sparkworker Outfit

Like the Arrowbreaker armor, the Sparkworker armor can be found in most armor vendors past the Daytower, with the Way of Broken Stones and Meridian being the easiest vendors to find.

Shadow Stalwart Heavy – Shadow Carja Infiltration Specialist Armor

This outfit allows Aloy to infiltrate the Shadow Carja territory undetected for the following quests. However, it also has a secondary effect of making Aloy immune to blinding or sonic effects.

These can be detrimental if you succumb to them, as they stun Aloy for a few moments and usually obscure your vision. This makes it particularly useful against Watchers and Longlegs, who like to initiate combat by blinding Aloy or blasting her with sound to get the upper hand.

How To Get The Shadow Stalwart Outfit

This unique armor can only be obtained after completing the Terror of the Sun main quest.

Nora Survivor Heavy – Best Jack-Of-All-Trades Armor

The Nora Survivor heavy armor outfit is a jack-of-all-trades armor that increases resistance to shock, fire, freeze, and corruption. It is generally useful in all situations, though, especially when you are forced to fight multiple different machines, such as in the climb up the Metal Devil in the final quests.

How To Get The Nora Survivor Outfit

Similar to the Nora Silent Hunter outfit, this one can be bought from Teb before The Proving and should be taken before the battle against Helis and his men.

Carja Blazon Heavy – The Best Fire Defense Armor

Fire is one of the most deadly types when left unchecked, as it can significantly damage Aloy if you are not careful or paying attention to her health bar.

The Carja Blazon outfit help by substantially increasing Aloy's immunity to fire damage. Combined with a fire-resistance potion, she is nearly immune to all fire damage.

How To Get The Carja Blazon Outfit

Like most armor, the Blazon outfit can be obtained in most areas following the Daybreak tower, though it is also quite expensive, and you may not be able to afford it the first time you see it.

However, it is very useful against Fire Bellowbacks and can help prevent Aloy from dying if you aren't familiar with them.

Banuk Ice Hunter Heavy – The Best Freeze Defense Armor

This strange-looking armor functions like a freeze version of the Carja Blazon armor, increasing Aloy's resistance to freeze damage rather than fire.

Even though you can buy it in the Embrace, it is worth noting that there aren't many enemies around the Embrace that actually deal freeze damage, as the majority of machines that do use it are the Glinthawks, Snapmaws, and Freeze Bellowbacks. These enemies aren't found extensively until after passing through the Daybreak tower.

How To Get The Banuk Ice Hunter Outfit

Unlike the Blazon armor, the Ice Hunter armor can be obtained from vendors around the Embrace and is one of the earlier armor sets worth getting.

Banuk Werak Chieftain – The Best Passive Regeneration After Shield Weaver

The only armor limited to the Frozen Wilds DLC, the Werak Chieftain armor is unlike any other in the game and causes passive health regeneration rather than any elemental resistance or stealth buff.

This makes it useful in every situation where the Shield-Weaver armor isn't. It also ensures you aren't burning through healing items on higher difficulties after a tough battle.

How To Get The Banuk Chieftan Outfit

This armor is obtained after completing the quest For The Werak and can only be bought once this quest is completed. It can be purchased from Bluegleam vendors.

Shield-Weaver – The Ultimate In-Game Armor

One of the best armor pieces in the game can't be obtained until right before the final battle, but it is worth obtaining for that fight alone.

The Shield-Weaver armor has no modification slots but will grant Aloy a force field around her that absorbs damage equal to her current health stat and regenerates over time once depleted.

This armor is almost mandatory for attempting a New Game+ run on higher difficulties since many machines can kill Aloy in one blow without it.

How To Get The Shield Weaver Armor

The armor is locked in a Ruin, and you need Power Cells to open it. You must complete the side quest that requires you to obtain five Power Cells scattered across the world, most of which are locked behind main quest-specific areas, including GAIA Prime and the Grave-Hoard.

You need to complete this quest to access the armor in the Ancient Armory.

Next: Best Outfits In Horizon Zero Dawn