Anovos sound-off; how did you like yours?

[imperialbrewer[TK]]

I am thinking of buying an Anovos stormtrooper kit for my first build,  but I wanted to hear what other people thought about their armor first. Have you experienced any cracking or the armor being extra fragile? Have you been satisfied? Have you had it a short while only to replace it with something more expensive? I would like to hear your story and experience with Anovos....and...GO!

[Crinthian]

I've been waiting almost 9 months for my TK kit. I work with a 501st member and he stated that the ANOVOS is a good kit, as this will be my first kit and build. Customer support is online only, no Phone# to call to get a live person. However they are very professional and courteous with the online chat. My only complaint is the wait time...9 months and counting. Just waiting to get my armor so I can get started and join up. Good Luck

[plushie[TK]]

I have an Alpha First Order from Anovos. So far so good on the ABS pull!

However, buyer beware due to wait times. They've gotten absolutely horrible with delivery and customer support is full of canned responses. Hubby ordered a costume that was promised for delivery in late quarter 2015 wasn't received until January 2017. 

[Chiassontimothy]

Don't feel bad, A buddy of mine ordered a TK. waited a year and a few months, when it finally arrived, it was a Shadow trooper kit. Needless to say, he was NOT a happy camper.

 

Michael Tangen, I have seen the Anovos kits. Some pulls are ok, others were lets say, could be a lot better. My personal opinion, I do not like ANOVOS pulls. There are makers out there who have higher quality, thicker ABS pulls with greater detail that are far less in price. I am not going to knock ANOVOS as it is what it is. Just make sure you research as much as possible before buying. and EXPECT a LONG WAIT TIME!!!!.

Edited July 24, 2017 by Chiassontimothy

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

There are hundreds of Troopers out there that have had mostly good things to say about the Anovos kits, me being one of them.  The price point certainly makes it look great, but as mentioned the delivery times/communication are spotty.  My main trooping armor is AM, which is built like a tank, but I also have a set of Anovos for when I need to go "shiny white".  The Anovos ABS is thinner, but I have taken the precaution of reinforcing it with scraps on the edges where this is prone to happen.  To date I haven't had any cracks, (although I don't wear it that often) but there are some who have.

Please note that the "vetted" armorers in the Getting Started section ( https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/11538-the-various-types-of-armor-and-where-to-find-them/) may have higher prices, but it's sort of a "you get what you pay for" deal.  Plus, they will actually answer your emails in a timely manner.

 

Another advantage is that if a piece should ever need to be replaced, they can do it.  Anovos does not offer this option as of now.

Please don't think that I am knocking Anovos... it's a nice kit and should last you quite a while if taken care of properly, but know that there are other options.

[tkrestonva[TK]]

I'm going to assume you are referring to the OT TK as opposed to the TFA TK ...

 

I have it, and I got it for the Tier 1 price of $350 they offered as part of the initial introduction in the weeks prior to and immediately after SWCA back in Spring 2015. For what I paid for it, I'm satisfied with it.

 

Like anyone will tell you, it's thin plastic and prone to cracking - in particular at the return edges and shoulder bridges. Also, replacement parts are difficult to come by - you basically have to scout around for someone either selling excess parts (i.e. from a sandtrooper build) or someone who is willing to part out their kit. I can't speak for the latest production run but the initial production runs came with a very flimsy cloth belt, an incorrectly-attached holster, a crappy undersuit, mislabeled pieces, and a helmet with a bad paint job. Hopefully Anovos corrected all of these based on the volumes of feedback they have been getting.

 

On the upside, in addition to the bargain-basement price it's a very accurate kit (there are those who believe it's a cleaned up copy of an RS kit) and as long as you treat it with care, it should last as long as most other kits.

[WhiteWalker[TK]]

I purchased mine in the first wave pf preorders back at $350 and it was literally the offer you couldn't refuse.  It took about 9 months to get it and I expected that so I have nothing negative to say on that, it was worth the wait.  I've been wearing it now for a little over a year, about 35 troops and it's held up really well.  I honestly think it looks just as good now as the day I finished assembly.  It's the only armor I've ever owned so I can't say how it is vs. other makers, other than it works for me and has carried me to Centurion level.  I have not experienced any cracking or breaks like some folks, I think different people have different experiences with any brand of armor.  Just do a good job with your build, take care of it during and after each troop, and avoid situations where you might cause damage to it such as trying to sit, bending over too far, etc.

[Shanester[TK]]

I really like my Anovos kit.  I got in on the initial offering and waited about a year for the kit.  The version 1 and 2 of the instructions are misleading at best, but with help from folks here, I built a kit that eventually was approved Centurion and I had never built a kit before.  The armor is fairly sturdy and from what I can tell by inspecting other armors, is just as well made.  The strapping and soft parts are mostly junk aside from gloves.  I replaced ALL snaps and velcro with well made stuff and I assure you it is necessary.  I blew it off as nit-picking at first and after several failures, replaced it ALL.  Tandy snaps, industrial Velcro, well made elastics.  The undersuit (if still included) will turn your armor purple even if you wash it first.  After a few troops, I learned what areas of the armor take stress and I reinforced them. The fabric part of the belt is junk, but will suffice depending on your expectations. I expect this armor to last me a good while and I troop a lot.

[allan1313[TK]]

I have 2 sets of Anovos, regular TK and the shadow. Very satisfied in quality for the price. It is a little thinner than some other makers, but as longs as you are reasonably considerate in the care of the armor you won't have a problem. The only place I had cracks was in the neck and each arm pit area. I have reinforced those areas and have no other issues. I think it was from how I suit up, I keep my clam shell together and put it on like a shirt. When holding it by the chest piece to get in it that puts a lot of stress on those areas.  I also preemptively reinforced the shoulder bridges.

 

Now their customer service is an absolute nightmare. My shadow kit arrived as a regular white TK. They made good, but it was like pulling teeth. If your order goes smooth you will love it, if not.....Strap in for a bumpy ride.

[imperialbrewer[TK]]

THANK YOU everyone for responding to my post. This really has me on the fence about going with Anovos — the major "pro" obviously being the price, and the "cons" being delivery time, possibility of cracking, and the lack of customer service.  Also, thanks for the feedback on the soft parts — definitely will skip out on that and source my own.

 

Those of you that reinforced your armor, could you provide a bit more detail about that? Namely what areas you reinforced and what you used and your method to reinforce it?

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

On 8/5/2017 at 12:20 PM, imperialbrewer said:

 

Those of you that reinforced your armor, could you provide a bit more detail about that? Namely what areas you reinforced and what you used and your method to reinforce it?

The areas I reinforced were the ones around the neck on the back plate, and the ones highlighted in the photo below.  You will have tons of scrap ABS after trimming out the pieces, which is what I used to accomplish this.  I cut the reinforcing strips to shape and about 5/16th wide, then used E-6000 and rare earth magnets to attach them to the inside, (but not visible from the outside).

A few tips, though..  Anovos does not come with interior cover strips as most other kits do.  There is enough material to make your own, and I highly suggest doing that, especially on the inside front of the calves as these get a lot of wear and tear from constant opening and closing.  They don't have to be pretty, just functional, and will add a lot of strength to the joins.

Also, before gluing on any cover strips, be SURE to peel off the protective clear film and sand down the surface to be glued.  This may seem like a no brainer, but I know of many people who forgot to peel it off and the join failed to adhere correctly.

-----------

[Trials]

On 7/24/2017 at 1:48 PM, WhiteWalker said:

I purchased mine in the first wave pf preorders back at $350 and it was literally the offer you couldn't refuse.  It took about 9 months to get it and I expected that so I have nothing negative to say on that, it was worth the wait.  I've been wearing it now for a little over a year, about 35 troops and it's held up really well.  I honestly think it looks just as good now as the day I finished assembly.  It's the only armor I've ever owned so I can't say how it is vs. other makers, other than it works for me and has carried me to Centurion level.  I have not experienced any cracking or breaks like some folks, I think different people have different experiences with any brand of armor.  Just do a good job with your build, take care of it during and after each troop, and avoid situations where you might cause damage to it such as trying to sit, bending over too far, etc.

 

On 7/24/2017 at 2:47 PM, Shanester said:

I really like my Anovos kit.  I got in on the initial offering and waited about a year for the kit.  The version 1 and 2 of the instructions are misleading at best, but with help from folks here, I built a kit that eventually was approved Centurion and I had never built a kit before.  The armor is fairly sturdy and from what I can tell by inspecting other armors, is just as well made.  The strapping and soft parts are mostly junk aside from gloves.  I replaced ALL snaps and velcro with well made stuff and I assure you it is necessary.  I blew it off as nit-picking at first and after several failures, replaced it ALL.  Tandy snaps, industrial Velcro, well made elastics.  The undersuit (if still included) will turn your armor purple even if you wash it first.  After a few troops, I learned what areas of the armor take stress and I reinforced them. The fabric part of the belt is junk, but will suffice depending on your expectations. I expect this armor to last me a good while and I troop a lot.

 

On 7/24/2017 at 7:15 PM, allan1313 said:

I have 2 sets of Anovos, regular TK and the shadow. Very satisfied in quality for the price. It is a little thinner than some other makers, but as longs as you are reasonably considerate in the care of the armor you won't have a problem. The only place I had cracks was in the neck and each arm pit area. I have reinforced those areas and have no other issues. I think it was from how I suit up, I keep my clam shell together and put it on like a shirt. When holding it by the chest piece to get in it that puts a lot of stress on those areas.  I also preemptively reinforced the shoulder bridges.

 

Now their customer service is an absolute nightmare. My shadow kit arrived as a regular white TK. They made good, but it was like pulling teeth. If your order goes smooth you will love it, if not.....Strap in for a bumpy ride.

 

I was looking to get my first TK suit as well from Anovos or one of the vetted dealers here but do any of you know if the wait times are still the same as before when the pre-orders were selling for $350? Or is it almost a guarantee that anovos will be behind on shipping

[allan1313[TK]]

From what I can see, they are getting a little better. But wait times are still pretty bad. If you are looking to get it quick, some of the other vetted vendors will be much quicker.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[Trials]

52 minutes ago, allan1313 said:

From what I can see, they are getting a little better. But wait times are still pretty bad. If you are looking to get it quick, some of the other vetted vendors will be much quicker.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
 

Yeah I think more than likely I'll get a vetted kit. I'm just torn between AP, ATA, and WTF kits haha

[Briareos1138]

The wait kind of sucks but i got the newer kit with a better helmet and the belt was unassembled so it was easy to switchout. I put it together in about 2 weeks with no issues. Anovos can be a bit of a pain to deal with though...


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[shnar]

I bought the $350 first wave, and since this was my first kit ever assembly, I was initially happy I didn't have to piece the helmet together. I figured at $350, a pre-assembled helmet was worth it. I'm a big guy (6'2", 295lbs) so had to shim the crap out of pretty much every piece (Biceps, thighs, calves, waist) but in the end, it looks great. The only cracking I've had so far has been in the rear butt piece. I need to reinforce it. But the rest has worked out quite well. For a first time kit, I *highly* recommend it. I'm thinking of getting a different kit for my second one, but for now, I'm very happy.

 

-shnar