The 10 Best Armor For Monks in D&D 5e [Ranked]

The world of D&D lets adventurers pick and choose between various armors, shields, and defensive trinkets.

However, some armors stand out above the rest, fitting an adventurer’s background, build, flavor and simply giving more useful stats to that character.

In the case of Monks, their backstories and playstyles rarely have them don any armor, mainly wearing belts, cloaks, cloves, tattoos, boots, rings, and masks.

A Monk’s Unarmored Defense is usually enough to withstand the blows of powerful foes, which allows them to focus more on armor that increases their natural affinity for unarmed combat or roguish movements.

Monk Armor Proficiency

• None

Best Armor for the Monk in 5e

10. Belt of Giant Strength

Rarity – Rare, Very Rare, or Legendary (all requiring attunement)

Item Type – Wondrous item

Description

Wearing the belt changes your Strength score with that granted by the belt. Having Strength equal to or greater than that of the belt mitigates any effects of the belt.

Six varieties of the belt exist, corresponding with and having rarity according to the six kinds of true giants.

Explanation

The Belt of Giant Strength is great, but for the Monk, it only has a handful of purposes.

Three are: dealing damage with melee weapons, grappling/shoving, replacing the damage of their unarmed strikes with their Strength modifier, and jumping.

Strength-based Monks aren’t bad and can work quite well, but if you want to play a less frustrating build, you should just go for the optimal Monk paths.

9. Bracers of Defense

Rarity – Rare (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Wondrous item

Description

Wearing these bracers lets you gain a +2 bonus to AC while not wearing armor or using a shield.

Explanation

Monks aren’t fond of using armor, and since they use Unarmored Defense, the Bracers of Defense fit them perfectly.

A +2 to AC is nothing to scoff at, and since you’ll definitely ignore armor and shields, you shouldn’t have a problem with maintaining this +2 as long as you want to wear these bracers.

8. Boots of Striding and Springing

Rarity – Uncommon (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Wondrous item

Description

Wearing these boots makes your walking speed 30 feet unless your walking speed is already higher, and your speed isn’t reduced if you are wearing heavy armor or are encumbered.

You can also jump three times the normal distance, but you can’t jump further than your remaining movement allows.

Explanation

Since jumping in D&D uses your Strength instead of your Dexterity, most Monks don’t need to jump.

However, with the Boots of Striding and Springing, you can now leap ridiculous distances to get to your enemies or escape them, as your jump distances are multiplied by 3.

7. Ring of Free Action

Rarity – Rare (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Ring

Description

Wearing this ring means difficult terrain doesn’t cost extra movement. In addition, magic can neither cause you to become paralyzed or restrained nor reduce your speed.

Explanation

Much like Rogues, Monks prefer a hit-and-run playstyle, as their walking speed is more than enough to allow this.

The only problem is when difficult terrain enters the picture, but with the Ring of Free Action, you can ignore that problem.

Another great addition is the fact that you’re basically immune to being restrained or paralyzed by magical means, so have fun striking those spellcasters!

6. Peregrine Mask

Rarity – Very Rare (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Wondrous item

Description

Wearing this winged helm gives you a flying speed of 60 feet, as well as advantage on initiative rolls.

Explanation

Peregrine Mask is a lot like the Winged Boots but better for Monks.

The flying speed is wonderful, but the advantage on initiative rolls allows Monks to get into a battle quicker, landing their Stunning Strike and dealing devastating damage with their Flurry of Blows.

5. Gloves of Soul Catching

Rarity – Legendary (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Wondrous item

Description

Wearing the gloves means your Constitution score is 20 (this property has no effect if your Constitution is already at 20).

Making a successful unarmed strike while wearing these gloves lets you deal an extra 2d10 Force damage to the target, regaining a number of HP equal to the Force damage dealt.

However, you can gain advantage on one attack roll, saving throw, or ability check made before your turn ends, meaning you regain no HP.

Explanation

Even though Gloves of Soul Catching wasn’t made for Monks, it’s almost as if they were.

Not only does it solve the Monk’s low HP issue, but it has a similar ability to Blood Fury Tattoo, allowing the Monk to deal more damage and gain HP, staying in the battle for longer.

4. Blood Fury Tattoo

Rarity – Legendary (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Wondrous item (tattoo)

Description

The magic tattoo is produced using a special needle.

Tattoo Attunement – Hold the needle to your skin where you want the tattoo, pressing it to the spot throughout the entire attunement process.

When completed, the needle will become the ink that becomes the tattoo, then appear on the skin.

Ending your attunement will make the tattoo vanish, and the needle will reappear in your space.

Bloodthirsty Strikes – The tattoo holds 10 charges, regaining all expended charges each day at dawn. You gain the following benefits with the tattoo on your skin:

• Hitting a creature with a weapon attack lets you expend a charge and deal an extra 4d6 Necrotic damage to the creature, regaining HP equal to the Necrotic damage dealt.
• Being damaged by a visible creature lets you expend a charge and use your reaction to perform a melee attack against the creature with advantage on your attack roll.

Explanation

The Blood Fury Tattoo helps Monks by increasing their damage and helps them survive long fights where their HP might start to sink.

 While Unarmored Defense is decent, if Wisdom and Dexterity aren’t at 18 or 20, it tends to be rather weak. However, with Blood Fury Tattoo, you can throw punching without worrying about your HP dropping.

3. Dragonhide Belt

Rarity – Uncommon (+1), Rare (+2), Very Rare (+3) (requiring attunement by a Monk)

Item Type – Wondrous item

Description

This belt is made from dragonhide and has fine detail.

While wearing the belt, you gain a bonus to saving throw DCs of your Ki features determined by the rarity of the belt.

You can also use an action in order to regain Ki points equal to a roll of your Martial Arts die, but you cannot use this action again until the break of the next dawn.

Explanation

The Dragonhide Belt was designed for a Monk, helping them land their devastating Ki abilities.

Not only that, but the fact that it has Ki Point regeneration makes it one of the best items for a Monk to pick up. 

Luckily, it’s a belt, so there aren’t many contenders except for the Belt of Giant Strength, but that doesn’t even come close to its usefulness.

2. Boots of Speed

Rarity – Rare (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Wondrous item

Description

Wearing these boots lets you use a bonus action to click the boot’s heels together. Doing this doubles your walking speed, and creatures that make opportunity attacks against you will have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Clicking your heels together again ends this effect. After the boots’ property has been used for a total of 10 minutes, their magic will cease to function until you finish a long rest.

Explanation

Monks are known for being speed demons, and with the Boots of Speed, they become the embodiment of speed.

Just think of it like this. At level 20, Monks usually have a walking speed of 60 feet, but with the Boots of Speed active, they have 120 feet!

1. Cloak of Displacement

Rarity – Rare (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Wondrous item

Description

Wearing this cloak projects an illusion that makes it look like you’re standing in a place close to your actual location, giving creatures disadvantage on attack rolls against you.

Taking damage will stop this function until the start of your next turn. This property is also suppressed while you are restrained, incapacitated, or unable to move.

Explanation

The Cloak of Displacement not only fits with the flavor of a Monk but makes it more challenging to hit them.

Monks are also highly agile and have insane walking speed, so good luck catching one, let alone dealing damage to one with this cloak on.

Final Thoughts

For the most part, each class in D&D has its most used or beloved armor that is both iconic and functional.

Though some of these armors might not be the best D&D armor overall, they remain the best option for that character at the moment.

A good example would be the choice between a belt that gives you increased Strength stats and a belt that gives you bonuses to your Ki saves, as the first one focuses more on melee weapon damage, and the second one is better when you make use of your Ki abilities.

In the end, whether you decide to take a conventional or unconventional armor, as long as you like it and it fits your playstyle, you should roll with it!