20 Best Free Armor Mods For Skyrim (Our Top Picks)
This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something we may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. (Learn more).Armor. The main defensive means of any warrior.
Regardless of the quality of your shield, having a decent set of armor can be the decisive factor between life and death.
As good as some base game armors come, there are some things which could be added and improved.
The Skyrim modding community has been developing some incredibly well-made armor mods for years. And since the release of Skyrim for PC the number of mods has only grown larger.
Right now the number of extra armor mods you can download is so large that browsing any Skyrim mod forum will take you hours if you are solely looking for wears!
So I’ve compiled a list of the finest extra armor mods to help you whittle down the best of the best. Be sure to grab anything that looks enticing and just remember these are all totally free!
20. Blades Samurai Armor and Kimonos
Have you ever desired to roleplay a Samurai in Skyrim without breaking the character of the Dragonborn?
Fear not, this mod is exactly what you are looking for.
It adds a variety of heavy armor sets to the game intended to be used by the Blades.
The design fits right in with the Blades’ armors so it is as close to a legit Samurai armor as you will get in the game.
The best thing about this mod is that it also adds weapons with the Samurai theme to the game. Which means you will be able to roam around the plains of Skyrim with your trusty katana and a lust for blood!
19. Ritual Armor of Boethiah
If you are interested in lore-friendly sets of armor this one is going to be just a plain treat.
Those who like to roleplay dark characters might want to give the Ritual Armor of Boethiah a try, as it was a set of armor originally forged by cultists who praised the Daedric Prince Boethiah.
Now you can craft the set of armor yourself and bring terror to the hearts of the innocent in the realm.
18. Goyen, The Draconic Knight Armor
This heavy set of armor once belonged to Goyen, a knight who used to serve the Dragon Kings.
After he was betrayed, the man went on a bloodlust to kill all of the kings, and his armor became a thing of legend.
If you want to get your hands on the set of armor once belonging to this fearsome warrior you will have to kill the boss in Dovah Kendaar Do Jun.
But be warned: you will need to be prepared to face a very strong opponent here. It is an additional set, after all.
17. Alfheim Knights
Have you ever noticed how most sets of armor in Skyrim do not seem to fit Elven characters quite right?
In fact, you would even think Elven characters seem to be made specifically for the purpose of being mages. And using any other type of armor other than a robe would look a bit ridiculous.
There must be a way to fix this, right? Good news – there is!
The Alfheim Knights armor is a set which adapts to an Elven knight almost perfectly.
It belongs to a race of warrior elves who combine both their intuition and the strength of most humans from Skyrim.
16. Warchief Armor
The Warchief armor is very unique, but it somehow does not feel out of place in the game.
The creator of the mod has stated the main goal of this armor was to fuse some of the main aspects of the main warrior races of the game, a purpose which seems to have been diligently fulfilled.
The Warchief armor incorporates bear skin and skulls of slain foes to an otherwise elegant set of fur.
You can use this armor in light as well as heavy versions, so it is up to you to decide how you want to dress for the kill.
15. DreamBurrows Regal Assassin Armor
This set is based on the classic armor sets of Assassin’s Creed. And it has that traditional hood we all fell in love with.
However you can choose how you want to wear this armor: you can craft it as light or create it as clothing.
If you do not want to dress heavily then this is a great set of armor for you to use. Especially for Creed fans who like to intermix their fandoms a bit.
Do keep in mind it is mainly aimed at thieves and assassins, so it may not be the best set if you are roleplaying a knight.
14. Armor of Intrigue
Now this armor can be used by any type of player.
The creators of the mod made sure that you can craft equipment to the armor depending on how you want to play, which means thieves and knights alike will find a use for this highly-detailed set of armor.
It is up to you to decide which elements to add to it.
13. Dragonbone Ebonsteel Armor
Have you ever wondered how the Dragonbone armor would look if it were to be crafted by a smith capable of working with ebony?
This is your answer to an otherwise uncommon question.
Dragonbone Ebonsteel Armor is one of the most beautiful sets on the list. And though it is extremely heavy, it will protect you from all kinds of foes including the mightiest of dragons.
12. Perfect Legionnaire – Imperial Armor Reforged
The armor worn by the Imperial Legion has been a sign of prestige.
And many warriors prefer to wear it proudly, though they do not belong to the Imperial Legion themselves.
This mod aims to overhaul the way the Imperial armor looks by making it slicker and more impressive than in Oblivion and Skyrim. I’d say it turned out pretty well.
11. Lost Paladins of the Divines Wrath Armor
Do you remember that beautiful set of Paladin armor going around back in the days of Oblivion?
This mod is a complete rework of that set which gives you an armored horse with a similar set to the one included for your character.
It is a very beautiful set of armor and it somehow seems to fit perfectly well with the lore of the game.
10. Raven Witch Armor
This female-only armor works best if you intend to wear it with humans only. Which means you will want to avoid trying this dark set on an Argonian for sure.
The mod adds the Apex Werewolf armor to the game which is beneficial and can be crafted if you have the advanced armor smithing perk.
9. DreamBurrows Regal Huntsman Armor
If you have ever wanted to feel like a hunter in Skyrim, but none of the sets included in the base game seem to do the trick, then you will definitely want to check out the Regal’s Huntsman Armor.
It is a beautiful set crafted with fur and adds decent protection on top of a spectacular look that is almost unmatched by any set found in the base game.
Also it’s clearly based on Assassin’s Creed, as is the case with the last DreamBurrows set mentioned on this list.
8. Daedric Reaper Armor
Have you ever felt like the Daedric armor is not as evil as you would like?
Well this Daedric Reaper mod takes the regular Daedric armor one step further and makes it look as if it came straight out of the Diablo universe.
This armor includes a set of two extremely powerful swords along with defensive wear.
And though the set itself does not seem right to be worn by the Dragonborn, it is an awesome and extremely detailed piece of wear you will definitely want to check out.
7. Demon Hunter Armor
This female-only armor, which should honestly be called Demon Huntress Armor, is a detailed piece of leather wear that complements its defensive look with some metal alloys.
The set itself is very lightweight and adapts to most types of playstyles. Although admittedly it looks much better on nimble characters like thieves and assassins.
6. Knight of Thorns Armor
This set, which also includes the Spear of Thorns, is the ideal armor to be worn by a Dark Knight role-player.
The armor adapts to almost any type of body in the game and works with both male and female characters.
It is an extremely powerful set which needs to be uncovered in a coffin located on Serpent Stone Island.
5. Kynreeve Armor
Kynreeve Kahl is a powerful Daedra which can be summoned by the most skilled of Conjurers, provided you have already installed the mod that includes him.
In any case, the armor worn by this Dremora is so beautiful that many players have wanted to get their hands on it for a while.
And this mod makes it possible for you to obtain the set worn by this powerful summonable follower.
You will need to visit the Skytemple Ruins and take a stand against two powerful level 30 Dremora who are waiting for you to take them down.
It’s going to be a tough fight, and it requires you to kill them both if you wish to get your hands on the amazing Kynreeve set. But in my eyes it’s well worth the trouble.
4. Shudad Armor
This amazing set of armor looks to have been brought straight out of a movie set.
It is so majestic and I think you’ll struggle to find anything like it in any mod page. Although you cannot get your hands on this mod using the Nexus browser – it is only available to download via Steam, and the developer is no longer supporting it sadly.
In any case this unique armor is modeled to be worn both by males and females, and its appearance is so mighty, you will look like a holy warrior wearing it.
Lack of updates may be a turnoff but I think it’s so fun that I just had to include this in my top 5.
3. Masters of Death – Rise of the Dark Brotherhood
This mod replaces all of the Dark Brotherhood armors with these incredible sets, which are as beautiful to look at as they are meticulously made.
It is called the Sicarius Armor and it adapts perfectly to any assassin playstyle you might want to follow. As you can imagine, it is based on the traditional Assassin’s Creed style too.
The set does not fall short on detail and it also fits perfectly into the world of Skyrim. Give it a try and see what you think.
2. Silver Dragon Armor
Now this set of dark armor is made to look as if it were a dragon standing.
The helmet is one of the most perfectly-crafted I have encountered in the Skyrim modder community, second to none on this list.
Furthermore it provides great defensive attributes and serves as a perfect type of armor to be worn by those who are a bit far away from the light, if you catch my drift.
Traversing through the plains of Skyrim with a dark horse and this set of armor is a thing to behold and you will absolutely love doing so if you download this mod to go along with your journey.
1. Immersive Armors
Created by the same developer of Immersive Weapons, this mod adds new armor types to the game and increases the variety of where they spawn.
Ultimately this makes Skyrim feel way richer than it does when you first download the base game or any of its DLC’s.
All of the armors added with this mod are extremely lore-friendly. And with over 50 sets of armor to choose from it will be hard for you to not find something you like considering everything this mod has to offer.