While leather was rarely used for a full suit of armor, it was used throughout history to provide daily lightweight protection and warmth. Primarily leather armor used during battle was supplemented by metal plates attached between the layers of leather, in a style called brigandine.

Has leather armor been used?

Leather armor has been used in a variety of forms throughout the Middle Ages. Even after other forms of armor became more popular, leather armor still had its place, either as an under layer, an over layer or covering parts of the body such as the legs, in ensuring that the soldier was protected in battle.

When was leather armour used?

The most famous of which is likely the leather "rerebrace" (upper arm armor, between the elbow and shoulder defenses) from the British Museum. These date somewhere between the early to middle 14th century and are most likely English in origin.