Highlights
- Light armor in Skyrim may have lower defense, but offers unique perks for stealthy or quick characters.
- Some light armor sets are easily accessible early in the game, like Fur Armor, perfect for immersion.
- Players can find powerful light armor sets like Nightingale or Dragonscale Armor through quests or crafting.
Light and quick on one's feet, light armor is the second type of armor in the world of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. While it's usually overlooked by most players as not being good enough due to its significantly lower armor rating, light armor does have its perks. Light armor in Skyrim is particularly good for players who want to remain agile and prefer playing sneaky or quick characters from range. With the right perks unlocked from the skill tree, the best light armor sets in Skyrim can be a real game-changer and also grant some incredible bonuses.
While it's true that light armor doesn't boast the highest defenses, players can still use these armor sets to compliment a unique playthrough that doesn't involve Daedric armor for what feels like the umpteenth time. It helps that Skyrim boasts many unique sets of light armor that look pretty cool and are effective to boot.
Updated on May 10, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Skyrim is a video game that players can't get enough of right now, with players loving the sheer amount of fun they can have exploring this massive world as they transform from a lowly prisoner who's life was slated to end on the chopping block into the fated Dragonborn who embarks on a quest to save the world from Alduin, the World-Eater. A huge part of what helps players feel so powerful is the armor they wear to absorb damage and tank blows as they unleash a whirlwind of attacks upon their opposition. While Light Armor may be frowned upon in this department because of the lower level of protection it provides compared to Medium or Heavy Armor, there are still many perks players can enjoy while wearing these light suits of armor. It helps that there are many powerful pieces of Light Armor that players can check out to make things easier for themselves.
29 Fur Armor
Common Armor Available From The Very Beginning
- Full Set Armor Rating: 44 points
- How To Find: Stormcloak soldiers, bandits in Skyrim
Fur armor, in terms of immersion, is probably the best-looking light armor in Skyrim. It has Skyrim written all over it, but sadly it's among the weakest armors in the game. With upgrades, a set of fur armor can be improved to a degree.
The good thing about fur armor is that it's available easily and at the beginning of the game, though it can't be crafted and it's usually not sold by any merchants in Skyrim.
28 Vampire Royal Armor
The Creatures Of The Night Wear This Ornate-Looking Armor In The Dawnguard DLC
- Full Set Armor Rating: 45 points
- How To Find: Common drops from vampires
The Dawnguard expansion for Skyrim is one of the best DLCs for the game, introducing Vampires to the game along with a wealth of new locations and enemies for the player to explore. As one would expect, there's a wealth of new equipment that players can get their hands on too, with the Vampire Armor set being a decent pick for light armor fanatics to check out.
The Royal variant of this armor is easily the best one of the lot, boasting 45 points of armor when the full set is worn. It may not be the most valuable light armor set around, but the cool look for this armor is perfect for players who don't really care about defenses all that much and just want the Dragonborn to look as aesthetic as possible.
27 Skaal Armor
Found In The Region Of Skall, Available In The Dragonborn DLC
- Full Set Armor Rating: 46 points
- How To Find: Worn by some hunters and the residents of Skaal
A location that is added in the Dragonborn expansion is Skaal, a village where players deal with the cold by wearing fur armor that looks pretty special. Unfortunately, to get this armor, most players have to fight and kill a friendly NPC to loot the armor from their corpses.
The armor certainly looks unique and is worth acquiring if players like the look, even if the defense it provides isn't anything to write home about. If players don't want to kill innocents to get this armor, then they can explore Fahlbtharz or Highpoint Tower instead.
26 Armor Of The Old Gods
An Enchanted Set Of Forsworn Armor
- Full Set Armor Rating: 50 points
- How To Find: At the final stage of the quest No One Escapes Cidhna Mine
Sometimes, the armor rating isn't the only thing that players should track in the game. Instead, it's the overall utility that any armor brings to the table, and Armor of the Old Gods makes for a pretty useful piece of armor that players can use early on in their run.
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The entire armor reduces the cost of destruction spells, improves sneaking, increases bow damage, and adds to the Dragonborn's magicka pool by 30 points. Suffice it to say, stealth archery and spell-casting become far more enjoyable and effective with this armor set.
25 Forsworn Armor
Worn By One Of The More Common Enemy Groups In The Game
- Full Set Armor Rating: 52 points
- How To Find: Forsworn members
For something truly unique, but still well within the theme of Skyrim's wilds, there's Forsworn armor. It's another armor set that's fairly easy to find even early on in the game, although it's generally not advised to challenge some of the Forsworn camps at lower levels due to Briarhearts.
A full Forsworn armor set can be looted off of most Forsworn members at any camp located in the Reach. Its poor armor rating puts it on the lower end of a light armor tier list.
24 Stormcloak Officer Armor
Worn By Stormcloak Captains
- Full Set Armor Rating: 53 points
- How To Find: Obtained by completing the quests The Battle for Fort Snowhawk, Battle for Whiterun, and/or Battle for Windhelm
The Stormcloaks are whom most players side with during the Civil War, with most people assuming this side to be more on the side of good than the Imperials. This completely changes the nature of this questline, with players helping the rebels take over Skyrim and flushing out the presence of the Imperials for good.
Helping out the Stormcloaks is a great way to get their hands on their Officer Armor, but players who side with the Imperials don't have to feel dejected by missing out on this piece of armor. Killing a Captain or going through certain quests in the Civil War storyline as a part of the Imperials will ensure that players won't miss out on this amazing piece of armor.
23 Morag Tong Armor
The Infamous Attire Worn By Assassins Of The Morag Tong
- Full Set Armor Rating: 53 points
- How To Find: Solstheim in Ashfallow Citadel
Players who have the Dragonborn DLC installed might recognize this as the Chitin armor. However, the darker coloring on the face reveals it to be Morag Tong assassin attire, which can be looted from an assassin in Solstheim or found in Ashfallow Citadel.
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It can't be crafted, but being fairly easy to find, it's one of the best light armor sets in Skyrim to add to any assassin character's build. The full set will grant the player an armor rating of 53.
22 Hide Armor
A Very Common Set Of Armor That Is Serviceable In The Early Game
- Full Set Armor Rating: 55 points
- How To Find: Smithing, merchants, common in loot
One of the most basic and earliest light armor sets in Skyrim available, hide armor in Skyrim is extremely easy to find both in loot and at shops. It's also available for anyone to craft regardless of Smithing skill level, and requires leather, as well as leather strips.
When worn with a shield, the full set will give the player an armor rating of 55, just a bit better than the Morag Tong assassin's armor, and is available in the base game.
21 Shrouded Armor
One Of The More Common Dark Brotherhood Armor Sets
- Full Set Armor Rating: 58 points
- How To Find: Joining the Dark Brotherhood
This skin-tight armor set is granted to those who join the ranks of the Dark Brotherhood. It's usually enchanted with powerful boosts to abilities used by assassins and thieves alike. After the faction is joined, this set will appear pretty often and other variations become available as well.
In fact, some alternate versions estimate their base armor rating to be around 72, but the basic version is still 58. For assassins, this is the best light armor set in Skyrim.
20 Thieves Guild Armor
Armor Worn By Members Of The Legendary Thieves Guild
- Full Set Armor Rating: 60 points
- How To Find: Present in the Ragged Flagon - Cistern
The Thieves Guild is one of the many organizations that players can join if they want to explore one of the many unique questlines in the game with memorable characters. Not only does joining the guild give players access to a fence, but they can also get a pretty sweet light armor set too!
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Players can also go to Riften and get an entire set from the fence there after starting the quest Loud and Clear. It's one of the easier armor sets to obtain in the game that boasts fairly decent defenses and is perfect for players who want to regenerate their stamina quickly in combat.
19 Ancient Falmer Armor
Added In The Dawnguard DLC
- Full Set Armor Rating: 60 points
- How To Find: Looted off Arch-Curate Vyrthur
This is among the most unique light armor sets in Skyrim. It can't be crafted, but it can eventually be upgraded with some moonstone ore. The Ancient Falmer Armor has a cool appearance that almost seems to combine an Ebony armor set and an Elven armor set.
To get this light armor set, the Dawnguard DLC must be installed and Arch-Curate Vyrthur has to be defeated during the quest Touching the Sky. Loot his corpse to find this lovely unique set, which totals a 60 armor rating.
18 Dawnguard Armor
Worn By The Eponymous Faction
- Full Set Armor Rating: 61 points
- How To Find: Join the Dawnguard faction
The Dawnguard DLC introduces players to a new faction that fights the rise of the Volkihar vampires. Recruits can choose between a heavy or a light armor set, the light one being a slightly modified version of the heavy one. It's easily available and simple to find, and can even be repurchased although it can't be crafted.
The full set of light armor will provide the player with an armor rating of 61, which makes it an average-tier light armor set in Skyrim. It's far from useless, but there are much better options out there for those who know where to look.
17 Scaled Armor
Mid-Game Light Armor That Starts Spawning After Players Become Powerful Enough
- Full Set Armor Rating: 64 points
- How To Find: Bandits, or through Smithing
Another base game light armor, scaled armor is easy to find in loot or even on the corpses of most bandits. However, if finding it proves difficult, the player can also craft one provided their Smithing is at level 50 and they have the Advanced Armors perk unlocked.
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The recipe calls for Corundum ingot, leather, leather strips, and steel ingot. Scaled armor, when wearing a full set, will grant the player an armor rating of roughly 64, making it a mid-tier light armor set when all's said and done.
16 Imperial Light Armor
The Imperial Legion's Distinctive Set Of Armor
- Full Set Armor Rating: 68 points
- How To Find: Join the Imperial Legion
There are some mild perks to joining the Imperial Legion, one of which is getting one's hands on the Imperial Light Armor set. This armor can be acquired pretty much instantly in the game as the Dragonborn escapes Helgen. It can also be crafted if the Steel Smithing perk is unlocked.
The full set of Imperial Light Armor along with a shield will give its wearer an armor rating of 68. It's far from the best light armor set in Skyrim, but it can be incredibly useful in certain situations.
15 Nightingale Armor
A Cool-Looking Armor Set Obtained By Following The Thieves Guild's Questline
- Full Set Armor Rating: 69 points
- How To Find: Join the Thieves Guild and complete the questline
The Thieves Guild is one of the best factions to join if players are looking to grab two sets of unique light armor for the price of one quest line. Not only will they eventually have the Guild Master's armor, but they'll also get one of the coolest-looking light armor sets in the entire game: the Nightingale set.
After joining the Nightingales and doing Daedric Prince Nocturnal's bidding, they'll be gifted with this set late into the Thieves Guild's main quest. The armor can be upgraded with Void Salts, and when the full set is worn it totals to an armor rating of 69, making the Nightingale light armor set one of the best light armor sets in Skyrim.
14 Linwe's Armor
Named After The Person Who Owns And Wears This Armor Set
- Full Set Armor Rating: 69 points
- How To Find: Loot or pickpocket Linwe
There are various sets of light armor that players can obtain in the Thieves Guild. However, it's this unique set that is pretty useful and is surprisingly geared toward combat as opposed to pure stealth.
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Killing Linwe from the Thieves Guild to loot her or pickpocketing her is the only way to get her unique set of armor in the game. Wearing this entire set increases the Dragonborn's stamina, improves sneaking, and increases damage with both one-handed swords and bows.
13 Blackguard's Armor
Obtainable After Completing The Quest Paid In Full
- Full Set Armor Rating: 72 points
- How To Find: In the basem*nt of Glover Mallory's house
Another set of unique armor that can be acquired after joining the Thieves Guild is the Blackguard's Armor. This is present in a display case in Glover Mallory's basem*nt and boasts a ton of buffs that make it a great piece of armor to use.
It increases carrying capacity, improves the success rate of both pickpocketing and lockpicking and also improves the prices at which goods can be sold and bought. Players need to complete the quest Paid in Full before getting a chance to obtain this piece of armor.
12 Daedric Mail Armor
Part Of The Alternative Armors Creation Club Content
- Full Set Armor Rating: 72 points
- How To Find: Obtained at the end of the quest Missing Merchant
The advent of the Creation Club has elicited a ton of mixed reactions from players, but there's no denying that the quality of content added to the game is pretty engrossing. There are many Alternative Armors players can download to expand the wealth of outfits players can get their hands on, with the Daedric Mail looking particularly awesome.
Light Armor aficionados who hated that they couldn't wear any armor that was infused with Daedric material will be more than happy to acquire the Daedric Mail set. Not only does it look amazing, but it provides an amazing level of protection that will help players stand against the toughest of foes without facing too many problems.
11 Ancient Shrouded Armor
A Powerful Set Of Armor Found At The End Of The Dark Brotherhood Questline
- Full Set Armor Rating: 72 points
- How To Find: Obtained at the end of the quest Locate the Assassin of Old
Unique light armor is all the rage in Skyrim, and the Ancient Shrouded Armor set is no exception to this rule. This armor is found at the end of a Dark Brotherhood quest on an assassin's corpse inside a secret room behind the throne in Hag's End.
The entire set prevents the Dragonborn from being poisoned, muffles the wearer's footsteps, increases bow damage, and doubles sneak attack damage with one-handed weapons. Stealthing around and beating enemies into a pulp becomes a blast with the Ancient Shrouded armor set.
10 Guild Master's Armor
Restore The Thieves Guild To Its Former Glory
- Full Set Armor Rating: 76 points
- How To Find: Solstheim in Ashfallow Citadel
With the Nightingale armor out of the way, the slightly less cool-looking but still immensely good Guild Master's armor set is worth the grind and is much better than the Nightingale set when it comes to armor rating only. It's also easier to upgrade with just leather.
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To get their hands on this, players will not only need to finish the main quest for the Thieves Guild but also restore the guild to its former glory by running a few jobs for Delvin and Vex. Tonilia will then gift them with this armor set, which is easily among the best light armor sets in Skyrim with a rating of 76.
