Looking for the best Power Armor in Fallout 4? Power Armor in Fallout 4 not only provides optimal style when exploring the massive RPG, but also makes you stronger, able to carry more weight, land without fall damage and gives you more protection against the dreaded RADS.

As such an intrinsic part of the Fallout 4 experience, we’ve gathered a list of the best Power Armor sets you can find both early and late game. We’ve also provided the Power Armor locations and a rundown of how to repair your armor set to help set you on your way to success.

In this guide:

Fallout 4 best Power Armor ranked

We’ve organised a ranked list of the worst to best Power Armor in Fallout 4. This is based on several factors such as the best to get early on in the game, the best for damage resistance, energy resistance and more.

Nearly all Power Armors will have a baseline radiation resistance of 1,050 (unless buffed with custom pieces). As such, Power Armor is essential when exploring places with high radiation levels where RAD-X isn’t going to cut it.

Damage resistance, of course, dictates how much damage you can take before the structural integrity of the armor is compromised. Energy resistance refers to the amount of damage the armor can take against energy weapons. Keep an eye on this stat if you’re going into synth territory.

We’ve also listed where to get each Power Armor set in the game with map locations and instructions on how to repair it.

5. Raider Power Armor

• Damage Resistance: 500.
• Energy Resistance: 250.
• Item HP: 350.

The Raider Power Armor is objectively the weakest in Fallout 4 but is plentiful throughout The Commonwealth. You’ll often be able to collect pieces off of Raider commanders and it has that ‘apocalypse chic’ look if that’s what you’re after.

It can be easy to write off Raider Power Armor because of its initial weak stats. However, you can massively boost it with the right upgrades like Tessa’s Fist. This is a unique arm piece that can be found on Tessa in Quincy Ruins and provides additional damage resistance, energy resistance, and unarmed damage.

How to get Raider Power Armor

You can pick up pieces of Raider Power Armor from most Raider leaders. For a full set, defeat the Raider boss outside of Vault 88 in the quarry, outside the Revere Beach Station or the Dunwich Borers. Otherwise, you can retrieve a set from inside the Cave within the Glowing Sea.

Additionally, if you have the Nuka-World DLC there is an extremely strong variant of this armor called the Overboss Power Armor which has added electricity and a damage resistance of 1220. You can get the set by defeating Overboss Colter.

4. T-45 Power Armor

• Damage Resistance: 500.
• Energy Resistance: 310.
• Item HP: 450.

The T-45 Power Armor is a reliable and iconic Power Armor suit in the Fallout franchise. Although it’s technically one of the weakest of the bunch, it’s incredibly easy to obtain in an early playthrough. It’s also a common set in the game, making it a great option for players still getting their bearings and experimenting with their first Power Armor set.

Models range from A to F and a fully upgraded suit can get you up to 1100 damage resistance, 910 energy resistance and 1050 radiation resistance. We recommend using this suit from levels 1-10 until you find something a bit sturdier like the T-51 set.

You can upgrade the T-45 beyond the usual modifications with the Piezonucleic power armor torso piece. This is a piece of kit that may spawn within the Cambridge Polymer Labs and will increase the player’s Action Point regeneration rate.

How to get the T-45 Power Armor

You can get the T-45 Power Armor set within the Museum of Freedom basement. You’ll naturally accrue it as part of the When Freedom Calls questline where you first meet Preston Garvey.

3. T-51 Power Armor

• Damage Resistance: 740.
• Energy Resistance: 490.
• Item HP: 720.

Speaking of the T-51, it is the perfect midline Power Armor to prioritise getting once the T-45 loses its shine. The T-51 isn’t too taxing to upgrade and is essentially the T-45 but slightly better in most stats.

Like the T-45, the Piezonucleic power armor torso piece can be fitted to the T-51 for added AP regeneration.

How to get the T-51 Power Armor

You can get a full set of the T-51 Power Armor at the Robotics Disposal Ground, far to the northwest on The Commonwealth map. The armor will be standing dormant next to the Vertibird crash site.

There is also a Nuka-themed T-51 set that came with the Nuka-World DLC and a custom T-51 Vim! themed paint job that arrived with the Far Harbor DLC.

The Nuka T-51 set is fully upgraded whilst also giving the player a +3 in Agility. It also has a unique Nuka-theme that cannot be replicated anywhere else. If you want this set for yourself, you can get one within the Nuka-Cola Bottling Plant in the Nuka-World DLC map.

The Vim! T-51 Power Armor paint is a unique skin for any T-51 set and is themed around the Vim! soda brand. This Power Armor paint came with the Far Harbor expansion and can be found within the Vim! Pop Factory within the Ambassador terminal. When applied, it will give you a +1 to Strength. There is also a ‘Refresh’ green variant found on the same terminal that will give players a +1 in Agility when applied to a T-51 model.

2. T-60 Power Armor

• Damage Resistance: 900.
• Energy Resistance: 645.
• Item HP: 990.

The T-60 Power Armor has great stats across the board and is highly customizable. There are various modification pieces you can collect across The Commonwealth, most notably the Honor and Vengeance T-60 legs that can be bought from Proctor Teagan on The Prydwen. These modified legs can bounce 10% of melee damage back on foes and give a bonus to AP regeneration.

Likewise, you can get a unique torso piece for the T-60 which gives a 20% reduction in AP cost whilst using V.A.T.S. This piece is called the Exemplar’s T-60c and can be found by competing the ‘Duty or Dishonour’ Brotherhood of Steel quest.

Lastly, you can get a Visionary’s T-60c helmet to complete the ensemble, which increases AP regeneration and both damage and energy resistance. This piece can be acquired after completing the ‘A Loose End’ Brotherhood of Steel quest. With all of these unique pieces, it is the most customisable Power Armor set in the game.

How to get the T-60 Power Armor

The easiest way to get a T-60 Power Armor set is by purchasing one from Rowdy, at the Atom Cats Garage, north of the Quincy Ruins and east of Vault 95.

Of course, this can be costly so you may wish to steal a set instead. You can also steal a set from the repair bay in the Prydwen. Again, this is risky and you can end up angering both factions.

There is also a variant T-60 set that came with the Automatron DLC. It’s called the Tesla T-60 armor and provides a bonus to damage dealt by energy weapons (5% per armor piece equipped). You can get this unique set from Ivey at the Fort Hagen hangar which requires you to complete the ‘Headhunting’ quest.

1. X-01 Power Armor

• Damage Resistance: 1220.
• Energy Resistance: 790.
• Item HP: 1260.

As of writing, the X-01 Power Armor is the best set in Fallout 4. With high damage and energy resistance, this can be further modified up to a damage resistance value of 1820 and an energy resistance value of 1390.

As such, the set is fairly rare in Fallout 4 but worth the time and patience to get if you want to be equipped with the best Power Armor in The Commonwealth.

How to get the X-01 Power Armor

As of writing there are no guaranteed spawn spots for the X-01 Power Armor in the main game. Instead, you’ll have to travel to the following spots for a random chance of receiving a full set.

Note, your chance of finding the set will increase if you are at a higher level when you first discover these locations (level 28 plus).

• The East Boston Police Station: West of the police station and inside a cage on the main barge.
• 35 Court: A house within the Financial District. The set will be inside a secret chamber on the rooftop, accessible via a red button. Watch out for the Assaultron and Sentry Bot guarding the area.
• South Boston Military Checkpoint: Southeast of Diamond City. The armor is inside a cage on the western side of the building, locked via an expert-level Terminal.

If you want an even more powerful version of the X-01 Power Suit, with a unique Nuka paint scheme that cannot be replicated, look to the Quantum X-01. This Power Armor set came with the Nuka-World expansion and can be found within the Star Control building in the Galactic Zoneof Nuka-World.

The Quantum X-01 comes fully upgraded and has a unique AP refresh buff when all pieces are equipped at once.

All Power Armor locations in Fallout 4

Below we’ve detailed all guaranteed Power Armor spawn points across The Commonwealth, Far Harbor and Nuka-World maps of Fallout 4.

1. T-60 Power Armor (without helmet): Atom Cats Garage. Southeast in the Commonwealth.
2. T-60 Power Armor (full set): Aboard the Prydwen within the repair bay.
3. T-45 Power Armor (without helmet): Within the Mass Bay Medical Center (Radiology Ward).
4. T-51 Power Armor (full set): Outside of Vault 88 in the quarry. Will spawn on a raider, must kill to acquire it.
5. T-45 Power Armor (without helmet): On a Gunner commander in Quincy Ruins.
6. Raider Power Armor (full set): Inside the Cave within the Glowing Sea.
7. T-45 Power Armor (full set): Within the Museum of Freedom in Concord.
8. T-45 Power Armor (without helmet): At the Robotics Disposal Ground.
9. T-45 Power Armor (without helmet): At the Hub City Auto Wreckers. Usually being worn by the Gunner commander so you’ll have to defeat them first.
10. T-51 Power Armor (can either be a full set or pieces): Inside a truck within the Federal Ration Stockpile.
11. Raider Power Armor (can either be full set or pieces): Worn by a Raider outside the Revere Beach Station.
12. Raider Power Armor (can either be full set or pieces): Worn by a Raider by the Dunwich Borers.
13. Raider Power Armor (can either be a full set or pieces): Worn by a Raider wielding a Rocket Launcher near Lexington, outside Switchboard.
14. Vim! T-51 Power Armor: Located inside the Vim truck, north of the National Park visiter’s Center.
15. Vim! T-51 Power Armor: Inside the Vim! Pop Factory (third floor).
16. Nuka-themed T-51 Power Armor (full set): Inside the World of Refreshment in Nuka-World.
17. Overboss Power Armor (full set): Defeat Overboss Colter to gain this armor set.
18. X-01 Power Armor (partial set): Requires access to an expert-level lock.
19. X-01 Power Armor Power Armor (full set): On the western road within a military truck.
20. X-01 Power Armor (Mk.III set): Behind a locked door. Requires you to hack into an expert-level terminal.
21. Quantum X-01 Power Armor (full set): Inside the Star Control building in the Galactic Zone. Requires you to find all 35 Star Cores to get.

Power Armor spawn rates explained

Listed above are all the guaranteed spawns of Power Armor in Fallout 4. There are plenty of other spawn spots in the game that are randomised. The type of armor you can find there depends on your level when you first entered the area. For this reason, if you’re hunting for a rare Power Armor set, you’re better off exploring high-threat areas when you’re at a higher level (28+).

We’ve detailed below which Power Armor sets are likely to spawn based on level:

• T-45 Power Armor: Levels 1-10.
• T-51 Power Armor: Levels 10-18.
• T-60 Power Armor: Levels 18-27.
• X-01 Power Armor: Levels 28 and over.

As a rule of thumb, if you’re after an X-01 Power Armor set, you’re better off exploring mid-high threat areas of The Commonwealth like Fort Strong when you are at least level 28.

How to repair and modify Power Armor

Now you have the Power Armor of your dreams, you’ll need to know how to repair it as it inevitably takes damage in battle. All Power Armor units will have an item HP meter that determines how much damage they can take. When this falls, you’ll need to dock your armor at a Power Armor Station.

There, you can select ‘Craft’ which will take you to a menu where you can add modified parts to your armor, apply a custom paint job or repair pieces in return for some materials. You can get materials by recycling junk at any workshop.

These Power Armor stations are dotted around The Commonwealth, but the first you’ll likely encounter is located at the Red Rocket truck stop. You can also build Power Armor Stations at any of your settlements when you gain the Local Leader perk (rank 2) and the Armorer perk in the Strength skill tree.

If you want to get the most out of your Power Armor, also consider investing in the Nuclear Physicist perk in the Intelligence tree which will give you extended use of Fusion Cores before they are depleted.

That rounds off our guide to the best Power Armor in Fallout 4 and all Power Armor locations in the game. For more Fallout 4 tips and tricks, see our guide to the best Fallout 4 mods or see our building guide for tips on creating the best sanctuaries in the Commonwealth.