Light and quick on one’s feet, light armor is the second type of armor in the world ofThe 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 inSkyrimis particularly good for players who want to remain agile and prefer playingsneaky or quick charactersfrom range. With the right perks unlocked from the skill tree, the best light armor sets inSkyrimcan 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 thebestSkyrimlight armorsets look pretty cool and are effective to boot.
Updated on August 06, 2025, by Gerardo Molina:There are many elements that make Skyrim great. It has an excellent narrative, interesting NPCs for the Dragonborn to interact with, a broad range of weapons, and tons of Light, Medium, and Heavy armor for players to take advantage of. Some of the armor sets on this list can be easily obtained, while others will require players to do a ton of searching or complete certain quests. Although not every set provides an outstanding amount of protection, a lot of them can be the difference between dying and surviving. Not to mention that they boast very attractive designs that will be the envy of many of Skyrim’s inhabitants.
33Netch Leather Armor
A Light Armor With Decent Rating
TheNetch Leather Armorhas a very particular look about it. Compared to heavier armor, it doesn’t offer the best protection rating out there. However, given its base stats, it’s a decent armor set. It can be created by using the Dragonborn DLC and the Netch Leather Armor Creation add-on.
All in all, while it’s not the best-looking armor in the game, the Netch Leather Armor does offer a lot of good things and isn’t particularly difficult to obtain, making it a great choice for those who want a balance between versatility and appearance.
A Neat-Looking Variation Of An Already Great Armor
TheDwarven Mail Armorlooks quite similar to the regular Dwarven Armor, with the main difference that it has a few pieces of clothing that make it stand out. As part of the Alternative Armors - Dwarven Mail Creation Club content, this armor is great for those looking for a balance between decent armor protection and lightness.
It can be forged with a level 30 Smithing skill, and the Dwarven Armor Smithing Perk. This means that crafting it early on might unfortunately not be an option.
31Worn Shrouded Armor
Worn By The Dark Brotherhood
The Dark Brotherhood is one of the coolest factions inThe Elder Scrolls. It’s easy to see why so many people would love the idea of joining this faction and carrying out a bunch of assassinations on their behalf. Not only are these missions a great way to satiate the player’s virtual bloodlust, but becoming a member also grants access to one of thebestSkyrimlight armorsets in terms of pure looks.
The members of this group look the part, wearing black and red armor that lets the Dragonborn appear as mysterious as possible. It may not boast very high armor ratings, but players who know what they’re doing can cruise through the early game with theWorn Shrouded Armorand not face too many problems during their adventure.
30Stormcloak Armor
Worn By The Stormcloaks
The Civil War is one of the most compelling questlines inSkyrim, with the Dragonborn playing an active role in deciding the fate of the North and who will govern it after the conflict comes to an end. Most people side with the Stormcloaks during their first playthrough, given a natural tendency to side with rebels who yearn for their freedom. Their faction sports one of the most iconic looks in the game, worn by guards who love to talk about their knee injuries.
It may not seem all that enticing to wear the armor of a lowly guard, but players don’t have a lot of options in the early going when it comes to light armor. If they give theStormcloak Armorset a shot, they’ll find the look and protection to be decent enough for them to keep it on for a while. It’s far from thebestSkyrimlight armorset, but it is serviceable for a few hours before players move on to better sets.
29Fur Armor
Common Armor Available From The Very Beginning
Fur Armor, in terms of immersion, is probably the best-looking light armor inSkyrim. It hasSkyrimwritten 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 inSkyrim.
28Vampire Royal Armor
Creatures Of The Night Wear This Ornate Armor In The Dawnguard DLC
TheDawnguardexpansion forSkyrimis one of the best DLCs for the game,introducing Vampires to the gamealong with a wealth of new locations and enemies for the player to explore and battle. As one would expect, there’s a wealth of new equipment that players can get their hands on too, with theVampire Armorset 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.
27Skaal Armor
Found In The Region Of Skall, Available In The Dragonborn DLC
A location that is added in theDragonbornexpansion 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.
TheSkaal Armorcertainly 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.
26Armor Of The Old Gods
An Enchanted Set Of Forsworn Armor
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, andArmor of the Old Godsmakes for a pretty useful piece of armor that players can use early on in their run.
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.
25Forsworn Armor
Worn By One Of The More Common Enemy Groups In The Game
For something truly unique, but still well within the theme ofSkyrim’swilds, there’sForsworn 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 challengesome of the Forsworn campsat lower levels due to Briarhearts.
A full Forsworn armor set can be looted off of most Forsworn members at any camplocated in the Reach. Its poor armor rating puts it on the lower end of a light armor tier list.
24Stormcloak Officer Armor
Worn By Stormcloak Captains
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 theirOfficer 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.
