If you want to wear armor and still look different from other Minecraft players, then armor trims are for you. They allow you to customize your Minecraft armor with cool designs and best of all, they’re purely cosmetic and don’t affect your armor’s protection or durability. You can make colorful patterns using primary minerals like Gold, Diamond, Amethyst, and many more. Mix and match to see what suits you the most by using three simple ingredients armor trims, minerals, and a piece of armor. There are limitless combinations for you to choose from. So, in this guide, let’s learn how to find all armor trims in Minecraft and how to use them.
Location of All Armor Trims in Minecraft
Finding most Minecraft armor trims comes down to exploring their dedicated structures and looting the chests in these locations or brushing suspicious gravel in the trail ruins. But some smithing templates are rarer than others, and one even requires you to kill a powerful mob. Below is a quick-reference table of all 18 armor trim locations in Minecraft.
| Armor Trim | Location |
|---|---|
| Flow Armor Trim | Trial Chambers |
| Bolt Armor Trim | Trial Chambers |
| Sentry Armor Trim | Pillager Outpost |
| Dune Armor Trim | Desert Pyramid |
| Coast Armor Trim | Shipwreck |
| Wild Armor Trim | Jungle Temple |
| Tide Armor Trim | Ocean Monument (Elder Guardian Drop) |
| Ward Armor Trim | Ancient City |
| Vex Armor Trim | Woodland Mansion |
| Rib Armor Trim | Nether Fortress |
| Snout Armor Trim | Bastion Remnant |
| Eye Armor Trim | Stronghold |
| Spire Armor Trim | End City |
| Silence Armor Trim | Ancient City |
| Wayfinder Armor Trim | Trail Ruins |
| Raiser Armor Trim | Trail Ruins |
| Shaper Armor Trim | Trail Ruins |
| Host Armor Trim | Trail Ruins |
Let’s go over each armor trim location in Minecraft to figure out how to obtain them properly, including exact drop rates where available.
1. Flow Armor Trim
The Flow armor trim can only be found in the newly added trial chambers in the latest Minecraft 1.21 update. It is one of the many loot items you get from the ominous vault. There is a 22.5% drop chance for the Flow Armor Trim from the ominous vault.
In order to get this armor trim, you first need to get the ominous trial key, which requires you to trigger and complete ominous trials in Minecraft. Get the Bad Omen effect and get started with this adventure.
This armor design is a personal favorite. The pattern is full of spirals and twisting lines that immediately remind you of the Breeze mob in Minecraft and its wind powers.
2. Bolt Armor Trim
The Bolt armor trim is obtainable through the vault block inside trial chambers. You will need to obtain a trial key first and then unlock the vault to possibly get the Bolt trim. There is a 5.4% drop chance from the standard vault.
It is different from most other trims because some of its design’s parts only include one standalone pixel. The rest of the pattern includes straight lines and geometrical shapes.
3. Sentry Armor Trim
To find the Sentry armor trim, you have to loot the chest at the top of the pillager outposts in the Overworld dimension. It has approximately a 5% drop chance from the outpost chest. It adds a simple stripe to your helmet.
The chestplate has a pattern that almost represents a target or even a flower in the center, with four squares and stripes on the shoulders. The leggings get a similar four-square pattern, and the boots get a stripe.
4. Dune Armor Trim
The location of the Dune armor trim is the chest of the hidden underground room of the desert temple. If you are not careful enough, you might trigger TNT traps in Minecraft while collecting them. However, since the temple has 4 chests, you can get multiple templates in one go.
The chestplate with this trim has a square in the center and an outline around it in front, and on the back, there is a circle around a short horizontal line. The rest of the armor has curvy lines as a trim.
5. Coast Armor Trim
Coast armor trims spawn inside the chests of shipwrecks in the Overworld, which are not that hard to find. The problem with shipwrecks is that you get anywhere between 0 to 3 chests in each of them.
As you might expect, the higher the number of chests, the rarer shipwrecks’ spawning is. Moreover, as per our testing, all three chests have similar chances of spawning the armor trim. So, you might have to explore a few shipwrecks before finding the Coast trim.
You will get a sleek strip design on the armor with a downward curve in the middle of every other stripe.
6. Wild Armor Trim
Hidden behind booby traps and darkness, Wild armor trim spawns inside the chests of jungle temples in the Overworld. It adds spikes on the chestplate and straight ones on the leggings.
7. Tide Armor Trim
Tide armor trim is the only smithing template that requires you to kill a mob to get it. You have to find and kill an Elder Guardian to make them drop it, there is a 20% chance of the Elder Guardian dropping the Tide trim on death (Looting does not affect this). Since this mob exclusively spawns inside ocean monuments in Minecraft, learn how to collect prismarine shards while you’re there to use for duplication later.
As for the pattern, you get an expressive design with a face-like helmet, two lines joining into an emblem in the chestplate, and a joint curve in the leggings. The emblem design also shows up on the back of your helmet.
8. Ward Armor Trim
As the name suggests, the Ward armor trim is found in the chests inside the ancient city, home of the Warden. This makes it one of the riskiest smithing templates to get, so knowing how to handle the Warden before you go is important. Thanks to the large number of chests in the structure, you can expect to find the Ward trim relatively quickly once you’re inside. You can also use our list of best ancient city seeds in Minecraft to find one fast.
9. Vex Armor Trim
Vex armor trim spawns inside the chests of Minecraft woodland mansions, home to various powerful illagers. The Vex trim has one of the highest drop rates of all armor trims roughly a 50% chance from mansion chests with random loot. Keep in mind that not all mansion chests contain random loot, so make sure to check every chest.
As for the design, you get angry vex eyebrows on top of helmets and a long horizontal line on the chestplate, which is identical to the Evoker’s robe.
10. Rib Armor Trim
To get the Rib armor trim, you need to make a Nether portal in Minecraft and travel to the Nether dimension. There, explore the Nether fortresses to find the chest with this smithing template.
This structure is home to wither skeletons, which are also the inspiration for this trim. Once used, you get skeleton-like ribs throughout the armor in a wrapped form a design that’s truly unique among all armor trims in Minecraft.
11. Snout Armor Trim
If the term “snout” reminds you of pigs and their noses, then you can already guess where to find this armor trim. It spawns in the house of piglins – the bastion remnant in various chests across the structure. If you’re farming a bastion, check out our Minecraft piglin bartering guide to make the most of your visit. Staying true to its name, the trim design features two nostrils on the helmet.
The rest of the design features a clean pattern with a small box in the middle with a straight line on its top and a curved one beneath it.
12. Eye Armor Trim
With an Eye of Ender shape on the chestplate, eyebrows on the helmet, and cool geometric patterns on the rest of the armor, the Eye armor trim is one of the most well-designed smithing templates in Minecraft.
You can find it within the chests of a Minecraft stronghold in the Overworld dimension, making it a late-game item. You might get it earlier by using one of these Minecraft speedrun seeds to reach a stronghold faster.
13. Spire Armor Trim
The true end-game armor trim is the Spire, which spawns inside end cities in Minecraft. Once you’ve beaten Minecraft and defeated the Ender Dragon, head to the outer islands to hunt for end cities. The Spire trim adds a clean stripe to your helmet while giving your feet and arms a checkered pattern.
Meanwhile, your chestplate gets a curved line, the reflection of which appears in your leggings.
14. Silence Armor Trim
The Silence armor trim is the rarest armor trim in Minecraft. It has a drop rate of just 1.2% from ancient city chests. Unlike most trims that cover only small portions of the armor, the Silence trim is unique in that its pattern covers the majority of the armor surface.
Its appearance is extremely detailed, with deep lines and multiple shades of color. You can only find it in the ancient city in the Deep Dark biome, which also means surviving near it without waking the Warden. Make sure you learn how to duplicate smithing templates before applying it, losing a Silence trim would mean another long hunt.
15. Wayfinder Armor Trim
You can obtain the Wayfinder armor trim only from the trail ruins structure by brushing suspicious gravel blocks using a brush. It is one of the treasures left behind by ancient civilizations.
The player wearing this trim looks as if they have goggles on, ready to navigate a sandstorm. The rest of the armor pieces are covered with zig-zag stripes.
16. Raiser Armor Trim
This armor trim is another one from the set found only by brushing suspicious gravel blocks in the trail ruins in Minecraft. While wearing armor with this template, you’ll look rather grumpy with those raised eyebrows but also fancy, thanks to the one-pixel diagonal lines across the chestpiece and boots.
17. Shaper Armor Trim
As the name implies, the Shaper armor trim features lines that follow the shape of the armor piece itself best visible on the sleeves of the chestplate, where the lines trace the edges of the armor. You may find this smithing template by excavating suspicious gravel blocks in the trail ruins structures.
18. Host Armor Trim
The Host armor trim is one of the simplest armor trim designs in Minecraft, but that’s not a bad thing. When combined with a bold color material like Netherite or Amethyst, it can look surprisingly clean and elegant. You can find this armor trim by brushing the suspicious gravel in the trail ruins. You can also display trimmed armor on armor stands as base decorations all four trail ruins trims together make a great display set.
How to Apply Armor Trims in Minecraft
Armor Trim Colors in Minecraft: All Materials
Now that you know how to find armor trims, let’s learn how to use them. You will need a smithing table, a piece of armor (helmet, chestplate, leggings, or boots), an armor trim template, and a coloring material of your choice. The coloring material determines the color of the pattern on your armor and is consumed in the process. If you want a fully custom look, pair your Minecraft armor trims with dyed leather armor for the most combinations possible. The coloring materials include:
| Image | Material Name | Color |
|---|---|---|
 | Iron | Gray |
 | Copper | Brown |
 | Gold | Yellow |
 | Lapis | Blue |
 | Emerald | Green |
 | Diamond | Cyan |
 | Netherite | Black |
 | Redstone | Red |
 | Amethyst | Purple |
 | Quartz | White |
 | Resin Brick | Orange |
You can even use the same material as the armor itself. For example, trimming gold armor with gold as the color material results in a slightly darker shade of gold in the trimmed areas. Also note that armor trims are purely cosmetic. They do not affect armor protection, durability, or any other stats.
How to Apply Armor Trims Step by Step
Before applying an armor trim, remember that they are one-use and consumed on application. If the trim was difficult to find like the Silence trim, you should learn how to duplicate smithing templates using our guide before applying it. Also note that you cannot remove or stack armor trims applying a new trim overwrites the old one completely.
After you duplicate the trim, follow these steps to customize your armor:
- Place the smithing table in your world and interact with it.
- Place the armor trim in the far left slot of the UI.
- Add a piece of armor in the center slot.
- Put the coloring material in the right slot.
- You’ll see a piece of armor with a trim appear in the result slot on the right.
Click on the armor in the result slot to craft it and add it to your inventory. This consumes both the armor trim and the coloring material. If you’re planning to fully trim a set of netherite armor, make sure to duplicate all your trims beforehand. You should also check out the best armor enchantments in Minecraft to pair with your trimmed gear for a complete build.
How to Duplicate Armor Trims in Minecraft
In Minecraft, you can get and duplicate the Netherite upgrade smithing template as well as all armor trims using a handful of materials found in the same structures where you originally got the templates. Each duplication requires 7 diamonds plus the template-specific base block at a crafting table.
Since the templates are rare loot, this mechanic makes it much easier to get a pattern on your full armor set once you find a single template. Here is the full list of materials needed to duplicate each armor trim:
- Netherite Smithing Template Upgrade: Netherrack
- Sentry Armor Trim: Cobblestone
- Vex Armor Trim: Cobblestone
- Wild Armor Trim: Mossy Cobblestone
- Coast Armor Trim: Cobblestone
- Dune Armor Trim: Sandstone
- Wayfinder Armor Trim: Terracotta
- Raiser Armor Trim: Terracotta
- Shaper Armor Trim: Terracotta
- Host Armor Trim: Terracotta
- Ward Armor Trim: Cobbled Deepslate
- Silence Armor Trim: Cobbled Deepslate
- Tide Armor Trim: Prismarine
- Snout Armor Trim: Blackstone
- Rib Armor Trim: Netherrack
- Eye Armor Trim: End Stone
- Spire Armor Trim: Purpur Block
- Flow Armor Trim: Breeze Rod (the only trim that uses a non-block material for duplication)
- Bolt Armor Trim: Block of Copper
Note for Bedrock Edition players: Some armor trims can be duplicated with additional block types in Bedrock Edition that aren’t available in Java Edition. Specifically, the Tide armor trim can also be duplicated using Prismarine Bricks or Dark Prismarine; the Dune armor trim accepts Smooth Sandstone, Cut Sandstone, or Chiseled Sandstone; and the Spire armor trim can use a Purpur Pillar in addition to the standard Purpur Block. If you’re unsure which edition you’re on, check out our Minecraft Bedrock vs Java Edition comparison.
For a truly custom armor set, combine your trims with dyeing leather armor in Minecraft using all dyes in Minecraft. This unlocks the widest range of color combinations possible.
Best Armor Trim Combinations in Minecraft
With 18 trim patterns and 11 color materials, the combinations are nearly endless. Here are some of the best Minecraft armor trim combinations worth trying, whether you’re going for a themed look or want to show off rare finds:
- Silence trim + Netherite material on Netherite armor: The rarest trim in the darkest color on the best armor. A full set of this combination is the ultimate status symbol on any multiplayer server. Since Silence covers most of the armor surface, the black Netherite material creates a near-all-black armor set that looks incredibly sleek.
- Rib trim + Gold material on Netherite armor: The skeleton rib pattern in gold against dark Netherite creates a striking contrast. Perfect for a warrior or undead-themed build. Pair it with the top armor enchantments to pair with trims for a powerful and stylish kit.
- Flow trim + Amethyst material on Diamond armor: The swirling Flow pattern in purple on cyan Diamond armor creates a magical, arcane aesthetic – ideal for mage-themed roleplay or builds. The 22.5% drop rate makes Flow one of the more accessible rare trims to obtain.
- Vex trim + Redstone material on Iron armor: The aggressive Vex eyebrow design in red on iron creates a menacing, budget-friendly look. Great for PvP servers where you want to look threatening without investing in diamond or netherite.
- Wayfinder/Raiser/Shaper/Host on Leather armor with matching dye: The four Trail Ruins trims pair beautifully with leather armor. Try Wayfinder with brown-dyed leather and Gold material for a desert explorer look, or Shaper with blue-dyed leather and Lapis for a deep-sea adventurer theme.
A great way to showcase your collection is to place fully trimmed armor sets on armor stands in Minecraft one per trim with a different color material and build a display room in your base. It’s a popular decoration idea in Minecraft house builds and makes an impressive statement on multiplayer servers.
Armor trims in Minecraft are mostly found in specific structures: Trial Chambers, Bastion Remnants, Trail Ruins, Ancient Cities, Woodland Mansions, Nether Fortresses, Strongholds, End Cities, and more. One trim, the Tide armor trim is obtained by defeating an Elder Guardian at an ocean monument.
No, you cannot get any armor trims from Minecraft villagers. As of the latest version, no villager profession offers armor trim smithing templates as a trade option.
There are a total of 18 armor trims in Minecraft, along with one Netherite Upgrade smithing template. All 18 trims were introduced and expanded through updates from Minecraft 1.20 onward.
The Silence armor trim is the rarest item in Minecraft. It is found only in the chests of Ancient Cities in the Deep Dark biome and has a drop rate of just 1.2%. It is also unique in that its pattern covers the majority of the armor surface, unlike all other trims.
No. Armor trims in Minecraft are purely cosmetic. They do not change your armor’s protection value, durability, weight, or any other stat. You can apply any trim to any armor type leather, iron, diamond, or netherite without any gameplay impact.
You cannot remove an armor trim once applied, but you can overwrite it by applying a new trim on the same armor piece the new trim replaces the old one completely. You also cannot stack two different trims on the same piece; only one trim pattern can be active per armor piece at a time.
To duplicate any armor trim in Minecraft, place the trim template in the center of a crafting table, surround it with 7 diamonds, and add the trim’s specific base block (e.g., Cobbled Deepslate for Ward and Silence, Terracotta for trail ruins trims, Prismarine for Tide). This produces two copies of the template.
The Vex armor trim from Woodland Mansions is among the easiest to obtain, with roughly a 50% chance from qualifying chest loot. The Flow armor trim from Trial Chambers also has a high 22.5% drop rate from ominous vaults, making it relatively accessible once you reach that content.
