Minecraft’s 1.21 Tricky Trials update builds on the armor trim feature from 1.20 Trails and Tales, letting you customize your gear with some cool designs. As of 1.21.4, there are 18 armor trims, each with a unique look, and you can mix them with different armor types and colors for tons of options. Here’s a rundown of the seven best-looking trims, plus tips on how to grab them fast and apply them to your armor.

1. Vex

The Vex armor trim is a standout with its creepy, Evoker-inspired design. The helmet has Vex-like eyes, and the chestplate, leggings, and boots sport a clean line down the middle, like an Evoker’s robe. It’s perfect for a dark, mystical look.

How to Obtain: Check chests in Woodland Mansions for a 4.8% chance to snag it.

2. Coast

If you’re into simple, clean designs, the Coast armor trim is your go-to. It adds subtle lines to your armor, giving it a sleek, ocean-inspired look. It’s great for lighter armor like iron or diamond.

How to Obtain: Loot Shipwreck chests for a 16.7% chance to find it.

3. Rib

The Rib armor trim gives your armor a skeleton-like edge, with horizontal lines that mimic a rib cage. Inspired by Wither Skeletons, it’s bold and looks awesome on dark armor like netherite.

How to Obtain: Search Nether Fortress chests for a 4.8% chance.

4. Silence

Silence is the fanciest and rarest trim, with a detailed sculk design that covers nearly half the armor. It’s got multiple colors and intricate patterns, making it ideal for a Deep Dark aesthetic.

How to Obtain: Hunt for it in Ancient City chests, but it’s super rare at a 1.2% drop rate.

5. Eye

The Eye armor trim is bold, with eye-like patterns on the helmet and a big circular “eye” on the chestplate. The leggings and boots are simpler, but the overall effect is striking and intimidating.

How to Obtain: Grab it from Stronghold chests with a 9.1% chance.

6. Sentry

Sentry offers a sharp, geometric look with diamond-shaped patterns on the chestplate and leggings. The helmet has a single vertical line, and the boots get a thick horizontal band. It’s simple but eye-catching.

How to Obtain: Find it in Pillager Outpost chests with a 20% chance.

7. Wild

The Wild armor trim keeps things minimal with L-shaped lines on the chestplate’s sleeves and a V-shape on the chest. Its jungle-inspired design looks great with emerald coloring.

How to Obtain: Loot Jungle Temple chests for a 20% chance.

Fastest Ways to Acquire Armor Trims in Minecraft 1.21.4

Getting armor trims can be a grind, but here’s how to speed things up. Trims are one-use but can be duplicated with a crafting table, seven diamonds, and a specific block or item.

  1. Sentry and Wild (Pillager Outposts and Jungle Temples): These have a solid 20% drop rate, so they’re the easiest to grab. Pillager Outposts are in open biomes like plains or deserts, and Jungle Temples are in jungles with simple puzzles. Use a looting-enchanted weapon to boost chest loot.
    Tip: Use /locate structure pillager_outpost or /locate structure jungle_temple to find them fast. Clear enemies first to loot in peace.
  2. Coast (Shipwrecks): With a 16.7% drop rate, Coast trims are common in Shipwreck chests. Sail across oceans with a boat and Dolphin’s Grace to spot wrecks quickly.
    Tip: Bring Potions of Water Breathing and a Respiration helmet. Use /locate structure shipwreck to save time.
  3. Eye (Strongholds): Eye trims have a 9.1% drop rate in Stronghold chests. Track Strongholds with Eyes of Ender and check library or altar chests.
    Tip: Use /locate structure stronghold and bring torches to avoid getting lost. Watch out for silverfish.
  4. Vex, Rib, and Silence (Woodland Mansions, Nether Fortresses, Ancient Cities): These are tougher: Vex and Rib have a 4.8% drop rate, and Silence is only 1.2%. For Vex, trade emeralds with a Cartographer for a Woodland Explorer Map. For Rib, navigate Nether Fortresses with fire resistance potions. For Silence, sneak through Ancient Cities with Swift Sneak leggings and wool to avoid the Warden.
    Tip: Use /locate commands for each structure. A Looting III sword helps, and a hoe can disable sculk shriekers in Ancient Cities.
  5. General Tips:
    • Looting Enchantment: Looting III on a sword boosts chest loot chances.
    • Duplication: Save time by duplicating trims with diamonds and specific materials (e.g., cobblestone for Vex, deepslate for Silence).
    • Commands: If cheats are on, use /give @p minecraft:<trim_name>_smithing_template for instant trims.
    • Multiplayer: Trade trims or loot shared structures on servers to cut down on effort.
  6. New Trims in 1.21 (Flow and Bolt):
    • Flow Trim: Found in Trial Chambers’ ominous vaults (22.5% chance). Drink an Ominous Bottle to trigger ominous trials, defeat spawners, and use ominous trial keys to unlock vaults.
    • Bolt Trim: Found in Trial Chambers’ regular vaults (5.4% chance). Defeat regular spawners for trial keys to unlock vaults.
    • Tip: Use /locate structure trial_chamber and bring strong gear for mob spawns. Duplicate Flow with breeze rods and Bolt with waxed copper blocks.

How to Add Trims to Minecraft Armor

With 18 trims, six armor types, and 11 color materials (Iron, Copper, Gold, Lapis, Emerald, Diamond, Netherite, Redstone, Amethyst, Quartz, Resin), you’ve got endless customization options.

Preparations

You’ll need:

  • Smithing Table: Craft with 2 iron ingots and 4 wooden planks.
  • Armor Pieces: Helmet, chestplate, leggings, boots (any material).
  • Armor Trim Smithing Templates: One per armor piece.
  • Color Materials: Pick one of the 11 materials, but don’t match it to your armor’s material to make the trim pop.

How to Add Trims

  1. Set up a Smithing Table and interact with it.
  2. Put the trim template in the left slot.
  3. Place the armor in the middle slot.
  4. Add a color material in the right slot.
  5. Grab your freshly trimmed armor. Trims are purely cosmetic and don’t affect stats.