An arm guard is really an essential piece of protective gear when practicing archery. I’ve seen some pretty bad bruises as a result of shooting without one. There have even been cases of people ripping their skin off. Arm guards are cheap, if you know where to look. Here is my top pick.
The SAS 8″ Arm Guard (link to Amazon) is my top pick because it’s not expensive (around 10 bucks) and it works. This arm guard doesn’t make your arm all sweaty either because it has vents built into it. The three straps keep it secured to arm so you won’t have to deal with slipping or readjusting constantly. We have a few of these arm guards now because we liked them so much.
For archers who would also like hand protection. I recommend getting an arm guard combined with a nice set of archery gloves. Or, consider this Handmade Leather Arm Guard Shooting Glove Combo (link to Amazon). You will notice your arm get a little sweaty on warm days with this guard, but your hand will be protected as well as your arm.