ESO companion gear is equipment made specifically for companions, not the same armour and weapons you wear on your own character. You can obtain it while adventuring with a recruited companion active, buy basic items from appropriate merchants, or purchase useful trait combinations from other players. The right gear can make a noticeable difference to whether a companion survives, heals consistently or deals useful damage.
Companion gear has nine exclusive traits, and none works exactly like enchanting a normal ESO set. Companions also use armour-weight skill lines and weapon abilities that depend on what you equip. Here’s where the items come from, every trait’s effect and the equipment combinations worth considering for the three common combat roles.
How to get ESO companion gear
Keep your companion actively summoned when fighting and looting eligible enemies. Companion items can drop from foes and especially boss encounters; the companion needs to be present to qualify for loot. Boss farming, overland activities and dungeons can all supply equipment, but drops are random and shouldn’t be described as guaranteed rewards from one particular boss.
Basic white companion gear is sold by vendors, useful when you need to switch a weapon skill line or equip a newly recruited ally immediately. Higher-quality and traited pieces may be traded through guild traders. Check the item description for the Companion classification so you don’t buy normal player gear by mistake.
All nine ESO companion gear traits and effects
| Trait | What it improves | Good use |
|---|---|---|
| Aggressive | Damage dealt | Offensive builds |
| Augmented | Buff and debuff duration | Support effects |
| Bolstered | Damage taken reduction | Tanks |
| Focused | Critical Strike rating | Damage builds |
| Prolific | Ultimate generation | Ultimate-focused setups |
| Quickened | Ability cooldown reduction | All three roles |
| Shattering | Armour penetration | Damage against resistant enemies |
| Soothing | Healing done | Healers |
| Vigorous | Maximum Health | Tanks |
All of these are valid equipment traits, but their performance depends on the abilities selected. For example, Quickened is valuable on a healer using several cooldown-based heals, while Bolstered provides more direct defensive value to an ally standing in front of an enemy. Focused and Shattering can help damage output without being universally stronger than Aggressive.
Best traits for tank companions
For tanking, start with heavy companion gear, a one-handed weapon and shield, taunt abilities and appropriate defensive skills. Bolstered reduces incoming damage, Vigorous increases Health, and Quickened helps taunts and defensive abilities return sooner. Mix these according to whether your companion is dying outright or failing to maintain control of enemies.
No gear trait makes a companion immune to boss mechanics. Companions may stand in damaging attacks, so positioning and healing still matter. If the companion consistently dies in content where you need a tank, surviving long enough to hold attention is usually more important than a small increase in theoretical damage.
Best traits for healer companions
For healer companion gear, equip a restoration staff where appropriate, unlock its healing abilities and add companion class heals or support skills. Soothing directly improves healing done, while Quickened reduces skill cooldowns and helps sustain healing throughout a long fight. Augmented can extend buffs or other effects with durations.
Put the healing and support abilities you want your companion to use on the skill bar. If you have a strong self-heal already, a hybrid healer with both a heal and a damage or crowd-control skill may be more useful than filling every slot with healing abilities.
ESO Companion Gear – Best traits for damage companions
For damage-focused companion gear, choose a suitable offensive weapon and armour setup, then prioritise Aggressive, Shattering, Focused or Quickened based on the build. Aggressive simply raises damage; Shattering is useful against armour; Focused helps critical strikes and Quickened can create a faster rotation. No trait can replace missing abilities or an unsuitable weapon.
Can you craft or upgrade companion gear?
No. Unlike ordinary ESO gear, companion equipment cannot be crafted, improved at a crafting station, transmuted, reconstructed from the sticker book or enchanted. Companion items have their own traits and quality levels. If you want a better trait or quality, you need to obtain or buy a different piece rather than changing your current item.
Companion gear has no character level requirement in the same way as normal player equipment. That makes good pieces reusable as you improve a companion, so it’s worth keeping useful trait combinations even when you change which companion you normally summon.
Related ESO Companion Gear Guides
Official source: ESO Companion System guide.
