What Unbreaking does
| Level | Effect | Book cost |
|---|---|---|
| I | tools skip 50% of durability loss, armor 20% | 1 |
| II | tools skip 66.7% of durability loss, armor 26.7% | 2 |
| III | tools skip 75% of durability loss, armor 30% | 3 |
Book cost is the anvil cost of putting that book on a fresh item. However, already-used items add their prior work penalty: work it out in the calculator.
How Unbreaking works
Every time an item would lose durability, Unbreaking gives it a chance to skip the loss. The chance depends on the level and on the kind of item.
- Tools, weapons, elytra and shields: the item takes damage only one time in (level + 1). So level III makes it last about four times as long.
- Armor: the item always has at least a 60% chance to take damage. Level III cuts that to 70% overall, so armor lasts about 1.43 times as long.
That is why Unbreaking matters far more on a pickaxe or an elytra than on a chestplate.
How long things last
- On a pickaxe, sword, bow or elytra, Unbreaking III makes the item last about four times as long.
- On armor, it adds less, because armor always keeps a high chance to take damage.
Unbreaking and Mending
Mending repairs with experience, and Unbreaking means there is less to repair. So the two together save a lot of XP: with Unbreaking III, a tool needs only about a quarter of the repairs. That leaves more of your experience for levels and enchanting.
Unbreaking alone does not stop an item from breaking. It only slows the wear. An Infinity bow, which can't take Mending, still needs an anvil repair now and then.
Unbreaking goes on almost everything
Every item with durability can take Unbreaking: armor, elytra, shields, all tools and weapons, bows, crossbows, tridents, the mace, fishing rods, shears, brushes, flint and steel, and both sticks for riding. It conflicts with nothing. See Unbreaking on an elytra.
On the anvil
Unbreaking is a ×1 book, so Unbreaking III costs only 3 levels on a fresh item. That makes it the classic book for the last anvil step, when the prior work penalty is already high. The enchantment calculator places it for you.
Which level to pick
Even Unbreaking I doubles the life of a tool, and level II triples it. So any level is worth having. Since the book is so cheap on the anvil, though, there is little reason to stop below III.
Items the table can't enchant
Elytra, shields, shears, brushes, flint and steel, and the riding sticks have no enchantability. The enchanting table never accepts them, so Unbreaking has to come from a book. Buy an Unbreaking III book from a librarian and put it on each of them with Mending.
Unbreaking on shields and elytra
Shields and elytra are two of the items that get the most from Unbreaking. A shield loses durability every time it blocks, and an elytra loses durability every second you fly. Both get the full tool bonus, so Unbreaking III makes each one last about four times as long.
Unbreaking on cheap tools
On wooden and stone tools, Unbreaking is rarely worth a book, since the tools are cheap to replace. However, on iron tools early in a world, a table roll with Unbreaking is a nice bonus. Save your bought books for diamond and netherite gear.
Common mistakes
- Expecting Unbreaking to make armor last four times as long. Armor gets a much smaller bonus.
- Skipping it on an elytra. Elytra get the full tool bonus, so Unbreaking III is huge there.
- Thinking Unbreaking makes Mending pointless. They work best together.
Which items take Unbreaking
Unbreaking goes on 22 kinds of gear in the calculator: helmet, chestplate, leggings, boots, elytra, sword, axe, spear, mace, trident, bow, crossbow, pickaxe, shovel, hoe, fishing rod, shears, brush, flint and steel, shield, carrot on a stick, warped fungus on a stick. An enchanting table can roll it on the helmet, chestplate, leggings, boots, sword, axe, spear, mace, trident, bow, crossbow, pickaxe, shovel, hoe, fishing rod. On elytra, shears, brush, flint and steel, shield, carrot on a stick, warped fungus on a stick the table never offers it, so there it only comes from a book.
Nothing conflicts with Unbreaking, so it fits next to every other enchantment its items can take.
Anvil cost of Unbreaking
Unbreaking has an anvil multiplier of 2 from another item and 1 from a book. So an Unbreaking III book costs 3 levels on a fresh item, and each lower level costs 1 less. Two fresh Unbreaking II books merge into Unbreaking III for 1 level. Building it from scratch takes 4 level I books and 3 merges, 5 levels in all. That is as cheap as books get, so it rarely decides the order.
Bedrock only charges for the levels a book adds. So upgrading a lower level costs only the difference. Every step also adds the prior work penalty of both items. The enchantment calculator finds the cheapest order for your whole set of books.
Builds, questions and guides
Unbreaking is part of the max build for 22 items: best helmet enchantments, best chestplate enchantments, best leggings enchantments, best boots enchantments, best elytra enchantments, best sword enchantments, best axe enchantments, best spear enchantments, best mace enchantments, best trident enchantments, best bow enchantments, best crossbow enchantments, best pickaxe enchantments, best shovel enchantments, best hoe enchantments, best fishing rod enchantments, best shears enchantments, best brush enchantments, best flint and steel enchantments, best shield enchantments, best carrot on a stick enchantments, best warped fungus on a stick enchantments. To put it on in the cheapest order, see the helmet enchant order, chestplate enchant order, leggings enchant order, boots enchant order, sword enchant order, axe enchant order.
Common questions: can you put Unbreaking on an elytra?
More reading: Getting books from librarians, How to enchant in Minecraft, Every max enchantment level. You can make an Unbreaking book with the command generator. The librarian price list shows what villagers charge for it.
How to get Unbreaking
- Enchanting table It can appear when you enchant a supported item at an enchanting table. However, higher levels need more bookshelves and a level 30 enchant.
- Librarian villagers Librarians can sell it as an enchanted book.
- Random enchanted books It is also in the pool for the random enchanted books and gear in many chests and in fishing loot.
Unbreaking is an uncommon roll at the enchanting table, and a level 30 enchant easily reaches level III. Items the table can't enchant, like elytra, shields and shears, need a book. Librarians sell it often, and it is one of the cheapest books to buy.
Tips
- Unbreaking III makes a tool last about four times longer on average.
- Together with Mending, an item practically never breaks.
Commands
Hold the item and run this command in Bedrock 26.60 with cheats on. Bedrock's /enchant only goes up to the max level. Its /give command can't add enchantments.
/enchant @s unbreaking 3Questions
Is Unbreaking needed with Mending?
It is still worth it: fewer durability points lost means less experience spent on repairs.
How long does an elytra last with Unbreaking III?
About four times as long as without it.
Does Unbreaking work on armor?
Yes, but less than on tools. Unbreaking III makes armor last about 1.43 times as long, while tools last about four times as long.
Is Unbreaking or Mending better?
Mending, because it can repair an item forever. But Unbreaking costs only 3 levels and makes Mending spend far less XP, so use both.
Can you get Unbreaking IV?
Not in survival. Unbreaking III is the highest level. Higher levels only come from commands.
Does Unbreaking work on a shield?
Yes. Shields can take Unbreaking from a book, and it makes them last about four times as long.
Does Unbreaking work with Mending?
Yes. They don't conflict, and together they make an item last forever while using far less XP for repairs.