Using NV for home defense really depends on the situation. If the threat is already in your home or in the process of entering your home, ie just broke out a window and is trying to climb through it, you dont have the time to completely gear up, you will be lucky to have enough time to grab your rifle and MAYBE toss on a plate carrier, assuming its meaning up against the wall next to your firearms. Plus unless you have a massive home NV isnt really necessary, i have a 2000 sqft home and one tap of the weapon light pretty much illuminates the whole floor im on.
Thankfully ive never had to defend myself but ive had a couple times when i thought it was the real deal. One being a pizza delivery man who was at the wrong house at 11:30 at night banging on my door another was when a racoon/dog/deer knocked over and broke a glass patio table and it sounded just like my kitchen window breaking. Both scenarios there was the initial shock of "OMG is this really happening?" and absolutely no warning and little if no time at all to prepare myself, just going to grab my pistol felt like it took forever, combine that with my wife, family and dog freaking out in the back ground i cant possible imagine having been able to put on my helmet and activate my night vision, and manage to maneuver through my home in all of that chaos..
With that being said NV still is useful, if you hear noises outside of your home you have a time and distance buffer between you and your threat and you can use NV to investigate whats out there without alerting them to your presence. Ive used my PVS-14 to investigate a neighbors car alarm going off, my trash can being knocked over, someone on top of my house (ended up beign a family of racoons) and some kids who were yelling running around the neighborhood. NV has its time and place but i dont think fast response to a imminent threat is one of them.
BTW i use a Surefire X400V IRc for my white light, IR light and IR laser.
~S