Whether you’re working in a hazardous environment with low visibility, hunting at night, or enjoying the outdoors, being visible to other people is essential to your safety. Reflective clothing is one of the best personal protective equipment (PPE) to help people stay visible in conditions where they might not otherwise be. How does this clothing protect people?
Understanding the different types of technologies that cause light to bounce off the clothing and back to the source is the best way to fully grasp how Hi-Vis (high-visibility) clothing protects those wearing it.
The Importance of Visibility in Low-Light Conditions
Low-light conditions pose problems for safety. From working nighttime construction to night security, emergency operations, and nighttime outdoor activities, being visible to others can mean the difference between being injured or not.
Many accidents happen with inadequate lighting because drivers or workers can’t see others. Wearing reflective or high-visibility clothing in these conditions is a great way to prevent accidents. While wearing this clothing can’t prevent all accidents, it can help reduce the risk.
How Do Reflective Materials Function?
Retroreflective Technology
All reflective clothing has retroreflective technology. This technology returns light to its source rather than scattering it as other materials do.
Unlike a mirror, the reflective material uses special structures to bounce light back, making the wearer visible to whatever light source hits the gear. The light can be from cars passing by, flashlights, equipment operators, and any other direct light.
The reflective material is great for direct light sources, especially vehicle headlights. Depending on the material, the wearer can be visible up to 1,000 feet or more.
Types of Reflective Materials
Ensuring that clothing is reflective isn’t as simple as you might think. To ensure the best visibility, there are several types of reflective material used on clothing:
- Microprismatic Materials: These materials have prismatic or cube-corner reflectors, provide more brightness than glass beads, and are usually used in tactical and safety gear. They are more expensive than others but highly effective.
- Glass Bead Technology: This technology uses microscopic glass spheres or tiny glass beads embedded in a reflective layer. It’s durable, weather-resistant, provides excellent all-direction reflection, and is used in common safety gear.
- Composite Reflective Materials: These utilize several reflective elements for enhanced durability and reflectiveness. They’re popular in high-end tactical wear and are better for extreme conditions.
The Role of Color in Reflective Clothing
Reflective clothing isn’t just about the reflective elements. It’s about the background color of the gear combined with the reflective material. Several different colors will make the reflective material on a garment even more effective:
- Fluorescent Colors: Fluorescent material is most visible during daylight hours and comes in several colors, such as yellow, green, orange, red, and pink.
- Strategic Color Combinations: Many high-visibility garments combine bright colors and reflective material to enhance visibility. Usually, this is a darker base color with strategically placed reflective elements to better control visibility.
- Silver & White: When reflective material is added to these colors, they provide some of the best nighttime visibility.
Applications of Reflective Clothing
Work Environments and Safety Standards
Clothing with reflective material is used in various industries to keep employees and site visitors safe. These industries include construction, roadwork, emergency services, and any other high-risk profession with low-light conditions.
Since this clothing is used to keep those in high-risk roles safe, strict regulations surround its manufacturing, properties, and wear. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and International Safety Equipment Associations (ISEA) released regulations for all high-visibility and reflective clothing, with the newest being ANSI/ISEA 107-2020.
There are three main classifications for high-visibility clothing under these standards. The specifications for Class 1 include:
- Typically sleeveless and waist-length
- A minimum of 217 square inches of background material
- A minimum of 155 square inches of reflective material
- Ideal for warehouse workers, delivery drivers, and parking lot attendants
- Used in areas where traffic moves no faster than 25 mph
The Class 2 specifications are:
- Usually, they have sleeves and extend past the wearer’s waist
- A minimum of 775 square inches of background material
- A minimum of 201 square inches of reflective material
- Ideal for utility workers, railway workers, and roadway construction workers
- Used in areas where traffic moves between 25 and 50 mph
The Class 3 specifications are:
- Must have sleeves and sometimes includes pants for full-body visibility
- A minimum of 1,240 square inches of background material
- A minimum of 310 square inches of reflective material
- Ideal for highway construction workers, two truck operators, and emergency responders
- Used in areas where traffic moves over 50 mph
Recreational Activities
It’s not just professionals in certain fields that can benefit from reflective clothing. Many recreational activities recommend wearing reflective material to ensure you’re visible to drivers and anyone else who might be outside. This gear is crucial for recreational activities like:
- Hunters during dusk and nighttime hours
- Tactical training exercises
- Night fishing
- Outdoor survival situations
- Emergency response scenarios
- Dawn and nighttime cycling
Care and Maintenance of Reflective Clothing
Preserving the reflective material on high-visibility garments is the best way to ensure long-lasting safety. Maintaining reflective clothing isn’t challenging. Still, there are specific things you’ll want to do:
- Only wash the garment in cold water
- Ensure it’s inside out before washing
- Never use bleach
- Air dry the garment whenever possible
Regularly inspecting your reflective clothes is another great way to ensure they are kept in the best condition possible without reducing their effectiveness. Some inspection tips are:
- Check for wear patterns
- Verify seam integrity
- Look for any delamination of reflective tape
- Test the reflection capability
If any issues reduce the clothing’s effectiveness, it might be time to invest in new protective clothing. When you’re not wearing Hi-Vis clothes, storing them properly is just as important as regular inspections and cleaning them correctly. When storing clothes with reflective properties:
- Avoid folding the reflective tape or strips
- Keep them away from direct sunlight
- Use proper hangers
- Store them in a dry and cool place
By following these care and maintenance tips, you’ll be able to wear reflective clothing that’s performing as it should, keeping you safe while on the job.
Innovations in Reflective Clothing Technology
As retroreflective material technology improves, we’ll see changes to reflective garments. All the innovations for retroreflective materials help increase visibility and reduce accidents and fatalities in the workplace or recreational activities. We’re seeing improvements with smart reflective materials:
- Integration with tactical systems
- Temperature-responsive reflection
- Controllable visibility patterns with better reflective fabric
High-visibility clothing must be long-lasting so workers and their employers aren’t constantly replacing pieces of safety gear. We’re seeing innovations relating to the durability of Hi-Vis clothes:
- Better heat tolerance
- Improved wash resistance
- Extended service life without a decrease in the ability to reflect light
Manufacturers are constantly looking for new methods of enhancing visibility. There are several tactical innovations for retroreflective material:
- Seamless integration with existing gear systems
- IR-reflective materials for nighttime operations
- Selective visibility patterns for reflecting light the best way possible
The Future of Reflective Clothing and Common Myths
The technology used in creating Hi-Vis clothing continues to evolve, with many new developments focusing on flexibility, durability, and tactical applications. Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast, working in low-light conditions, or high-risk industries, choosing the right clothing with retroreflective material will make all the difference.
Many people have misconceptions about clothes made of reflective and fluorescent materials. Some of the most common myths surrounding these clothes are:
- Myth 1: Reflective clothing only works at night.
- Reality: Modern materials now allow for Hi-Vis clothing to work during the day and night.
- Myth 2: More reflective material always means better visibility.
- Reality: More reflective material can mean more visibility, as there are more pieces to bounce light back to the source, but how the reflective material is placed matters more than the quantity of material.
- Myth 3: All reflective materials have the same effectiveness.
- Reality: Every reflective technology offers a different level of performance and durability to the person wearing the garment.
Be sure that you’re choosing gear that meets the industry standards for your job, following all maintenance and care strategies, and that the Hi-Vis clothes are suitable for the environment you’ll be in.
Whether you need gear with short sleeves, long sleeves, or hats, make sure you’re shopping for a product that bounces light well and will keep you safe. At Armed American Supply, our reflective clothing is durable and meant to last to keep you safe.