Not all high-visibility clothing is the same

A bright yellow vest does not automatically mean safety. High-visibility clothing varies in quality, in certification and in how long it keeps its protective properties. Here is what to look for.

The standard: EN ISO 20471

Genuine high-visibility clothing complies with EN ISO 20471. The standard sets out how much fluorescent and retroreflective material a garment must have, which colours are permitted (fluorescent yellow, orange-red, red) and how the reflective bands are positioned so that the wearer is visible from every side.

Three classes – matched to the risk

The standard divides garments into three classes by the area of visible material – the higher the class, the more visible material:

• Class 1 (lowest): min. ~0.14 m² fluorescent and 0.10 m² retroreflective material. For low-risk environments with light traffic or little machinery movement.
• Class 2 (medium): min. ~0.50 m² and 0.13 m². For medium-risk environments.
• Class 3 (highest): min. ~0.80 m² and 0.20 m². Required in poor visibility (darkness, rain, fog) or when working near fast-moving traffic.

Important: a higher class is not always better – each working environment needs the right class.

Quality is in the details

• Durability of the reflective bands: the bands lose a little of their performance with every wash. Quality garments are certified for a set number of wash cycles.
• Colour fastness: fluorescent colour fades over time; better fabrics hold it for longer.
• Comfort: a breathable, ergonomic garment actually gets worn rather than taken off.

Why rental keeps people safer

This is where the biggest difference lies. When garments are bought outright, few people track how many times they have been washed or whether the reflective bands still work. Industrial laundries that specialise in workwear wash garments with reflective bands using products that protect the bands themselves, and purpose-built wash programmes preserve the antistatic properties of the fabric (EN 1149).

At North Wave the care of every garment is recorded in our ERP system – the number of washes and the wear time are visible, so reflective or antistatic garments are replaced while they still meet the standard, not once they have stopped protecting anyone. Quality is further assured by our ISO 9001 quality management system with regular internal audits.