Straight answers
Our cotton coveralls carry reflective tape. They are not certified high-visibility workwear, and we do not sell them as such. If your site enforces a hi-vis standard, this page explains exactly what that means and why a cotton garment cannot meet it.
The definition
High-visibility is not a description. It is a certifiable standard, and it requires two separate materials working together. Most buyers only know about one of them.
Fluorescent dyes convert invisible ultraviolet light into visible light, so the fabric emits more light than lands on it. That is why hi-vis appears to glow at dawn, dusk and under heavy cloud — the exact conditions in which workers get struck. Only three background colours are permitted under EN ISO 20471: fluorescent yellow-green, fluorescent orange-red and fluorescent red.
Retroreflective material bounces light back towards its source, which is what makes a worker light up in a vehicle's headlights after dark. Bands must be at least 50 mm wide and must encircle the torso, with arms and legs covered depending on the garment. Tape does almost nothing in daylight, which is why it cannot work alone.
| Class | Fluorescent background | Retroreflective | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | 0.14 m² | 0.10 m² | Lowest risk, off-road |
| Class 2 | 0.50 m² | 0.13 m² | Roadside and general traffic |
| Class 3 | 0.80 m² | 0.20 m² | Highest risk, high-speed traffic |
The fluorescent background requirement is additive, not interchangeable. A garment cannot certify to any class on retroreflective tape alone. ANSI/ISEA 107-2020 works the same way with different numbers, splitting garments into Type O (off-road), Type R (roadway) and Type P (public safety) before applying a performance class.
The hard limit
This is the part almost nobody explains, and it is the reason we will not sell you our coveralls as high-visibility workwear no matter what colour you order them in.
Fluorescent dyes cannot be fixed to 100% cotton at the chromaticity and luminance a hi-vis standard demands. Certified high-visibility background fabric is essentially always polyester or a polyester-rich blend, because that is what will hold the dye. This is a property of the fibre, not a choice we have made.
So our orange coverall is standard safety orange. It looks orange. It is not fluorescent, it does not glow in low light, and under the standards it contributes zero background area. Our navy, blue, grey, red and white contribute zero as well.
That is what settles it, and it is worth being precise about why. Our coveralls carry retroreflective tape on the shoulders, upper sleeves and lower legs. We have not had its total area measured against the class minima, so we make no claim either way about that half of the requirement. It does not matter. The two requirements are additive: EN ISO 20471 Class 1 also needs 0.14 m² of fluorescent background, and our background area is zero at every class. No quantity of tape closes that gap.
Working it out
Plenty of sites ask for "reflective" workwear and mean exactly that. Others enforce a standard and will turn people away at the gate. Four questions settle it.
If the induction pack, tender or PPE matrix says "EN ISO 20471 Class 2", "ANSI/ISEA 107 Type R Class 2" or "AS/NZS 4602.1 Class D/N", that is a certification requirement. Nothing we sell will satisfy it. If it just says "reflective strips" or "high-visibility markings", you have room to specify.
Roadworks, ports, container yards, active haul roads, airside, rail. Where a driver's reaction time is the control measure, assume certified hi-vis is required and check before you buy anything.
Night shift, pre-dawn starts, unlit yards, monsoon conditions. Fluorescent fabric does the work in low daylight; retroreflective tape does it under headlights. If both conditions apply, reflective tape on its own is not a control.
If a safety officer or client representative approves workwear on your site, send them the specification before you order rather than after. That one email prevents the most expensive mistake in this category.
If the answer to the first question is a named standard, tell us which one. We will say so plainly and point you at a supplier who holds it, rather than selling you something that fails at the gate.
Where we fit
Reflective tape on a work coverall is a genuine improvement over none. It is simply not a substitute for a certified garment where one is required.
Where visibility helps but no standard is enforced, and the risk is people rather than vehicles:
Do not specify our coveralls anywhere a standard is enforced or vehicles are the hazard:
We would rather lose the order than put your crew in the wrong garment.
Our full range and specification — fabric weights, sizing, colours and reflective tape placement — is set out on our industrial coveralls page.
Common questions
No. High-visibility clothing requires two things: a fluorescent background fabric covering a minimum area, plus retroreflective tape in a specified configuration, certified together to a standard such as EN ISO 20471 or ANSI/ISEA 107. Reflective tape on its own is one of those two components. A garment with reflective tape but no fluorescent background cannot be certified to any class.
Not in practice. Fluorescent dyes cannot be fixed to cotton at the chromaticity and luminance the standards require, so certified hi-vis background fabric is essentially always polyester or a polyester-rich blend. A cotton garment can carry retroreflective tape, and that is worth having, but it cannot supply the fluorescent background the standards make mandatory.
Fluorescent fabric converts ultraviolet light into visible light, so it appears to glow in daylight and especially at dawn, dusk and under cloud. Retroreflective material returns light towards its source, which makes it effective in vehicle headlights after dark. They work at opposite ends of the day, which is why a standard requires both.
The classes are set by how much certified material the garment carries. Class 1 requires at least 0.14 m² of fluorescent background and 0.10 m² of retroreflective material; Class 2 requires 0.50 m² and 0.13 m²; Class 3 requires 0.80 m² and 0.20 m². Higher classes mean more material and are specified for higher-speed traffic environments.
No. We supply 100% cotton industrial coveralls with retroreflective tape on the shoulders, upper sleeves and lower legs. They hold no high-visibility certification at any class, and we will not describe them as hi-vis. If your site enforces a standard, tell us which one and we will point you elsewhere rather than sell you something that fails inspection.
Ask for three things: the standard, the class, and the test report or certificate number from the notified body or accredited laboratory. A supplier holding genuine certification can produce all three immediately. Vague phrasing such as "designed to meet", "meets international standards" or "globally certified" without a number is not certification. If the garment is not fluorescent, the claim cannot be true regardless of what the listing says.
Send us what your induction pack or PPE matrix actually says. If our coveralls suit, we will quote them. If they don't, we will say so and tell you what to look for instead.
RigArmor manufactures cotton industrial coveralls and custom-branded workwear, supplied factory-direct to working crews across Southeast Asia.
Katch Pte Ltd (trading as RigArmor)
UEN 202006742C
11 Woodlands Close, #08-20, Woodlands 11, Singapore 737853
Phone / WhatsApp: +65 6047 0594
Email: sales@rigarmor.com