FAQ's

Q. What is Retro-reflective?
A. Retro-reflective is the term used to describe what happens to light which is bounced back or reflected when a certain material is illuminated. Retro, as in "going backwards", or in this case, towards the source. The tapes and other items available on the website are all retro-reflective, some use designs by 3M Scotchlite, and some by other manufacturers. The jackets conform to different levels of conspicuity depending on how much surface area is covered by retro-reflective material.

Q. What is the EN471 Standard?
A. The standard specifies requirements for clothing intended to provide visibility of the user in hazardous situation under any light conditions by day and under illumination by vehicle headlights in the dark (24 hour visibility). Effective visibility is to be provided by a fluorescent fabric and reflective stripes. The visibility is measured as a combination of the area and disposition of the reflective materials and quality of same.

EN471 Specification for High Visibility Clothing

There are 3 classes of garment type based on the levels of conspicuity they provide. On all garments the retro-refelctive tape must not be less than 50mm wide.

Class 3
HIGHEST LEVEL OF CONSPICUITY
Minimum background material 0.80m2
Minimum retro-refelctive material 0.20m2

Class 2
Intermediate PROTECTION LEVEL
Minimum background material 0.05m2
Minimum retro-reflective material 0.13m2

Class 1
Lowest Protection Level

Minimum background material 0.14m2
Minimum retro-reflective material 0.10m2

Q. What is the difference with Reflexite?
A. There are two major types of retroreflective materials available on the market today - glass bead and microprism. In a glass bead system, light strikes the back surface of the bead and is returned to its source. In contrast, light strikes each of the three surfaces of the Reflexite microprism in turn, before returning to its source. Because the microprism provides more reflective surface area than a glass bead, microprisms reflect up to 250 percent more light than glass beads. Retroreflective efficiency is enhanced by the precise arrangement of the microprisms, as seen in a microscopic view. Compare random size and placement of the glass beads with the precise uniformity of Reflexite. The microprism's economical use of surface area delivers the highest standard of reflection.