Staying Cool, Staying Visible with Reflective Shirts

Reflective shirts are a simple, effective way to remain cool and visible while allowing you to blend in a bit. Though a safety vest’s purpose is to keep one visible, it will not land someone on the cover of Vogue or GQ. That’s not to say a reflective t-shirt will; however, some people may feel more comfortable just wearing a t-shirt rather than donning a vest on top of whatever they may already be wearing. In the summer months, many people prefer to keep the layering to the lowest level necessary. Reflective shirts make this possible.

Reflective shirts are just like safety vests in that they are fluorescent, feature reflective material, and are held to the same ANSI standards and ratings as their equivalent vests. Many of them are made of polyester mesh material that provides extra cooling. Additionally, some shirts even offer protection from the sun’s UV rays. Long sleeve variations are available for those who want to remain cool, but require some protection on their forearms.

One basic, but potentially unexpected benefit to wearing a reflective t-shirt would be increased visibility. If one thinks about it, a shirt covers more surface area than a vest does, plain and simple. On a particularly windy day, an unsecured vest may fall victim to the wind, where a well-fitting t-shirt is likely to remain in place. Additionally, it’s possible for one to forget to bring a vest with them to a job-site. Having a t-shirt with the ANSI standards stitched right into its fabric makes it easy to just throw on and be ready to go! If nothing else, as stated earlier, some people just have a preference for t-shirts.

No matter what the case may be, whether it’s a shirt, long-sleeved shirt, vest, or any other reflective safety garment, it’s a good idea to make sure that article of clothing is suited for your work environment. Remember, ANSI class 2 vests and shirts are for areas where traffic travels at 25 mph or more, and class 3 vests and shirts are traffic areas of 55 mph and up. Stay cool, and stay safe!