Understanding the Terminology for Hi Vis Safety Jackets

Understanding the Terminology for Hi Vis Safety Jackets

Whatever you do for a living, your field probably has some technical terms that most people aren’t familiar with. For anyone trying to learn the basics of how things work, those terms can be a little challenging to figure out, and no one wants a misunderstanding on their hands. Avoiding misunderstandings is especially critical when you’re choosing protective workplace clothing like hi vis safety jackets. At HiVis Supply, we help businesses and professionals across the country find the safety workwear that’s just right for them. One really important part of that is helping people understand the basic terminology of safety gear. Below, we cover the most important terms for understanding safety jackets, starting with the major parts each hi vis safety jacket is constructed from.

Parts of a Hi Vis Safety Jacket

Let’s establish definitions for the major parts of a high visibility safety jacket that we’ll be covering below: 

hi vis safety jacket parts

  • Outer Shell: The outer layer of the jacket that blocks out water and wind. 
  • Inner Lining: The inner layer of the jacket that insulates you and keeps your body’s heat from escaping on a cold day.
  • Reflective Striping: The reflective material on the jacket that reflects light back at approaching vehicles and helps to keep you safe.

Of course, there are other parts to a hi vis jacket, like its fluorescent hi vis colors. But these are the three elements that have the most technical terms associated with them. Don’t forget to also read up on the ANSI 107 standard to determine the level of visibility that your work jacket requires.

Outer Shell Terms for Safety Jackets

These terms give you information about the jacket’s outermost piece. This is the part of a safety jacket that’s responsible for saying “no thanks” to snow, rain, wind and who knows what else. 

1. Denier

Denier (rhymes with “gear”) is a measurement for the thickness and heaviness of the fibers that make up a fabric. It measures the weight, in grams, of a 9,000-meter strand of the fiber. A fiber that measures one denier weighs one gram per 9,000 meters. (Hey, it was invented in medieval France — we didn’t make it up!) 

When shopping for a safety jacket, you should typically look for something with 100 denier or more. Many heavy duty jackets clock in around 300 denier. Fabrics with these denier ratings have high abrasion resistance that’s perfect for tough, physical jobs. You might see a denier rating written as a number with a letter D next to it, such as “70D” to mean 70 denier. Fabrics with a denier rating of one or less fall into the category of microfibers, which you’ll often find in the soft inner linings of workwear jackets. 

2. Polyurethane/PU Coated/PU Membrane

Polyurethane is a class of waterproofing compounds commonly used on safety work jackets. Workwear manufacturers use PU compounds to coat the inner side of fabrics to make them water resistant. This creates a barrier membrane that prevents water from getting through, but remains breathable for the person wearing it. PU coating is one of the most common waterproofing methods today, and many of our best selling hi vis safety jackets feature PU coated fabric technology. It’s also particularly common in our lineup of hi vis rain gear, where you’ll see it referred to with terms like “PU coated” and/or “PU membrane.” 

construction worker wearing hi vis jacket

3. Seam Sealed

Seam sealing is a technique that workwear manufacturers use to make their garments fully waterproof. The concept is pretty simple: The manufacturer applies a heavy-duty waterproof tape to the back of a garment’s seams to help keep moisture out. This prevents water from sneaking in through the garment’s seams. Work jackets designed for use in wet working conditions need seam sealing to be truly waterproof. See our guide to waterproofing and water resistance for more information that can help you make sure you’re getting a jacket with the right level of weather protection. 

4. Oxford Cloth

Oxford knit refers to a type of cloth weave that’s known for its extreme durability. This type of fabric uses thick, heavy fibers woven with a basket weave style. It’s known for being both tough and good-looking, and you’ll find Oxford cloth in many of HiVis Supply’s favorite work jackets and work shirts. (Skip down to the end to check out our recommendations!) 

5. Ripstop

Ripstop is a popular workwear fabric that utilizes a grid stitch pattern to greatly increase the fabrics resistance to tearing; without adding a lot of weight or bulkiness. If your garment does get a small hole or tear, the ripstop material is designed to stop it from becoming any larger. It is definitely a top choice among blue collar workers.

6. Duck Canvas

This thick, rugged canvas fabric is yet another popular choice for hi vis safety jackets. Its name has nothing to do with birds — instead, it comes from the Dutch word doek, or “linen canvas.” The confusion is understandable, since duck canvas does have a waterfowl-like ability to push water away from its surface. 

In fact, duck canvas has most of the awesome durability and water resistance of normal canvas, but it’s lighter and smoother, thanks to its higher thread count. In other words, it’s perfect for your new favorite winter work jacket

7. Softshell Fleece

A softshell fleece jacket is one with a softer outer shell layer made from woven fabric, plus a fleece inner liner. Softshell jackets are considerably lighter and more flexible than parkas or other hard shell outerwear, but they’re also engineered to give you outstanding warmth. This “best of both worlds” approach is the perfect way to split the difference between a light fleece and a heavier style of jacket. 

Versatility and comfort are what make the softshell fleece style so popular for work jackets. The water resistant membrane technology that’s in today’s softshell fleeces means that some of them can even handle harsh weather conditions. If you need extreme mobility but don’t want to sacrifice warmth, a softshell fleece is an awesome choice. 

wearing hi vis jacket in rain

Inner Lining Terms for Safety Jackets

Now we’re getting to the warm and cozy part. These terms all refer to a material or design that helps insulate your body heat against the cold. 

1. Fleece

Fleece is an incredibly popular insulating material in work jackets, but most of them don’t use actual sheep fleece. Instead, they use synthetic polyester fiber blends that are more economical and easier to clean.Synthetic fleece most commonly used in a jacket is the low-pilling fleece style, that is a smoother texture while still providing all of the warmth and comfort. Sherpa fleece, found in work jackets, are still a synthetic fleece, but are different because one side is smooth while the opposite side is thicker and fuzzy like a sheep skin. Cold weather headwear is another common use for thermal fleece, and many of HiVis Supply’s best winter headwear options use synthetic fleece to keep your head warm.

2. Flannel

Flannel is a heavy cotton fabric that’s warm enough for cold days and tough enough for hard work. It’s always been popular among people with outdoor jobs, and it’s still a great choice for anyone who needs warm but flexible outerwear. Flannel is also notable for being a low maintenance fabric that doesn’t require frequent washing. In fact, it even gets softer and more comfortable over time! 

3. Quilted

Jackets with quilted insulation are another popular workwear choice. This insulation packs warm synthetic fibers in between multiple layers of quilted fabric, which helps trap air between the fibers and prevent heat loss. You’ll often find it in popular lightweight jacket styles like puffer jackets and bomber jackets. The best quilted jackets pack in a ton of warmth in a surprisingly thin package, especially since they’re often made with advanced poly fill insulation — which we’re going to talk about next. 

4. Poly Fill

Poly fill is an insulation material that’s widely used in the production of workwear jackets. It’s made from synthetic polyester fibers that give it great performance in wet weather and make it better than down for most workwear applications. Poly fill is a cost-effective choice for insulation, and it’s widely used in many different styles of hi vis jackets.

Find the Best Hi Vis Safety Jacket for You

railroad worker in hi vis jacket

Reflective Tape Terms for Safety Jackets

Finally, get ready for all things bright and shiny because the following terms all refer to aspects of reflective tape on safety jackets. Reflective tape is one of the most important parts of a safety jacket, so make some time to get familiar with the basics of reflective tape if you haven’t already. 

1. Sewn Tape

Sewn tape is one of the most common ways to apply retroreflective tape to a safety jacket or vest. The process is exactly what it sounds like: The manufacturer sews the tape, usually a glass bead retroreflective tape, onto the exterior shell of the jacket using an industrial sewing machine and heavy duty thread. Sewing tape is a reliable and economical way to attach retroreflective tape, although some other options are more durable, breathable or flexible.

2. Heat Applied Tape

Heat applied tape is another method for adding retroreflective tape to high visibility gear. In this case, the tape gets applied using heat application tools that don’t require any stitching. This method gives the tape improved durability and helps it hold its shape, even after multiple washes. These performance boosts mean that heat applied tape costs slightly more than sewn tape, but it’s a good investment for workers who need the longest lifespan from their reflective materials.

3. Segmented Tape

Segmented tape is a special type of heat applied tape that’s designed to be more flexible and more breathable than standard reflective tape. The tape is structured in segments that offer the same high visibility performance as traditional tapes, but are less rigid. Segmented reflective tape is particularly popular on softshell fleece workwear.  

4. Prismatic Tape

Prismatic tape is the newest and most advanced type of reflective tape, made from thousands of tiny acrylic resin prisms. It’s perfect for the most demanding applications since it performs much better in wet conditions than other reflective tapes do. It’s also significantly more durable. So, while prismatic tape is a premium option and is somewhat rigid, it’s a perfect choice for when you need the toughest and strongest reflective tape.

5. Contrast Striping

Contrast striping is a color scheme that uses sharp, contrasting color combinations to make reflective striping stand out even more. It’s a common feature on high visibility jackets and safety vests where it helps maximize the impact of reflective tape. Check out some of the striking designs available on our high contrast safety vests — they’re great examples of how this style can help workers stand out on the job site!

10 Awesome Safety Jackets from HiVis Supply

kishigo pro safety parka

1. Kishigo JS152 Class 3 Brilliant Series Oralite 360 Pro Safety Parka

This ski jacket-inspired parka is equal parts form and function, with ORALITE® prismatic tape keeps that provides ANSI Class 3 visibility. 

kishigo soft shell jacket

2. Kishigo JS137/JS138 Black Series Class 3 Hi Vis Soft-Shell Jacket

ANSI Class 3 compliance has rarely looked more stylish than with this rugged softshell jacket. 

work king ripstop shell

3. Work King SJ28 Class 3 HiVis Safety 300D Ripstop Shell

It’s tough, it’s versatile and it’s very, very easy to see — this ANSI Class 3 ripstop work jacket does it all. 

tough duck contrast safety jacket

4. Tough Duck S457 Class 1 Premium 10oz Cotton Duck Contrast Safety Jacket

This duck is ready to roughhouse, with a water resistant coating, an enhanced visibility high contrast design and ANSI Class 1 compliance. 

gss safety Sherpa Lined Jacket

5. GSS Safety 8517 Enhanced Visibility Black Heavy Duty Canvas Sherpa Lined Jacket

Sharp looks are only part of the package here — this awesome work jacket packs tons of features, including a duck fabric outer shell and a detachable hood.

gss safety bomber jacket

6. GSS Safety 8003/8004 Class 3 HiVis 3-In-1 Safety Bomber Jacket

This economical option has serious features like ANSI Class 3 visibility, 300 denier outer shell and, of course, the popular 3-in-1 options that let you modify the jacket’s warmth level.

gss safety ripstop bomber jacket

7. GSS Safety 8511 Onyx Series Class 3 HiVis Thermal 3-In-1 Ripstop Safety Bomber Jacket

The perfect adaptable jacket for a pro on the go, this 3-in-1 safety bomber gives you tons of options for how to wear it.

radians puffer jacket

8. Radians SJ510 HiVis 4-in-1 Safety Puffer Jacket

This awesome all season safety jacket gives you ANSI Class 3 compliance when you need it the most, and its combination of quilted lining and ripstop outer shell makes it incredibly durable.

radians rain jacket

9. Radians RJ07 FORTRESS 35 Industrial Grade ANSI 3 PVC Rain Jacket 

With a name like the FORTRESS, you’d hope this jacket isn’t playing around, and ANSI Class 3 protection and rugged PU coated PVC material demonstrate that it’s for real. 

National Safety Apparel Modaquilt Lined Parka

10. National Safety Apparel VIZABLE FR Class 3 CAT 2 Modaquilt Lined Parka

Flame resistant protection for the winter months? You got it! This modaquilt lined parka is designed for CAT 2 performance and packed with value.

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