Does Reflective Clothing Work in Daylight?

High visibility clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE) ensure the protection of your wellbeing and the safety of others at a job site. However, certain forms of hi-vis gear work better in low-light conditions and vice versa. Read on to learn whether reflective clothing can work effectively in daylight.

How Reflective Clothing Works

Before we can know the best application of reflective clothing, it’s essential to understand how it functions. Reflective material contains many microscopic mirrors and a special layer of a reflective sheet and fabric that bounces light off the clothing. Patches of reflective fabric glow when direct light sources, such as headlights, shine on them, alerting others of your presence.

Different patterns of reflective patching can add further information and identification to other workers, vehicles, and pedestrians. Some forms of hi-vis gear feature retro-reflective material, which doesn’t scatter light sources—instead, it bounces the light directly back to its source.

Shortcomings of Reflective Clothing

While reflective clothing is undoubtedly very bright, that’s only the case when the environment is dark and there is a bright light source hitting the gear. Otherwise, reflective material does little to illuminate your body. When UV light is present, the only glow reflective PPE can provide is a mere glimmer or shine. Due to this major shortcoming, reflective clothing does not work in daylight.

Fluorescents’ Time To Shine

While reflective clothing is a poor daytime form of personal protective gear, there is a form of PPE that’s perfect for sunny conditions—fluorescent garments. Fluorescent clothing contains specialized pigments that absorb light rather than reflect it, giving you a sharper contrast against the surrounding environment. In fact, many items with reflective material also feature fluorescent fabrics to make them more versatile.

Ultimately, all forms of high visibility PPE keep you and others safe while working in hazardous environments. If you're in need of high-quality protective equipment for yourself or your employees, consider our selection of ANSI safety shirts and other hi-vis products sold here at SafetyShirtz.