Guide to European Standards

European standards define the technical requirements a product must meet to ensure a certain level of quality and consumer safety. Standards are typically reviewed every five years and revised if necessary. Please inform yourself about the local regulations and ask your employer which protective work clothing is required in your company.

What does the European standard EN20471 stand for?

The EU standard EN20471 covers high-visibility clothing and has existed since 2013. The standard was last revised in 2018. High-visibility clothing must be suitable for high-risk situations and make the wearer clearly visible in all lighting conditions (day and night) .

To ensure the wearer is clearly visible from all sides, both day and night, the standard specifies exactly how much fluorescent and retroreflective material a product must contain. Furthermore, a retroreflective strip must completely encircle the upper body .

The visibility of a material is determined, among other things, by its color. Fluorescent yellow or orange are bright and eye-catching, but colors like navy blue, dark red, or black are not visible enough to meet the standard. This also applies to all vests made of breathable mesh fabric—even in yellow or orange—because the "holes" in the mesh interrupt the surface of the material and reduce visibility.
Which products are tested according to EN20471?

Our safety vests in yellow, orange, yellow/navy and orange/navy meet this standard.

What does the European standard EN17353 stand for?

The EU standard EN17353 has only been in existence since 2020 and applies to high-visibility clothing intended only for medium-risk situations . The standard is divided into several classes – the classes applicable to our products are Type B3 and Type AB.

Type B3: Products in this class are only visible at dusk or at night and must have a retroreflective stripe around the upper body or around both the upper body and legs.

Type AB: Products in this class make the wearer visible in all visibility conditions (day and night) , but must also be made of fluorescent material. The difference from EN20471 lies in the minimum material quantities and the risk situations for which the clothing is intended.

Products that comply with the EN17353 standard are ideal for private use and wherever the use of high-visibility clothing is not required by law.
Which products are tested according to EN17353 Type B3?

All non-fluorescent safety vests (including all mesh vests) and our waterproof cycling shorts comply with the standard.
Which products are tested according to EN17353 Type AB?

All children’s safety vests comply with this standard.


What do the standards EN1150 and EN13356 stand for?

The standards EN1150 and EN13356 were replaced by the new European standard EN17353 and covered high-visibility clothing and accessories for non-professional use.

Even though both standards have been discontinued since 2020, there are still many products in our product range that were previously tested according to these standards. These products may continue to be used without problems until their declaration of conformity expires. After that, the products must be tested according to the new EU standard EN17353.