Reflective Vest Testing

Reflective vest inspection mainly conducts scientific testing and analysis on material performance testing, retroreflective performance testing, chromaticity performance testing, structural design and dimension testing, flame retardant performance testing and environmental adaptability testing, objectively assessing the product quality grade and issuing a detailed test report, providing a basis for manufacturers' quality control and downstream users' product acceptance.

Testing Items

Material performance testing: Mainly evaluates the physical and chemical properties of the base materials of the reflective vest. Including the abrasion resistance, tearing strength, tensile strength, as well as the weatherability performances such as the resistance to sunlight, washing and acid and alkali. These items ensure that the vest can maintain the structural integrity in the daily use and harsh environments, extending the service life.

Retroreflective performance testing: This is the core of the reflective vest testing, measuring the visibility of the reflective material under the light. It is evaluated by measuring the coefficient of retroreflection (RA). The higher the coefficient, the greater the light intensity reflected back to the light source by the vest under the same lighting conditions, and the better the warning effect, which is particularly crucial in the night or low-illumination environments.

Chromaticity performance testing: Used to evaluate whether the colours of the fluorescent fabrics and reflective tapes of the reflective vest meet the standard requirements. The testing items include the chromaticity coordinates and luminance factor of the fluorescent colours, ensuring their bright colours and high visibility. The colour deviation will affect the recognition degree of the vest in the specific environments (such as the traffic and industrial scenarios).

Structural design and dimension testing: Evaluates whether the overall design of the vest meets the ergonomic and safety coverage requirements. Including checking the minimum width, minimum circumference, the width and connection strength of the shoulder straps and side straps of the vest, ensuring that it can be firmly worn on the personnel of the different body types, and is not easy to fall off or turn over during the activities.

Flame retardant performance testing (specific requirements): For the reflective vests that may contact the fire sources or high-temperature environments (such as the fire rescue and petrochemical industries), the flame retardant performance testing needs to be carried out. The afterflame time, afterglow time and damaged length of the material after contacting the flame are evaluated, to reduce the burning risk in the specific working environments.

Environmental adaptability testing: Simulates the environmental conditions that the vest may encounter in the actual use, carrying out a series of tolerance tests. For example, the washing resistance testing (washing or dry cleaning) is carried out to evaluate the retention rate of the retroreflective performance after cleaning; the low-temperature bending and high-temperature aging tests are carried out to examine the performance stability of the material under the extreme temperatures.

Testing Scope

High visibility warning clothing (EN ISO 20471 standard): This is the general international standard for the occupational high visibility warning clothing (including the reflective vests). The testing scope covers the clothing of all the classes (class 1, class 2 and class 3), and according to the risk grades and application scenarios, there are the requirements of the different grades for the amounts and performances of the fluorescent background materials and retroreflective materials.

Reflective vests for the road traffic safety (GB 20653 standard): The Chinese national standard, applicable to the occupational high visibility warning clothing. Its testing scope specifies in detail the technical requirements, testing methods and marking of the reflective vests worn by the professional practitioners when working on the roads, and is the core basis of the domestic market access.

Police and emergency reflective vests: For the reflective vests used by the specific occupational groups such as the police, firefighters and emergency personnel. In addition to the general performance, the testing scope may also include the specific colour regulations (such as the police blue and fluorescent red-yellow), badge bonding strength, the strength of the multi-functional mounting points, and the compatibility of the possible integrated communication equipment.

Civil and leisure reflective vests: Applicable to the reflective vests in the non-occupational fields such as the cycling, running and road maintenance. The testing scope usually refers to the lower-grade standards (such as EN 1150), emphatically evaluating the basic visibility, and the requirements for the material performance and the area of the reflective tapes are relatively more relaxed than the occupational standards.

Children's safety reflective vests: Specially designed for the children. In addition to the retroreflective performance, the testing scope pays more attention to the safety and comfort. Including checking the firmness of the small parts (such as the buttons and Velcro) to prevent the swallowing risks, using the non-toxic and environmentally friendly materials, and avoiding the overly long cords that may cause the strangulation risks in the design.

Vests for the multi-climate and special environments: The reflective vests applicable to the special climate conditions such as the extremely cold, high temperature and rainy, or the places with the chemical corrosion risks. The testing scope extends to the low-temperature brittleness resistance, waterproof and moisture permeability, oil resistance and the corrosion resistance to the specific chemical reagents of the materials.

Testing Methods

Retroreflective coefficient measurement method: Carried out in a standard dark room, using a retroreflectometer. The instrument emits the light beam to the reflective sample under the specified geometric conditions (observation angle α and entrance angle β), and measures the light intensity reflected back to the observation direction, calculating the retroreflective coefficient RA value. This is the most core laboratory method for quantifying the retroreflective performance.

Chromaticity measurement method: A spectrophotometer or colorimeter is used. Under the standard light source (such as the D65 light source) and observation conditions, the chromaticity coordinates (x, y) and luminance factor (Y) of the fluorescent background materials and reflective tapes are measured. The measured data are compared with the chromaticity diagram regions specified by the standards, to judge whether the colours are qualified.

Abrasion resistance testing (Martindale method): A Martindale abrasion tester is used. The reflective material specimen is relatively rubbed with the standard abrasive in the Lissajous trajectory under a certain pressure. After the specified number of frictions, the wear condition and mass loss of the material surface, as well as the decline rate of the retroreflective coefficient after the friction, are evaluated.

Washing resistance testing: The vest sample is subjected to multiple washing cycles according to the washing procedures specified by the standards (including the water temperature, detergent, mechanical action and drying method). Before and after the washing, the retroreflective coefficients of the reflective tapes at the key parts and the chromaticity of the fluorescent fabrics are respectively measured, calculating the performance retention rate, to evaluate the durability of the product.

Low-temperature bending testing: The reflective material or the finished vest is placed in the standard low-temperature environment (such as -20 °C) to reach the standard, and then in the low-temperature box or within the specified time after taking out, the reflective tape is repeatedly bent at a certain angle. After the testing, it is checked whether the material surface has the cracking, delamination or peeling.

Tearing strength testing (trapezoid method or Elmendorf method): The specimen of the specified shape is cut, stretched at a constant speed on a material testing machine until it is completely torn. The maximum tearing force is recorded, to evaluate the tear resistance of the vest fabric or the reflective tape substrate when being accidentally hooked or locally stressed.

Testing Standards

Domestic Standards:

1. GB 20653-2006, High visibility warning clothing for professional use

2. GB 18401-2010, National general safety technical code for textile products

3. GB/T 3920-2024, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Colour fastness to rubbing

International Standards:

1. EN ISO 20471, High visibility clothing — Test methods and requirements

2. EN 1150, Protective clothing — Visibility clothing for non-professional use — Test methods and requirements

3. ISO 105, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness

4. ISO 13934-1, Textiles — Tensile properties of fabrics — Part 1: Determination of maximum force and elongation at maximum force using the strip method

Note: The applicable standard can be selected according to the product use and customer trade requirements; standards agreed in the contract take precedence over general standards.

Testing Instruments and Equipment

Retroreflectometer: The core testing equipment, used to precisely measure the retroreflective coefficient of the reflective materials. The instrument usually includes a precision light source system, sample fixture, detector and data processing unit, and can precisely control and measure the entrance angle and observation angle, ensuring that the test results meet the requirements of the standards such as EN ISO 20471 and GB 20653.

Spectrophotometer/colorimeter: Used to objectively and quantitatively measure the colours. The spectrophotometer obtains the chromaticity values by measuring the spectral reflectance of the sample within the whole visible light wavelength range, with the high precision; the colorimeter directly measures through the tristimulus value filters simulating the human eyes, with the high speed. Both need to be regularly calibrated with the standard white plates.

Fabric strength testing machine: A multi-functional material mechanical property testing equipment. By changing the different fixtures and sensors, it can complete the testing of the items such as the tensile strength, tearing strength and seam strength of the reflective vest fabrics and components. The equipment is composed of a loading frame, force sensor, displacement measurement system and control software.

Martindale abrasion tester: The dedicated equipment for evaluating the abrasion resistance of the materials. The friction head is driven by the motor to make the relative motion between the specimen and the abrasive, and the friction cycles and applied pressure can be precisely set. After the testing, the abrasion grade needs to be comprehensively assessed by combining the visual inspection, mass weighing or the retest of the optical performance.

Standard light source colour matching cabinet: Provides the stable and uniform standard light source environments (such as the D65 daylight, TL84 store light and UV ultraviolet light), used for the visual comparison and evaluation of the colours of the reflective vest under the specific light sources, assisting the verification of the instrumental colour measurement results and checking the metamerism phenomenon.

Environmental test chambers: Including the high and low temperature test chamber, constant temperature and humidity chamber and xenon lamp aging test chamber. They are used to simulate the environmental conditions such as the temperature, humidity and UV radiation that the reflective vest may experience, examining its environmental adaptability and weatherability, and predicting its performance attenuation under the long-term use.