Pest Strategies

Whether you’re biking at night or walking around a worksite, a good safety vest ensures that you’re seen. To help you find the right product for your needs, Pest Strategies researched the best safety vests on Amazon. Continue reading to learn more about our top recommendations.

 

Buying Guide

From baggage handlers to nighttime joggers, safety vests offer valuable peace of mind. Though all safety vests are designed to make the wearer more visible to others, there are several differences from model to model. Our guide below explores these differences to help you make the right selection for your worksite or personal needs.

• Pockets: Most safety vests come with at least two pockets. Frequently used items, such as pens and flashlights, can be easily stowed and accessed with these. Many safety vests also include a transparent pouch to hold badges or other forms of identification. 

• Cleaning: Many safety vests are machine-washable. However, with each wash cycle, the reflectivity of the vest progressively wears away. For this reason, hand washing is recommended to ensure longevity. Professional laundering services may be able to clean safety vests in bulk and return them without compromising reflectivity. 

• Comfort: Those who use safety vests are likely wearing them for multiple hours at a time, making comfort a priority. Going one size up from your normal shirt size, opting for breathable materials, and looking for additional features, such as a padded collar, are a few ways to ensure comfort. 

• Closure system: Lower-end safety vests use a simple fabric fastener to attach the two sides together. These fasteners are quick and easy to use, but they aren’t as secure as the zippers used on higher-end safety vests. Zippers also tend to last for longer.

• Sleeves: Some safety vests resemble more of a “safety shirt,” as they have short sleeves that reach midway down the arm between the shoulder and the elbows. Sleeved safety vests offer slightly more warmth and visibility. 

• LED lights: Reflective strips are a standard feature on every safety vest, but some products have built-in LED lights for additional visibility in nighttime conditions. However, vests with lights require rechargeable or single-use batteries. It can also be difficult to clean around the electrical components of the lights. 

• Weight: Safety vests usually weigh around a pound, with activewear vests weighing even less. Heavy-duty safety vests are slightly heavier because they’re made from thicker materials, but even then, they still aren’t heavier than a few pounds. If skin protection or warmth is desired, wear additional layers underneath the vest. 

 

Safety Vest ANSI Certifications and Classifications

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) helps establish workplace safety standards. This regulatory agency often tests work-related tools and equipment to ensure that they function as advertised.

Any safety vest meant for professional use should be certified by the ANSI. Here are brief descriptions of the ANSI’s three safety vest classifications.

• Class 1: These safety vests are rated for relatively low-risk conditions. This includes scenarios where passing automobiles are traveling at speeds less than 25 miles per hour. High-visibility safety vests for exercising outdoors at night commonly fall under Class 1. 

• Class 2: Class 2 safety vests are required for personnel who are exposed to heavier traffic or who work in low-visibility areas. Low visibility can be a result of inclement weather conditions, large pieces of equipment blocking an employee’s view, or night shifts. Class 2 safety vests are equipped with enough reflective tape to provide the wearer with 360 degrees of visibility. They’re commonly used by contractors, crossing guards, engineers, surveyors, public safety officers, and other professionals. 

• Class 3: Class 3 safety vests take the same baseline requirements as a Class 2 safety vest and add additional reflective strips and other features to further enhance visibility. Class 3 safety vests are necessary for those working near traffic that meets or exceeds speeds of 50 miles per hour or those in extremely low-visibility conditions. Road construction crews, railway workers, and emergency responders commonly utilize these. 

 

 

FAQs

• Is a safety vest considered a type of personal protective equipment? 

Yes. However, note that these reflective garments are designed to prevent accidents from occurring. They don’t protect against falling objects, dangerous chemicals, or other workplace hazards. Other forms of personal protective equipment, such as goggles, hard hats, and steel-toed boots, shield the wearer if an accident occurs. 

• Why do safety vests come in different colors? 

Though yellow, green, and orange are the most common colors for safety vests, you will come across a variety of other colors, such as blue, red, and pink. If your vest is for personal use, the color doesn’t matter. However, some workplaces require specific colors. For example, workers on a particular railroad may need orange vests.

• Is it necessary to pair my safety vest with safety pants? 

For certain high-risk and low-visibility professions, yes. For example, firefighters are frequent users of high-visibility pants. However, in most cases, a safety vest is enough to make yourself seen from a long distance. 

• How do I stay warm when I’m wearing a safety vest? 

Safety vests are usually made with thin, sweat-wicking mesh or polyester, so they’re not designed to keep you warm. Safety vests should be your outermost layer with warm, insulated, and waterproof layers underneath them. 

 

 

Pest Strategies provides reviews of select products that are top-selling on Amazon and/or popular in consumer searches. Our team evaluates the products based on industry research, consumer reviews, pricing data, and other objective criteria. Unless otherwise noted, these product reviews are intended to help inform buying decisions for non-professionals. Because pest control products can be dangerous to your family if mishandled, we always recommend consulting with an exterminator, even if just to ask for advice on how to apply pest control products yourself.