Are Hi-Vis Hoodies ANSI Compliant? What 'Background Only' Means

A hi-vis hoodie can be ANSI compliant as a rated garment, but only if it carries enough fluorescent background and retroreflective tape to meet a class under ANSI/ISEA 107-2020. A hoodie made of fluorescent fabric with no tape meets the standard's background material requirement only, and it is not a rated class.

Kiwi's neon and orange hi-vis hoodies (75000 and 75100) are the second kind. Their compliance line reads "ANSI/ISEA 107-2020 Compliant Background Material Only." For anyone shopping for an ANSI hi-vis hoodie, that wording sets the rules: wear it as a bright layer where no class is required, and under a rated vest or jacket where the job calls for Class 2 or Class 3.

What makes an ANSI hi-vis hoodie a rated class

ANSI/ISEA 107-2020 doesn't care whether a garment is a vest, a shirt, a jacket or a hoodie. It cares about how much material is on it, how that material performs, and how it's placed on the body.

For roadway and temporary traffic control work, the garment type is Type R. A Type R Class 2 garment needs at least 775 square inches of background material and 201 square inches of retroreflective material. A Type R Class 3 garment needs 1,240 and 310. The retroreflective tape also has to meet minimum performance levels, and the garment's label has to state its class.

So a Class 3 hoodie is possible. It needs the tape, in the right amount and the right places, plus the label to declare it. Conformance is declared by the manufacturer, and there's no third-party body that issues an "ANSI" stamp, which makes the label wording the thing to read.

What "Background Material Only" means on a label

It means the fabric passes the standard's requirements for background material. That covers the fluorescent color itself. The garment has no retroreflective tape, so it can't meet the area minimums for any class.

In daylight, a background-only hoodie does what a fluorescent garment should: it makes the worker easier to see against most backgrounds. After dark it gives no retroreflective visibility at all. Headlights have nothing to bounce off.

We state "Background Material Only" on the product page instead of letting a bright color suggest a class the hoodie doesn't have. That one line tells a buyer how to use it.

Hi-vis label wording decoded

Where a background-only hoodie fits

Plenty of work calls for a visible color without calling for a rated class. Some yard, grounds and warehouse tasks fall into that group, depending on what the hazard assessment found. For that work, the hoodie is a warm, bright layer for a cool morning, with a chest pocket and anti-static fabric.

Where a class is required, the hoodie becomes the layer under the rated garment.

Under a rated vest

A hoodie under a Class 2 or Class 3 safety vest is the simplest setup. The vest provides the class. The hoodie provides the warmth. Fasten the vest's front, since our instructions for use say a rated garment must be fastened for optimal visibility.

Under a rated jacket

On a colder day the hoodie can sit under a rated jacket as a mid-layer. The jacket carries the class.

Watch the hood

This is the detail that gets missed. When a hoodie is worn under a vest or jacket, the hood comes out at the neck and drapes down the back, over the area where many vests and jackets carry their upper back tape. Wear the hood up, or tuck it so it doesn't lie over any tape. A coworker standing behind the wearer can check it in two seconds.

Never over a rated garment

Our instructions for use say not to wear a garment with less visibility protection over a rated one. A hoodie pulled on over a Class 3 shirt hides the shirt's tape and leaves the worker in a background-only garment. If someone gets cold in a rated shirt, the warm layer goes underneath, or the rated layer moves to the outside.

Rated alternatives when the job calls for a class

If a hooded, warm layer has to carry Class 3 by itself, our Class 3 3-in-1 hooded neon jacket (71500) is the rated option. The shell is Perlyx, a water-resistant 200D PU-coated Oxford polyester. TriZone gives it a zip-in fleece liner that comes out, and StormSentry adds a non-conductive front zipper, a full storm flap and a high snap collar. One honest note: worn on its own, that fleece liner is a standalone fleece, not a rated hi-vis garment.

For cool mornings that turn into warm afternoons, a Class 3 long sleeve safety shirt may suit better than a hoodie plus vest. Our two tone long sleeve shirts, in neon and orange, use Zephrix, a 4.1 oz birdseye mesh polyester that wicks moisture, with Umbra dark lower panels that hide dirt. When the temperature drops, that same shirt becomes a base layer under a rated jacket.

And if your crew likes the hoodie, keep it. Pair it with a rated vest and the class question is answered. Our post on hi-vis shirts versus safety vests compares those two routes in more detail.

Washing and retiring a hi-vis hoodie

Our hoodies follow the same wash rules as our rated vests: close any fasteners, machine wash cold, no bleach, tumble dry low or air dry, no ironing, no dry cleaning and no industrial laundering. The fluorescent color is retained for up to 25 wash cycles.

Retire a hoodie when its color has noticeably faded. Since the color is the only visibility it offers, a faded background-only hoodie has very little left to give.

Like every current Kiwi hi-vis garment, our hoodies are marked not flame resistant. Do not wear them where FR or arc-rated clothing is required.

Before a hi-vis sweatshirt or hoodie goes on the job

• Read the label: does it name a class, or say Background Material Only?
• Check what the hazard assessment calls for at this task, at this time of day.
• For work in the right-of-way inside a temporary traffic control zone, the MUTCD requires a Class 2 or Class 3 garment, so a rated vest or jacket goes on top.
• Fasten the rated garment's front.
• Check that the hood doesn't cover tape on the back or shoulders.
• Never wear the hoodie over a rated shirt, vest or jacket.
• Don't rely on a background-only hoodie after dark or in low light. It has no tape.
• Compare against a new hoodie and retire any that have faded.

Frequently asked questions

Is a hi-vis sweatshirt ANSI compliant?

It depends on the label. A sweatshirt or hoodie labeled with a Type R class meets that class. One labeled "Background Material Only" has compliant fluorescent fabric but no retroreflective tape, so it isn't a rated class and needs a rated garment on top where a class is required.

Can I wear a hi-vis hoodie on a road construction job?

Only with a rated garment over it, unless the hoodie itself carries Class 2 or Class 3. MUTCD Section 6C.05 requires workers within the right-of-way who are inside a temporary traffic control zone to wear apparel meeting Performance Class 2 or 3 of ANSI/ISEA 107-2015 "or equivalent revisions." A background-only hoodie under a rated vest works. The hoodie alone does not.

Can you wear a safety vest over a hoodie?

Yes, and it's the simplest way to use a background-only hoodie on a job that needs a class. The vest supplies the class. Keep the vest fastened and make sure the hood doesn't drape over the vest's back tape.

Do Kiwi hi-vis hoodies have reflective tape?

No. Our neon and orange hoodies are background material only, with no retroreflective tape. For a rated, hooded layer, look at the Class 3 3-in-1 jacket (71500).

Consider this general information rather than legal advice. Check your own hazard assessment and any state, agency or contract requirements before choosing gear. Hi-vis standards are published by the International Safety Equipment Association.

Hoodies and rated layers for the whole crew

Hoodies for the crew and rated vests to go over them can ship on one order, in mixed sizes and colors. Ask for a crew quote, or add your logo to hoodies, vests and jackets through our custom logo bulk orders. The minimum is 12 items, the lead time is 2 to 3 weeks, and you approve a proof first.