Hi-Vis Class 1 vs 2 vs 3: Which Does Your Crew Need?

Anyone working within a public road right-of-way inside a temporary traffic control zone needs Class 2 or Class 3 hi-vis, and night flaggers should be in Class 3. Class 1 is limited to off-road work with no traffic exposure. That is the short answer to Class 1 vs Class 2 vs Class 3 under ANSI/ISEA 107-2020.

The class on a label tells you how much fluorescent and reflective material the garment carries. It does not tell you whether that garment suits your job. Your hazard assessment, your site rules and any agency or contract that governs the work make that call.

What does the hi-vis class number measure?

ANSI/ISEA 107 is the American National Standard for high-visibility safety apparel, published by the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA). It sets minimum amounts of two materials. Background material is the fluorescent fabric that makes a worker stand out in daylight. Retroreflective material is the tape that sends headlight beams back toward the driver after dark.

The higher the class, the more of both a garment has to carry. ISEA describes Class 1 as the minimum needed to set the wearer apart visually. Class 2 adds material to better define the shape of the body. Class 3 gives greater visibility against complex backgrounds and through a full range of body movement.

Class 1 vs Class 2 vs Class 3: minimum material under ANSI/ISEA 107-2020

These are the minimum areas for Type O and Type R garments, plus the supplemental Class E.

The reduced background allowance applies only to the smallest size in a Type R range. Retroreflective minimums are never reduced.

Class 3 needs about 60 percent more background material than Class 2 and roughly 50 percent more retroreflective material. Class E items such as hi-vis pants never count on their own. Worn with a Class 2 or Class 3 top, the combination is rated as a Class 3 ensemble. Type P garments for public safety have their own, smaller background minimums, covered in our guide to Type R, Type O and Type P hi-vis.

Class 1: off-road work only

Class 1 exists only as a Type O garment, meant for work where nobody is exposed to highway traffic. Storage yards, parking facilities and indoor sites with no public road traffic are the usual examples.

Kiwi doesn't make Class 1. Our rated hi-vis is Type R, Class 2 or Class 3, and both carry well over the Class 1 minimums. If your site only asks for Class 1, a Class 2 vest gives the same worker more material for the same job. Check your site rules before you swap.

Class 2: the floor for roadway work

The federal roadway rule sits in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. MUTCD 11th Edition, Section 6C.05 says that all workers within the right-of-way who are inside the temporary traffic control zone, including emergency responders, shall wear apparel meeting Performance Class 2 or 3 of ANSI/ISEA 107-2015 "or equivalent revisions." That wording is why garments made to the 2020 edition qualify. The same paragraph says a person designated by the employer to be responsible for worker safety shall select the class.

You may still see 23 CFR 634 quoted as the rule. It isn't current. The old federal-aid highway rule was folded into the MUTCD in 2010, which extended the requirement to all public roads instead of only Federal-aid highways.

OSHA has no single hi-vis rule that covers every job. Its construction rules require flaggers' warning garments to conform to Part 6 of the MUTCD (29 CFR 1926.201) and put excavation workers exposed to public traffic in warning vests or other suitable reflectorized or high-visibility garments (29 CFR 1926.651(d)). Elsewhere, hi-vis comes in through the employer's hazard assessment. Our guide to OSHA safety vest requirements walks through each rule.

Kiwi's Class 2 collection covers vests, short sleeve shirts and polos. The 70300 dual band neon vest is ANSI/ISEA 107-2020 Type R Class 2 compliant. Its AirMesh body, a 3.1 oz polyester mesh, keeps air moving on a July paving crew. The Noctis 360 tape on it measures 380 cd/(lx·m²) when new, above the 330 minimum the standard sets.

Class 3: the most coverage

The standard sets minimum areas, not a sleeve requirement. Even so, every Class 3 piece in the Kiwi line has sleeves: short sleeve vests, long and short sleeve shirts, and a 3-in-1 jacket. Sleeves put material on the arms. That is where a flagger's or spotter's signals happen, and it is the movement a driver needs to catch.

For flaggers working at night, MUTCD guidance says apparel meeting Class 3 should be worn. That line is worded as guidance, a "should." Some DOTs and project owners specify Class 3 beyond night flagging, so read the contract first.

Browse the Class 3 collection, or start with the 73100 two tone long sleeve shirt. It's ANSI/ISEA 107-2020 Type R Class 3 compliant on its own, with no vest needed over it.

Do you need Class 3 above 50 mph? The speed rule of thumb

Many agencies and safety managers still use a simple speed band: Class 2 where traffic moves faster than 25 mph, and Class 3 where it moves faster than 50 mph or the work happens at night. We present it the same way, as a common recommendation, because it is easy to apply and errs toward more material.

The speed bands appeared in the first edition of the standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-1999. The 2004 revision dropped speed-based selection, and neither the 2015 nor the 2020 edition has speed cutoffs. The current standard leaves the choice to a hazard assessment that weighs traffic speed and volume, how far workers are from moving traffic, how busy the background is, how much the task pulls attention and how much light there is.

In practice, use the bands as a floor and let the assessment move you up. A 40 mph road with no shoulder, heavy truck traffic and a crew facing away from oncoming cars makes a strong case for Class 3, even though it sits under the 50 mph band.

How to choose a hi-vis class: hazard assessment checklist

OSHA's general PPE rule (29 CFR 1910.132) requires employers to assess the workplace for hazards and select PPE that protects against them. When hi-vis is part of that assessment, work through these questions:

• Is anyone working inside a temporary traffic control zone within a public road right-of-way? If yes, Class 2 is the minimum.
• Will anyone flag traffic after dark? Plan on Class 3.
• Does the work run at dawn, dusk, at night or in rain and fog? More retroreflective material helps.
• Is the background busy with equipment, signs, lights or other workers? ISEA points to Class 3 for complex backgrounds.
• Do workers bend, kneel, reach or wave? Sleeved Class 3 keeps material in view as the body moves.
• Does your DOT, project owner or general contractor name a class? Their spec wins.
• Do you want pants in the system? Class E pants worn with a Class 2 top make a Class 3 ensemble. Kiwi doesn't make Class E pants, so source them separately and keep a rated top on.

Read the label before you trust the color

A neon shirt is not automatically a rated garment. Every Kiwi product page lists exactly what the item complies with.

"ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, Type R, Class 2 Compliant" or "Class 3 Compliant" marks a rated garment. "Background Material Only" means the fluorescent fabric meets the standard, but the garment carries no retroreflective tape and is not a rated class. "Reflectors Only" appears on our black reflector pieces, which add tape to a dark garment without making it a rated class. They suit low-risk areas where no class is required.

Our current hi-vis is marked not flame resistant. Do not wear it where FR or arc-rated clothing is required.

The class describes the garment as made. Replace anything with torn, peeling or missing tape, or faded or heavily soiled fabric. For a visual reference, see the Class 1 vs Class 2 vs Class 3 comparison page.

Frequently asked questions

Is Class 2 or Class 3 required for road work?

The MUTCD requires Class 2 or Class 3 for every worker within the right-of-way who is inside a temporary traffic control zone. It says night flaggers should wear Class 3. The person your employer designates for worker safety selects between the two, and some agencies specify Class 3 in their contracts.

Can I wear a Class 2 vest where Class 1 is required?

Usually, yes. A Type R Class 2 vest carries far more of both materials than the Class 1 minimum. Confirm with your site rules first.

What makes a safety vest Class 3?

A Type R Class 3 garment must carry at least 1,240 square inches of background material and 310 square inches of retroreflective material. The standard doesn't require sleeves. Many Class 3 garments use them to reach those areas, and every Class 3 piece in the Kiwi line has them.

Do Class E pants make a Class 2 vest Class 3?

Yes. Under ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, Class E pants or shorts worn with a Class 2 or Class 3 top are rated as a Class 3 ensemble. Class E items worn alone don't meet any hi-vis requirement.

Is the 25 mph and 50 mph rule part of ANSI/ISEA 107?

No. The speed bands came from the 1999 edition and were removed in 2004. Many agencies still use them as a rule of thumb, but the current standard bases the choice on a hazard assessment.

Treat this as general guidance, not legal advice. The class your crew wears should come out of your own hazard assessment and whatever your agency or contract requires.

Pricing a Class 2 and Class 3 crew order

Send us styles, sizes and counts through the quote form and we'll price the order. Mixed classes, sizes and colors ship together, so Class 3 shirts for the flaggers and Class 2 vests for everyone else can go on one order. For company branding, custom logo printing starts at 12 items with a 2 to 3 week lead time. We send a proof for approval before production and keep your artwork on file for reorders.