Hi Vis Safety Gear – Reflective Vest – Bands & Belts

Don’t become a statistic! There’s no doubt, outdoor activities can be dangerous! It seems like every time you listen to the news or read a paper you hear about another pedestrian that was killed or injured by a car. And it’s no wonder; there are just too many distractions that easily take a drivers eyes away from the road. But, there is an answer, a way that you can arm yourself with a little extra protection. Hi Vis safety gear can dramatically increase both daytime and low light visibility. A reflective vest, bands or belt can provide you with the protection and safety that’s required in today’s world so that you can feel safe anywhere, anytime day and night.

Can You Afford Not to be Seen? Did you know that thousands of both cyclists & pedestrians are killed every single year in motor vehicle accidents? And the sad part is that quite often these types of accidents can be easily AVOIDED simply by using some inexpensive high visibility gear (aka high-visibility clothing). You can’t afford not to be seen! If you tend to exercise outside after dark, for safety sake you should be using Hi Vis Reflective Safety Gear such as a reflective vest – reflective bands or reflective belt.

 

Reflective Safety Gear Uses:

I’m a firm believer that reflective safety gear is essential for numerous outdoor activities, especially early morning and late evening activities. Many people feel reflective gear is only needed by runners or joggers that workout on unlit country roads. However, reflective gear can be beneficial for a wide variety of activities day or night, well lit city streets or dark country roads.

Reflective gear has a wide range of uses, including:

• Running
• Jogging
• Walking
• Construction
• Hiking
• Camping
• Dog Walking – Use reflective bands on your pet to keep them safe
• Cycling
• Motorcycle Riding
• Roadside Emergencies – Keep a set in the car in case of breakdown

 

LED or Non-LED Reflective Safety Gear?

Basically, I have found two different types of reflective gear; those with led’s and those without. Which type you choose really comes down to personal preference. Based on my personal experiences, my choice is the non-led reflective gear for a few reasons. First, the led type is going to be more expensive to initially purchase compared to the non-led. In addition, I’ve found that the led style (depending on use) seems to burn through batteries rather quickly. When you consider that you may have to changes batteries every 3 -4 weeks (at a cost of $4 -$8), led safety gear can easily become costly to maintain. Lastly, the led gear always seems to stop working at the most inopportune times. I know it’s happened on more than one occasion where halfway through a walk or run the batteries die or the leds just quit working.

Non-led reflective gear is in my opinion superior. This type of reflective gear provides intense, bright white reflectivity that helps you and your loved ones stay visible even in low light conditions, and offers superior reflection without lights, chargers or batteries. In addition, these products are typically considerable less expensive to purchase, require no maintenance (no batteries to change or chargers to hassle with), more dependable (no electronics to malfunction), and they are more durable.

 

Which Type of Safety Gear – Reflective Vest – Bands or Belts?

The type of reflective safety gear you’ll use is really a personal decision. Depending on your activity one person may be preferred a certain style as compared to another. There are 3 main types of reflective gear that I use:

Reflective Band – Reflective Bands are the simplest piece of reflective gear to use. I prefer the ones that are made from an elastic polyester material with velcro on both ends. Many of these bands stretch and can be used on the arm, wrist, ankle or even the calf. Simply place the bands around your wrist (or other body part), connect the velcro together and you’re ready to go. Bands offer the smallest amount of protection due to their size (approximately 2 inches wide). I use two pairs for added protection, one set on my ankles and the other on my wrists. Dog owners will use these on their pets for their protection.

Reflective Belt – Reflective Belts are also easy to use. Many belts are adjustable to provide just the right fit and they normally have a plastic clip which allows them to easily be put on or taken off. Belts offer a little more protection since they are worn around the body and provide 360 degrees of protection. I’ve seen these worn around the waist or chest and some people wear them over their shoulder like a sash. Some dog owners use these around their pets to make sure their also seen at night. You can increase your visibility by wearing both a reflective belt with the reflective bands.

Reflective Vest – Reflective Vests offer the largest degree of protection simply because they cover the most body surface. There are mainly two styles of vests; belt vests and mesh vests. Belt vests are made from the same elastic polyester material as the bands or belts and are worn like suspenders, criss-crossing over the back and attached to a belt that secures around the waist. This style of vest is more durable that the mesh vest but also tend to be a bit heavier and hotter. Mesh vests are made of a polyester mesh and are worn more like a typical vest. They usually slip on over the head and are secured in the front with velcro. Mesh vests are lighter and cooler than the belt vests but, they also tend to be less durable.

 

Hi Vis Reflective Gear Review

Is all reflective safety gear the same? The short answer is NO. When I decided to research reflective gear I began looking at various styles and manufactures and found that all non-led reflective gear is definitely not created equally. Reflective gear comes in an array of styles and colors, some better than others.

What is the best color choice for reflective gear? Reflective gear comes in a variety of colors, green, yellow, orange, white, black…and so on. However, some colors will make you more visible and will help increase visibility during the day as well as at night. Our research shows that the fluorescent yellow-green color for reflective products is the best choice for visibility during the day, and the best overall choice for a single color. For cyclists, runners or anyone involved in daytime outdoor activities, fluorescent yellow-green is the brightest, most visible color you can wear because the human eyes are most sensitive to that particular wavelength of light (during the day). Where increased daylight visibility is concerned there are basically only three highly visible colors; fluorescent yellow-green (most visible), followed by fluorescent orange-red, and finally fluorescent red.

How can I tell if the product is good or not? While some reflective gear is barely reflective at all while other brands light up like they are led powered. Also, some products are poorly made or made from cheap materials. Although this may be difficult to distinguish from a description alone, there are things to look for to find a quality product.

• Look at the images. Look for a manufacturer that shows an image of their reflective product at night, that image is usually a good representation of how the gear will actually look.
• Check the reviews. I discovered some products that were cheaply made and the stitching was missing when the product arrived or ripped apart after a short use. Check to see what others are saying and look for durable, well made products.
• Check the sizing. It’s virtually impossible for any manufacturer to create a product where one size will fit everyone comfortably. Bands, Belts and Vests come in different sizes, look for a sizing chart and make sure the reflective product you are purchasing fit your needs.

As I reviewed the various manufacturers and brands, I did find one brand that seemed to stand out above the others and met all of my requirements. I found that the reflective products from EBI Safety were well made, highly visible and durable and is my choice for Best Reflective Gear. This company produces the products discussed in this review including the reflective vest, reflective bands and reflective belt. In addition, they package their products together with other reflective gear in order to increase customer visibility.

Best Reflective Vest for Running

This vest & bands combo pack is going to offer the maximum amount of protection and is a total body solution with coverage from shoulder to ankle. With the adjustments on the vest it can fit a wide variety of body sizes and can be used in the colder months over sweatshirts and coats.

Reflective Vest Highlights:

• EXCEPTIONAL VALUE. Get more for your money with this combo set. Includes 1 adjustable extra wide reflective vest (the reflective strip is over 60% wider than many vests) plus (2 pairs) 4 bonus reflective bands ideal for ankles, wrists and arms.
  

• MAXIMUM REFLECTION. Bright neon yellow – green material increases visibility during the day & 360° highly reflective strips provide intensely bright white retro reflectivity at night, even in low light. Easily seen from 700+ feet

• SIMPLE TO USE & EXTREMELY VERSATIL. Strong Velcro closures & heavy duty buckles allow adjustment for the proper fit (can be worn over outdoor clothing).
  

• PREMIUM QUALITY, DURABILITY & COMFORT. The vest uses heavy duty buckles (easy adjustment), ergonomic, quick access clip (easy to take on and off). The bands easily fasten with durable Velcro.
  

• NO RISK 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. If you’re not satisfied simply return your reflective gear within 30 days for a no-questions asked refund.

 

Reflective Vest and Bands Features and Benefits:

• Reflective Vest strip is over 60% larger than many similar vests
• Bright fluorescent color enhances visibility in daylight, fog and rain
• 360˚coverage, reflective strips provide maximum reflection and visibility
• No batteries, chargers or lights to hassle with, just 100% reliability
• Adjustable, fits many body sizes
• Fastens easily
• Long-lasting
• Lightweight
• 100% elastic, polyester material for maximum comfort

 

What’s included in the set?

• (1) High Visibility Reflective Vest
• (2 pairs) 4 High Visibility Reflective Ankle, Arm, Leg or Wrist Bands

Find out more about the reflective vest and band combo set!

 

Best Reflective Belt

My personal favorite is the reflective belt set which is sold as a combo pack with the reflective belt and 4 reflective bands. It doesn’t offer quite as much protection as the reflective vest however; it can be worn around the waist, chest or even over the shoulder as a sash. The belt does have a fairly wide range of adjustability and is even used by pet owners seeking reflective gear for dogs.

Reflective Belt Highlights:

• Great Combo Deal. Get more for your money with the premium, extremely reflective belt and band set. Includes 4 reflective bands (2 pairs) plus the reflective belt.
  

• EXTREMELY REFLECTIVE. 360° neon yellow – green material increases visibility during the day & dual reflective strips provide intensely bright white retro reflectivity at night, even in low light. Easily seen from over 700 feet.

• EXTREMELY VERSATIL. Elastic material, strong Velcro closures (bands) & a heavy duty buckle (belt) allows adjustment for the proper fit (can be worn over outdoor clothing).
  

• PREMIUM QUALITY, DURABILITY & COMFORT. The belt uses a heavy duty, ergonomic, quick access clip (easy to take on and off). The bands easily fasten with durable Velcro.
  

• NO RISK 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. If you’re not satisfied simply return your reflective gear within 30 days for a no-hassle refund.

 

Reflective Belt and Bands Features and Benefits:

• Bright fluorescent color enhances visibility in daylight, fog and rain
• 360˚coverage
• 2 reflective strips for maximum reflectivity and visibility
• Adjustable to fit many body sizes
• The bands easily fastens with durable Velcro
• The belt uses a heavy duty, quick release buckle
• Durable and long-lasting
• Lightweight
• 100% elastic, polyester material for maximum comfort

 

What’s included in the set?

• (2 pairs) 4 Reflective Ankle/ Arm/ Wrist Bands
• 1 High Visibility Reflective Belt

Find out more about the reflective belt and band combo set!

 

Best Reflective Bands

The band set is also sold as a combo pack with 2 pairs of reflective bands and 18 reflective decals (which is a great way to add visibility to helmets, bikes, cars, toys, scooters and strollers). The band set does provide the least amount of protection simply because it covers the smallest body area. Although small and light (perfect to carry in your pocket) these bands still provide the small extremely bright reflectivity as the vest or belt. Pet owners will often use these around the legs of their dogs or horses to give them some added protection.

Reflective Bands Highlights:

• Bright fluorescent color enhances visibility in daylight, fog and rain
• 360˚coverage, 2 reflective strips for maximum reflectivity and visibility
• No batteries, chargers or lights, just 100% reliability
• Adjustable to fit many body sizes
• Easily fastens with durable Velcro
• Long-lasting, lightweight 100% elastic, polyester material for maximum comfort
• Small and light; bring your reflective bands with you anywhere you go

• (2 pairs) 4 Reflective Ankle, Arm, Wrist or Leg Bands
• Bonus Item – 2 Sheets of (9 per sheet) High Visibility Reflective Decals.

Find out more about the reflective bands and decals combo set!

 

Reflective Gear Conclusion

Reflective Gear Can Make a Difference!

Many outdoor activities such as running, jogging and even walking the dog are becoming increasingly dangerous. Everyday drivers are faced with additional distractions that cause them to take there eyes off of the road and put the lives of pedestrians in jeopardy. Therefore, it is essential that individuals that enjoy an early morning run or an after dinner walk take precautions to protect themselves. Inexpensive, non-led reflective gear is an excellent way to decrease your chances of becoming involved in a motor vehicle accident. Whether you choose a reflective vest, bands or belt, reflective gear is a must for many outside exercise routines.