By BRUNT Workwear on November 07, 2025
Before you think about color or fit, look at where you actually work. Are you directing traffic at dawn, when drivers can barely see the road? Framing out a build near a live highway? Moving pallets through a low-light warehouse or loading dock where forklifts share your lane?
Your conditions decide your gear. Pick wrong and you're not just uncomfortable, you've got a safety gap between you and a two-ton vehicle. Get honest about your worst-case shift first. Everything else follows from there.
Once you know your jobsite, four decisions get you to the right hi-vis workwear. Take them in order.
1. Your ANSI/ISEA 107 class. This is the standard that governs high-visibility apparel. It sorts gear into three classes by how much reflective and background material it carries. Match the class to your risk.
| Class | Minimum Reflective/Background | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Least reflective and background material | Low-risk, low-speed work: parking lots, warehouse yards |
| Class 2 | More material for complex backgrounds | Roadways and construction near traffic |
| Class 3 | The most material, with sleeve or full-body coverage | High-speed traffic, low light, maximum-risk environments |
2. Your garment type. A vest layers over anything, but a built-in hi-vis shirt won't ride up or blow open. Choose a long-sleeve for sun coverage, a short-sleeve tee for range of motion in the heat, or a hoodie when the weather can't decide. Fit matters too. An athletic cut with an extended tail hem stays tucked when you reach overhead, while raglan sleeves and mesh panels open up your swing.
3. Fabric and comfort. On a 10-hour shift, this is what you feel. Look for moisture-wicking fabric like TurboDry®, which dries 3x faster than cotton. Add UPF 50+ that blocks 98% of UV, real breathability, and a weight in ounces you can gauge. A 3.8 oz shirt sits very differently than a heavy cotton tee. Small touches matter over a full week too. Look for tagless, flatlock seams that don't chafe, plus antimicrobial or anti-odor treatment so you're not the story at lunch.
4. Durability. Cheap hi-vis dies fast, and that's how it's always been done. Heat-transferred reflective tape stays put where sewn-on tape peels and cracks. Reinforced, double-needle stitching at stress points survives real work, and pre-shrunk fabric keeps its fit after the first wash. Colorfast dyes keep you bright wash after wash instead of fading to a dull, non-compliant yellow.
| Decision | Options | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| ANSI class | Class 1 / Class 2 / Class 3 | Match to traffic speed and light level |
| Garment type | Vest / long-sleeve / short-sleeve / hoodie | Match to coverage and range of motion |
| Fabric | TurboDry moisture-wicking, UPF 50+, weight in oz | Long shifts in heat and sun |
| Durability | Heat-sealed tape, reinforced stitching, colorfast dyes | Daily wear and repeated washing |
Here's how BRUNT's hi-vis apparel collection maps to the work you actually do.
| Product | Key Feature | Why It Fits |
|---|---|---|
| The Hi-Vis Shevlin | ANSI Class 2, 2-inch tape for 360-degree visibility, UPF 50+ | Road crews and high-traffic work where you need full coverage |
| The Short Sleeve Pocket Tee (Hi-Vis) | Class 2 visibility, lightweight 4.5 oz fabric | Warehouse and forklift zones where you need full range of motion |
| The McKenna Tech Short Sleeve Shirt | Ultra-light 3.8 oz fabric, quick-dry | Hot outdoor labor when every extra ounce drags |
| The McKenna Tech Hoodie | UPF 50+ hood, segmented reflective tape, four-way stretch | Variable weather and dawn-to-dusk shifts |
Directing traffic or building near a live highway? The Hi-Vis Shevlin is your long-sleeve Class 2 anchor, with moisture-wicking fabric, flatlock seams, and an extended tail hem that stays put. Living in the warehouse? The Short Sleeve Pocket Tee keeps you compliant and mobile with a reinforced chest pocket and heat-transferred tape that won't peel.
Grinding in the heat all day? The McKenna Tech Short Sleeve Shirt runs 3.8 oz with mechanical stretch and mesh panels, so it won't weigh you down. Chasing the weather from a cold morning into a hot afternoon? The McKenna Tech Hoodie has a three-panel hood for sun and light rain without blocking your peripheral vision. It adds thumb holes, ventilation zones, and a hidden zippered pocket.
You shouldn't have to guess whether gear holds up. So don't. Order the hi-vis piece you're eyeing and wear it on the actual job for 14 days. Put it through your real shift, not a fitting room. Shipping is free, and if you don't love how it moves, breathes, and holds its shine, send it back with a free exchange. That's the whole point of our 14-day risk-free trial: you find out on the jobsite, not after the receipt's gone. Shop Now.
Hi-vis is short for high-visibility. It describes workwear built with fluorescent background colors and reflective tape so you stand out in daylight, low light, and headlights.
You wear hi-vis so drivers and equipment operators see you before it's too late. Struck-by incidents are one of construction's leading causes of death, part of what OSHA calls the Fatal Four. Being seen is your first line of defense.
Class 2 carries more reflective and background material for roadways and construction near traffic. Class 3 carries the most, with sleeve or full-body coverage, for high-speed traffic, low light, and maximum-risk environments.
For construction near traffic, a Class 2 long-sleeve like The Hi-Vis Shevlin gives you 360-degree visibility from 2-inch tape plus UPF 50+ coverage. Step up to Class 3 for high-speed or low-light sites.
Yes. Compliance comes from meeting the reflective and background material requirements for your class, not from fabric weight. The 3.8 oz McKenna Tech and the 4.5 oz Pocket Tee are built to keep you both light and seen.