ANSI 107 vs EN ISO 20471: US and European Hi-Vis Standards Compared

ANSI/ISEA 107 is the United States' high-visibility apparel standard; EN ISO 20471 is the international standard used across the EU and UK. Both rate garments by how much fluorescent background and retroreflective material they show, and both have three performance classes, with Class 3 the most visible. The main differences are that ANSI also sorts garments into Types (O for off-road, R for roadway, P for public safety) and adds a Class E for trousers and shorts, and that the two are certified and marked differently. Which one applies depends on where you work, not on which one is "better".

The two standards in one table

ANSI Types: the extra layer

The biggest structural difference is that ANSI/ISEA 107 first asks where you're working, then how visible you need to be. The US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) describes the standard as covering garments for "off-road (type O), roadway and temporary traffic control (type R), or public safety activities (type P)".

• Type O (off-road): Class 1 only. For workers who aren't exposed to public road traffic, such as in car parks, warehouses and yards.
• Type R (roadway): Class 2 or 3. For road construction, temporary traffic control, toll booths, crossing guards and airport ground support.
• Type P (public safety): Class 2 or 3. For police, fire and emergency medical crews, with design allowances such as shorter cuts so duty belts and equipment stay accessible.

EN ISO 20471 has no equivalent of Types. Its classes do the work, and your employer's risk assessment decides which class fits the job.

Minimum areas side by side

This is where the two standards turn out to be closer than they look. Converting ANSI's square inches into square metres gives almost exactly the ISO figures for the main garment types.

Sources: ANSI background areas by type as listed by Yale University Environmental Health and Safety; ANSI retroreflective and Class E figures from manufacturer summaries of the 2020 edition; ISO figures from published summaries of ISO 20471:2013+A1:2016. Conversions use 1 in² = 0.00064516 m². Always check the current standard or the garment's documentation before writing a specification.

So a Type R Class 2 vest and an EN ISO 20471 Class 2 vest need essentially the same minimum areas. The Type P garments are the exception: they allow less background material in exchange for the practical needs of emergency responders.

Class E and ensembles

ANSI's Class E covers high-visibility trousers, shorts and bib overalls. A Class E item can't be worn alone to meet the standard, but when it's worn with a Class 2 or Class 3 top, the ensemble is rated Class 3.

EN ISO 20471 handles combinations differently. It has no Class E, but a jacket and trousers can be certified to achieve a higher class together, provided the supplier gives clear instructions on how that class is achieved. More detail is in EN ISO 20471 classes explained.

Certification and labelling

In the EU and UK

High-visibility clothing is Category II PPE under Regulation (EU) 2016/425. A notified body carries out an EU type examination, and the garment is then CE marked. The label shows the hi-vis pictogram with the class number, the standard reference and, if declared, the maximum number of cleaning cycles. In Great Britain you may also see UKCA marking.

In the US

Look for the Type and Performance Class on the garment's label and documentation; the Type matters as much as the Class. In practice, manufacturers issue a declaration of compliance listing the materials used and the third-party laboratory test reports behind them. If you're buying for a team, ask for that declaration and the supporting reports.

Which standard applies where?

• Working in the EU or UK: EN ISO 20471, at the class your employer or site specifies.
• Working in the US: ANSI/ISEA 107. Under US federal rule 23 CFR 634, workers within the right-of-way of a federal-aid highway who are exposed to traffic or construction equipment must wear high-visibility apparel meeting Performance Class 2 or 3. The rule's text references an earlier edition of the standard, and the US Forest Service notes that the Federal Highway Administration considers Class 2 to meet its intent, with Class 3 for work near faster traffic.
• Working for a multinational, or buying for teams in both regions: some garments are certified to both standards. Check that the label shows both, with the class for each.
• Not at work at all: neither standard is required for running, cycling or walking. In Europe, EN 17353 covers enhanced-visibility gear for medium-risk users such as cyclists and runners, with Types A (fluorescent), B (retroreflective) and AB (both). That's covered in reflective vs hi-vis clothing.

Quick decision steps

1. Find out what your employer, client or site actually requires; that settles it.
2. If it says EN ISO 20471, check for the pictogram, class number and CE marking.
3. If it says ANSI/ISEA 107, check the Type (O, R or P) as well as the Class.
4. For trousers in the US, look for Class E and pair them with a Class 2 or 3 top.
5. If you need to meet both, buy dual-certified garments.
6. Keep the paperwork: CE declaration of conformity or ANSI declaration of compliance.

Common mistakes

• Assuming "Class 2" means the same thing everywhere. It does for ANSI Type R and ISO; it doesn't for ANSI Type P.
• Buying ANSI-only gear for a European site (or the reverse).
• Wearing Class E trousers alone and treating them as compliant.
• Treating any neon vest as certified. Without the label and paperwork, it isn't.

Where Titan Armor fits (and where it doesn't)

The Titan Armor reflective hoodie is not certified to ANSI/ISEA 107, EN ISO 20471 or EN 17353. It's everyday clothing with a 360° reflective print that shines back in headlights and streetlight, and its colours are ordinary fabric colours, not certified fluorescent backgrounds.

If a job, site or client requires certified hi-vis, wear certified hi-vis. Titan Armor is for the rest of the day: the walk or ride home, the evening run, the dog walk, ideally with a light. For a frank comparison with a basic vest, see reflective hoodie vs hi-vis vest, or browse colours on the Titan Armor product page.

Related reading

• EN ISO 20471 classes explained
• Reflective vs hi-vis clothing
• How reflective material works
• Reflective hoodie vs hi-vis vest

Further reading: NIOSH PPE-Info entry for ANSI/ISEA 107-2020; Yale EHS reflective vest guidance; US Forest Service note on high-visibility apparel.