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Hi vis bib and brace

Updated: 16 October 2026

You are in a yard with moving plant, and the bib in the basket says hi-vis because it has a bright panel and some silver tape. A hi vis bib and brace is high-visibility PPE only when the garment on the outside carries an EN ISO 20471 class, in the colour the induction names. The word in the title is not that class. The [work dungarees comparison](/hub/occupational-safety/work-dungarees) only points here. The Products Compared editorial team wrote this on 15 October 2026 from HSE, GOV.UK, 3M UK, SATRA, and these amazon.co.uk captures. We did not lab-test a garment. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are in a yard with moving plant, and the bib in the basket says hi-vis because it has a bright panel and some silver tape.

Our top picks

Portwest Portwest TX52 hi-vis bib and brace

Best overall

Portwest Portwest TX52 hi-vis bib and brace
9.2/10about £39.98
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Portwest Portwest C875 Burnley bib and brace

Preis-Tipp

Portwest Portwest C875 Burnley bib and brace
9.0/10about £18.99
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Portwest Portwest PW344 hi-vis bib and brace

Alternative

Portwest Portwest PW344 hi-vis bib and brace
8.0/10about £42.40
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On this page
  1. 1.A class is an area, not a colour word
  2. 2.Orange for the railway, yellow for some roads
  3. 3.Class 3 is not the default for a bib
  4. 4.Who pays, and what this set actually states

A class is an area, not a colour word

EN ISO 20471 sorts garments by fluorescent cloth and retroreflective material. 3M UK states the minimum areas. Class 2 is 0.50 square metres fluorescent and 0.13 retroreflective. Class 3 is 0.80 and 0.20. A navy bib with two bands of tape can look bright and still miss the fluorescent area for class 2. Shop against EN ISO 20471:2013+A1:2016. A CE or UKCA mark does not say the class. The Portwest TX52 is the miss. The title says hi-vis contrast bib and brace. The capture has no class and no EN ISO 20471 or RIS-3279-TOM line. If the paperwork asks for class 2, the title leaves you short.

Orange for the railway, yellow for some roads

RIS-3279-TOM is the rail clothing standard in Great Britain. SATRA's note puts it on top of EN ISO 20471: at least class 2, and fluorescent orange only. Yellow can meet EN ISO 20471 where a road or a site allows yellow. Yellow fails an induction that asks for orange. The PW344 bullets for the yellow and black medium say certified to EN ISO 20471 and RIS-3279-TOM after 50 washes, and they print no class number. Portwest's datasheet states class 2 and limits the rail colour to orange. "After 50 washes" is the test count, not an order to wash the bib 50 times, and it does not turn this yellow URL into orange kit. An orange Portwest RT43 bib was shown on amazon.co.uk at £30.99 on 15 October 2026, marked class 2 in the catalogue. It is not one of the nine rows here.
Portwest Portwest TX52 hi-vis bib and brace

Testsieger

Portwest Portwest TX52 hi-vis bib and brace
9.2/10about £39.98
View offer

Class 3 is not the default for a bib

Summaries of the 2013 design rules say a bib and brace does not meet class 3 on its own, because the torso is not covered in the way that class requires. A certified top goes over the bib, not under it. If the jacket is hidden, you are showing the bib's own class. In Portwest's service range the RT43 bib is marked class 2 and the related RT42 coverall is marked class 3. That coverall is outside this grid.

Who pays, and what this set actually states

When the assessment says high-visibility clothing is required, it is PPE. The 1992 regulations, extended in 2022 to limb (b) workers, require the employer to provide it free. A self-employed contractor still has to meet the site rules. GOV.UK gives Northern Ireland CE, or UKNI plus CE. Great Britain accepts UKCA or CE. None of those marks replaces the class number. The TX52 is hi-vis in the title only. The PW344 states the two standards, with no class number, in yellow and black. The C875 UPF 40+ line is a sun claim. Wash steps are on the how to wear bib and brace overalls page. If you do not need a class, the job match is on the best work dungarees page.

Common questions

Is reflective tape enough for EN ISO 20471?
Tape alone is not a class. The standard also needs a minimum area of fluorescent cloth. For class 2, 3M UK states at least 0.50 square metres fluorescent and 0.13 square metres retroreflective. A navy bib with silver bands can miss that fluorescent area. You need the class on the label of the garment people can see.
What is class 2 in square metres?
Class 2 is at least 0.50 square metres of fluorescent background and 0.13 square metres of retroreflective material, on 3M UK's statement of the EN ISO 20471 areas. Class 1 is 0.14 and 0.10. Class 3 is 0.80 and 0.20. A colour word in the title does not stand in for those areas. Read the class number next to the standard.
Can a bib and brace be class 3 by itself?
A bib and brace does not meet class 3 on its own, because the torso coverage the design rules ask for is not there. A certified top worn over the bib can make a combination, and then you follow both labels. If the jacket is underneath, you are showing the bib's class. A coverall is class 3 only when its label says so.
Is yellow allowed on the railway?
RIS-3279-TOM asks for fluorescent orange and at least class 2. Yellow can be valid EN ISO 20471 where the site allows yellow. It is the wrong colour for an orange-only rail rule. The yellow and black PW344 names RIS-3279-TOM and is not orange on this ASIN. Wear the colour the induction names.
Does my employer have to pay for hi-vis?
When the assessment requires it, yes. The 1992 PPE regulations, extended in 2022 to limb (b) workers, say the employer provides that PPE free. A self-employed worker is outside that duty and still has to wear what the site requires. Navy dungarees stay ordinary workwear until being seen is the control.
Which listing in this set states a standard?
The PW344 bullets state EN ISO 20471 and RIS-3279-TOM after 50 washes, with no class number, on a yellow and black medium. The TX52 says hi-vis and states no standard in the capture. No other kept row states EN ISO 20471. The C875 states UPF 40+, which is a sun claim. Fifty washes is a test count, not a wash instruction.

Related pages

Bib and brace overalls buying guide

Work dungarees

Best work dungarees: match the listing to your job

How to wear bib and brace overalls: straps and wash

Dungarees vs boiler suit: a bib or the sleeved suit

Sources

Public UK sources and the manufacturer datasheet named in the research digest. Prices and stars are from the amazon.co.uk listings used for this comparison. Last checked on 15 October 2026.

  1. HSE: PPE overview (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. HSE: PPE regulations 2022 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. HSE: high-visibility clothing factsheet (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. HSE: PPE maintenance (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK: PPE marking, UKCA and CE (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. 3M UK Scotchlite: ISO 20471 class areas (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. SATRA: RIS-3279-TOM (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. Portwest PW344 datasheet (retrieved 15 October 2026)