How to Choose Three Types of Reflective Tape for Clothing?

Ysmlite Reflective Materials Co., Ltd. is a company specializing in the production and sale of various types of reflective materials. The company was established in the 1990s and is located in Jinjiang, China. The company's main products include: reflective cloth tape, reflective thermal transfer tape, flame retardant reflective tape, reflective webbing, reflective thermal transfer vinyl, luminous film, reflective pet accessories, reflective accessories and other reflective products. YSM is a professional reflective material manufacturer, and the reflective materials it produces are widely used in various industries and professional fields.

Overview of reflective tape

Flame retardant reflective tape

• Features and principles
• Flame retardant performance:
  • Using special flame retardant additives or substrates, such as polyester fiber and flame retardant modified resin, the tape can form a protective carbonized layer when encountering fire, effectively slowing down the burning speed.
  • Complying with relevant flame retardant standards (such as EN ISO 11612, ASTM F1506, etc.), it can maintain stable performance within a certain temperature range.
• Reflective principle:
  • Embedded high-performance glass beads or reflective particles reflect external light back to the direction of sight through the principle of mirror reflection, improving night visibility.

• Application scenarios
  Working environments with high temperature or high risk of fire sources: such as petrochemicals, metallurgy, power inspection, fire rescue, etc.
• Safety work clothes and special equipment require both fire prevention and reflective functions.

• Process and technical difficulties
• Synergy between flame retardant ingredients and reflective materials: While ensuring flame retardant performance without affecting the reflective effect, it is necessary to optimize the ratio and coating process.
  Softness and durability of finished products: Flame retardant treatment may slightly increase the hardness of the material. How to balance flame retardancy and comfort is a technical difficulty.

Reflective cloth tape

• Features and principles
• Advantages of substrate:
  • Using high-end textiles or synthetic fibers as the base fabric, it has excellent softness and the ability to adapt to human body dynamics.
  • Non-woven fabrics or knitted fabrics are often used to ensure comfortable wearing while having high tensile strength.
• Reflective layer structure:
  • By coating or embedding reflective particles, metallized films and other technologies, the reflective layer can significantly improve the visual warning effect in low-light environments.
  • Some products adopt a multi-layer structure design to ensure wear resistance and enhance reflective strength.

• Application scenarios
• Products with high comfort requirements such as sportswear, cycling wear, and running wear.
  Some traffic and law enforcement uniforms need to take into account daily wearing experience while ensuring reflective performance.

• Process and technical difficulties
• Balance between softness and wear resistance: Appropriate adhesives or hot pressing technology should be used in the process of fixing the reflective layer to ensure that the reflective layer is not easy to fall off and does not affect the feel of the fabric.
  Washing tolerance: The reflective cloth tape should be tested for multiple washings to ensure the stability of the reflective effect in long-term use.

Heat transfer reflective tape

• Features and principles
• Heat transfer process:
  • Heat transfer technology is used to transfer the material pre-printed with reflective patterns or reflective coatings to the clothing fabric. High temperature and pressure are used to tightly combine the transfer layer with the fiber.
  • It can achieve complex patterns, gradient colors and personalized designs to meet the needs of modern fashion and safety functions.
• Durability:
  • The pattern after thermal transfer not only has good washability and wear resistance, but also has high adhesion and is not easy to fall off due to friction or multiple washing.

• Application scenarios
• High-end sportswear, brand customized clothing and special work clothes require both visual effects and functionality.
  Products that emphasize both fashion and safety, such as night running clothes, outdoor adventure equipment, and corporate brand display clothes.

• Process and technical difficulties
• Requirements for thermal transfer equipment: Precise temperature and pressure control equipment is required, and the production environment and technical personnel's operating level are required to be high.
• Pattern and material matching: The compatibility of fabrics and transfer materials must be fully considered in the design stage to ensure that the pattern is stable and does not fall off for a long time.

Comparison of main materials and manufacturing processes

Material composition

• Flame retardant reflective tape:
  The base material is usually made of flame retardant polyester fiber or synthetic materials treated with flame retardant; after adding special flame retardants, it has excellent high temperature resistance and self-extinguishing properties.

• Reflective cloth tape:
  High-density non-woven fabric or knitted fabric is used as the base material, and the reflective microbeads or metallized layer are fixed by physical embedding or chemical bonding.

• Heat transfer reflective tape:
  The pre-printed thermal transfer film is used, and its main components are reflective coating, pigment and resin. After transfer, it is fused with the fabric to form a solid pattern layer.

Manufacturing process

• Flame retardant reflective tape:
  Material pretreatment → Flame retardant modification → Coating reflective layer → Curing treatment → Finished product testing (flame retardancy, reflectivity, tensile strength, etc.).

• Reflective cloth tape:
  Fabric selection → Embedding or coating of reflective material → Curing or hot pressing treatment → Cutting and edge sealing → Abrasion test.

• Heat transfer reflective tape:
  Design and plate making → Heat transfer film production → Equipment preheating → Transfer process execution → Cooling and shaping → Washing tolerance test.

Performance indicators and technical parameters

When choosing clothing reflective tape, technical parameters are an important basis for evaluating product performance. The following are some common performance indicators:

• Reflective intensity:
  Reflectivity is usually indicated as a percentage or reflective level. High reflectivity can provide a more obvious visual warning effect under dark light conditions.

• Flame retardant level:
  According to international or national standards, products need to meet specific flame retardant levels. Common test indicators include burning rate, carbonization thickness, etc.

• Abrasion resistance and tensile strength:
  Standard tests (such as Martindale abrasion test) are used to evaluate the durability of products under friction and pulling.

• Adhesion and washability:
  For thermal transfer reflective tape, special attention is paid to the adhesion between the pattern and the fabric, as well as the retention rate of the reflective effect after multiple washings.
  Through detailed technical parameter comparison, companies can choose the appropriate type of reflective tape according to the product's use environment and expected life.

Industry standards and safety certification

In order to ensure the safety and reliability of products in actual applications, different countries and regions have strict standards and certification requirements for reflective products, such as:

• ISO/EN standards:
  Some flame retardant products need to meet protective clothing flame retardant standards such as EN ISO 11612; while reflective products may need to meet high-visibility clothing standards such as ISO 20471.

• Domestic certification:
  Some domestic products also need to pass CCC certification, 3C certification, etc. to ensure that they meet national standards in terms of safety, fire prevention and reflection.

• Laboratory testing:
  Companies should regularly conduct flame tests, tensile tests, wear tests and washing tests to ensure that products can maintain performance under various harsh conditions.

These certifications and tests not only provide protection for consumers, but also provide clear technical guidance for companies in product design and production.

Application areas and selection recommendations

Safety requirements and environmental assessment

• Fire risks and high temperature environments:
  It is recommended to use flame-retardant reflective tape.
  For example, in high-fire risk environments such as petrochemicals, metallurgy, and electricity, flame-retardant tape can delay the spread of fire when an accident occurs, winning precious time for personnel evacuation.

• Daily sports and low-risk scenarios:
  Reflective cloth tape is recommended.
  It is suitable for night running, cycling, hiking and other sports scenes. Its soft, comfortable and wear-resistant characteristics can ensure that the wearer maintains good clothing fit and reflective effect during long-term exercise.

• High-end customization and personalized design needs:
  It is recommended to use thermal transfer reflective tape.
  When clothing design requires both fashion and excellent durability, thermal transfer technology can achieve the fine presentation of complex patterns and colors while ensuring the product's washability and wear resistance.

Cost, production process and brand positioning

• Cost budget:
  Flame retardant and thermal transfer reflective tapes are usually more expensive due to the special additives and high-precision processes involved. For products with tight budgets, reflective cloth tapes can be given priority, but it is necessary to ensure that the product meets the safety standards of the use scenario.

• Production equipment and process coordination:
  If the company already has mature thermal transfer equipment and technology, the use of thermal transfer reflective tapes can not only increase the added value of the product, but also achieve brand personalization; otherwise, reflective cloth tapes with simple processes and easy post-processing can be used.

• Brand and market positioning:
  For high-end markets and professional custom clothing, thermal transfer reflective tapes are recommended to meet the dual needs of high quality and fashionable design; for safety clothing or sportswear for the mass market, flame retardant or reflective cloth tapes can be selected according to the actual risk environment, taking into account both cost-effectiveness and practicality.

Ysmlite Main Product

Reflective Heat Transfer Vinyl 700	Reflective Heat Transfer Vinyl Tape 701	Silver Reflective Heat Transfer Vinyl 702
·Based: PES ·Reflectivity: 380cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 25 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: ideal for safety production cloth with based such as nylon ,woven ,cotton and pve etc      Send Inquiry	·Based: PES ·Reflectivity: 450cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 35 cycles at 60 ℃(ISO6330) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: ideal for safety production cloth with based such as nylon ,woven ,cotton and pve etc      Send Inquiry	·Based: PES Glue ·Reflectivity: 450cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 50 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) Dry clean with 25 cycles(ISO3175) Industry wash 25 cycles at 75℃(ISO15797) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: ideal for safety production cloth with based such as nylon ,woven ,cotton and pve etc.    Send Inquiry

Heat Transfer Reflective Tape 702T	Reflective Heat Transfer Tape 702S	Reflective HTV Heat Transfer Vinyl 703
·Based: TPU Glue ·Reflectivity: 450cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 50 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) Dry clean with 10 cycles(ISO3175) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: ideal for safety productio        Send Inquiry	·Based: PES ·Reflectivity: 500cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 50 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) Dry clean with 25 cycles(ISO3175) Industry wash 25 cycles at 75℃(ISO15797) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: ideal for safety production cloth with based such as nylon ,woven ,cotton and pve etc      Send Inquiry	·Based: TPU ·Reflectivity: 500cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 50 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) Dry clean with 25 cycles(ISO3175) Industry wash 25 cycles at 75℃(ISO15797) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, NFPA2112 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: ideal for safety production cloth with based such as nylon ,woven ,cotton and pve etc.      Send Inquiry

Reflective HTV Heat Transfer Vinyl 704	Double Color Reflective Heat Transfer Vinyl 704W
·Based: TPU ·Reflectivity: 450cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 25 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) Dry clean with 10 cycles(ISO3175) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, NFPA2112 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: ideal for safety production cloth with based such as nylon ,woven ,cotton and pve etc.    Send Inquiry	·Based: PES ·Reflectivity: 450cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 25 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: ideal for safety production cloth with based such as nylon ,woven ,cotton and pve etc      Send Inquiry

Reflective Safety Tape 800B	Hi Vis Fabric Tape 801A	Silver Reflective Cloth Tape 801
·Based: T/C(Polyester+Cotton) ·Reflectivity: 400cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 25 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: ideal for high requirement safety protection products.      Send Inquiry	·Based: T/C(Polyester+Cotton) ·Reflectivity: 380cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 25 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: ideal for high visibility requirement safety protection products.    Send Inquiry	·Based: T/C(Polyester+Cotton) ·Reflectivity: 450cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 35 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) Dry clean with 10 cycles(ISO3175) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: Ideal for high visibility requirement safety protection products.    Send Inquiry

Self Adhesive Reflective Tape 802	Silver Reflective Tape 803	High Visibility Reflective Tape 805
·Based: T/C(Polyester+Cotton) ·Reflectivity: 500cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 50 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) Dry clean with 25 cycles (ISO3175) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: Ideal for high visibility requirement safety protection products.      Send Inquiry	·Based: T/C(Polyester+Cotton) ·Reflectivity: 500cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 75 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) Dry clean with 25 cycles (ISO3175) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, Oeko Tex 100 ·Feature: Reflective, Safety, Fashion, Eco-friendly, High Tenacity ·Application: Ideal for high visibility and high washable requirement safety protection products.    Send Inquiry	·Based: T/C(Polyester+Cotton) ·Reflectivity: 500cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 100 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) 25 cycle at 92℃ (ISO6330) Industry wash 50 cycles at 75℃(ISO15797) Dry clean with 50 cycles (ISO3175) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: Ideal for high visibility and high washable requirement safety protection products.    Send Inquiry

Fire Resistant Reflective Tape 901A	Flame retardant reflective tape 901	Firefighter reflective tape 903
·Based: 100% Cotton ·Reflectivity: 450cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 25 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) Dry clean with 10 cycles(ISO3175) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, NFPA2112, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: ideal for high visibility requirement safety protection products on fire protection, electronic, oil and colliery system.      Send Inquiry	·Based: 100% Cotton ·Reflectivity: 500cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 50 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) Dry clean with 25 cycles(ISO3175) Industry wash 25 cycles at 75℃(ISO15797) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, NFPA2112, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: ideal for high visibility requirement safety protection products on fire protection, electronic, oil and colliery system.    Send Inquiry	·Based: 100% Aramid ·Reflectivity: 500cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 50 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) Dry clean with 30 cycles(ISO3175) Industry wash 50 cycles at 75℃(ISO15797) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, NFPA2112, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: ideal for high visibility requirement safety protection products on fire protection, electronic, oil and colliery system.    Send Inquiry

Fireman reflective tape 905A	Fire resistant reflective tape 905	FR reflective tape 906
·Based: 100% Cotton ·Reflectivity: 400cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 25 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) Dry clean with 10 cycles(ISO3175) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, NFPA2112, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: ideal for high visibility requirement safety protection products on fire protection, electronic, oil and colliery system.    Send Inquiry	·Based: 100% Cotton ·Reflectivity: 450cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 50 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) Dry clean with 10 cycles(ISO3175) Industry wash 25 cycles at 75℃(ISO15797) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, NFPA2112, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: ideal for high visibility requirement safety protection products on fire protection, electronic, oil and colliery system.    Send Inquiry	·Based: 100% Aramid ·Reflectivity: 450cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 50 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) Dry clean with 30 cycles(ISO3175) Industry wash 30 cycles at 75℃(ISO15797) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, NFPA2112, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: ideal for high visibility requirement safety protection products on fire protection, electronic, oil and colliery system.    Send Inquiry

Flame retardant reflective webbing tape FR01/02	FR reflective webbing tape FRQ01/02
·Based: Aramid webbing ·Reflectivity: 450cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 50 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) Dry clean with 10 cycles(ISO3175) Industry wash 30 cycles at 75℃(ISO15797) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, NFPA2112, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: ideal for high visibility requirement safety protection products on fire protection, electronic, oil and colliery system.    Send Inquiry	·Based: Modacrylic webbing ·Reflectivity: 450cd/(lx.m2) ·Customizability: It's easy to customize the size of high reflective tape for clothing based on your requirements. ·Wash ability: 50 cycle at 60℃(ISO6330) Dry clean with 10 cycles(ISO3175) Industry wash 25 cycles at 75℃(ISO15797) ·Certified: EN20471 Class II standard, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020, NFPA2112, Oeko Tex 100 ·Application: ideal for high visibility requirement safety protection products on fire protection, electronic, oil and colliery system.    Send Inquiry

• Flame retardant reflective tape: focuses on safety protection in high-risk and high-temperature environments. Its flame retardant technology and flame control capabilities provide important guarantees for special work clothes and rescue equipment.
• Reflective cloth tape: With softness and wear resistance as its main advantages, it is suitable for daily sports and traffic safety clothing, emphasizing comfort and durability.
• Heat transfer reflective tape: While achieving high-quality patterns and personalized designs, it also takes into account washability and wear resistance, making it an important choice for high-end customization and brand image.

In the actual selection process, companies and designers need to comprehensively consider multiple factors such as the use environment, safety standards, production processes and brand positioning. In the future, with the development of new materials and new processes, various types of reflective tapes will show a trend of being more intelligent, environmentally friendly and efficient, bringing more innovative possibilities for clothing safety protection and fashion design.