ADAC Investigation: Many Safety Vests Remain Dark

Visibility vests can make you visible and save lives - provided they reflect enough light. However, a current ADAC investigation shows that many commercially available visibility vests do not meet this basic safety requirement.

As part of an investigation, 25 visibility vests were tested for their retroreflective properties according to the EN ISO 20471 standard. Retroreflective materials reflect incoming light back almost directly to the light source, regardless of the direction from which the light comes. This ensures that wearers, for example in the headlights of a car, are visible from a great distance.

The result is alarming: only ten of the tested vests met the standard requirements. Products from online retailers are particularly problematic: only five out of 20 visibility vests purchased online met the safety standards. In contrast, all five vests purchased in retail stores passed the tests.

Concerning and Pleasing Results

Especially safety vests from Chinese online platforms like Aliexpress, Shein, or TEMU performed poorly. None of the ten tested safety vests met the standard. But even on Amazon, the ADAC found that half of the offerings did not have sufficiently reflective safety vests, making them useless in emergencies. Particularly concerning: children's safety vests are also affected.

Two models that had already failed the ADAC examination in 2024 again did not meet the standard requirements. In some cases, the sewn-on reflector strip was nothing more than a gray piece of plastic that practically had no reflective effect. Sometimes, there was even a label sewn in for the applicable ISO standard for safety vests that these vests did not meet in the slightest.

Pleasingly, the examined safety vests from discount stores and physical retail consistently met the required standards. The prices demanded here show that high-quality products do not have to be more expensive.

Test Safety Vests Before Use

The ADAC advises consumers to test existing safety vests for their reflective capability and replace them if necessary. Additionally, consumers should pay attention to certified products, which ideally have a sewn-in label indicating compliance with the EN ISO 20471 standard, which is not a guarantee of a functioning safety vest but is true in most cases.

For a simple check at home, a light test with a flashlight is recommended: hold the flashlight directly next to your eye and shine it on the vest from a distance of about three meters. Good safety vests reflect the light brilliantly white – whereas poor models are hardly brighter than a sheet of paper.