Overview
A reflective tape cut into short segments on the carrier, applied as one piece and then flexing as a series of small panels. It is the practical way to put a bright reflective band on a garment that moves.
The gaps are the mechanism, not a decorative choice. A continuous band has to absorb the whole shear load of the fabric beneath it and cracks where that load concentrates; a segmented band converts the same movement into small rotations between segments, so no single piece is bent far enough to fail.
Specification
- Code: RS-F-HT-07
- Colour: Silver
- Pattern: Segmented, several patterns available
- Reflectivity: >330 cd/(lx·m²)
- Wash: 50 home wash cycles
- Width: 2 in (5 cm) standard, other widths on request
What 50 home washes actually tells you
A wash figure is only meaningful with the cycle attached. Fifty home washes describes a domestic laundering regime; industrial laundering is a different load on both the adhesive and the reflective face, and the number does not transfer. If the garment will be laundered commercially, say so before the build is fixed — the answer changes the adhesive, not the segment pattern.
Typical use
Sportswear, stretch panels, narrow trims and any garment where a solid reflective band would stiffen the seam it sits on.
It is also the usual choice for team kit, where the same trim has to survive a season of washing across a whole squad rather than a single garment.
What to confirm before ordering
- Segment pattern: several are available and the pattern sets both the flex and the reflective area — agree it on the sample.
- Wash regime: 50 home washes is a domestic figure; industrial laundering needs a different build.
- Press parameters: temperature, pressure and dwell per build — confirm against your own press.
- Base fabric: send the shell so the adhesive can be matched rather than assumed.
- Test documentation: confirmed per order for EN 20471 and ANSI/ISEA 107 programmes.
Compliance note
The stated figure is over 330 cd/(lx·m²), which is the floor EN ISO 20471 sets for retroreflective material — so the material itself does not hold a garment out of a 20471 programme. Test documentation is confirmed per order rather than assumed from the specification.
The standard certifies the finished garment, not the tape. Construction, background material, and the area and placement of the reflective elements are assessed together, so a compliant material is a necessary condition rather than a sufficient one.
Related formats
For a continuous (non-segmented) iron-on tape, see Reflective Heat Transfer Vinyl; for segmented piping rather than flat tape, Segmented Reflective Piping Tape.
Samples and lead time
A4 swatches are free so your team can check colour, flex and hand feel under your own lighting before committing. Standard lead time is 2–4 weeks from order confirmation.
