Making Reflective Vests Great Again

[Mimo DeMarco]

Does anyone have a good way of making RUSA reflective vests from Voler reflective again after they lose their pizzaz?

In my most recent order, they included instructions to store it inside out, wash it rarely and do so inside out, and to keep it out of direct sun when drying. None of these instructions were included with my initial orders from a few years ago. And I imagine my regularly balling it up and shoving it in my jersey pocket or saddle bag isn’t helping.

Ideally, I’d love to spray it with some reflective paint. But I’m not opposed to sewing some Proviz material onto the darn thing either. I really like the Voler reflective wind vest and just want it to have a longer lifespan.

Thanks in advance – Mimo – 12711

[Emily O'Brien]

I would suggest a sew-on or iron-on reflective material, such as these: 

https://identi-tape.com/3M-heat-transfer-reflective-tape.html

https://identi-tape.com/3M-Sew-on-Reflective-Fabric.html

The iron-on “comfort trim” is probably where I would start. I don’t know for sure how well the adhesive will stick to the reflective areas of the vest, but it’s worth a try.

Emily “Pause and reflect” O’Brien

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[Pam Wright]

++1 for Emily‘s links. I’ve been using the iron on for so many years, I don’t think I could ride without it on a jersey, Camelbak, gloves, tights, leg warmers or vest :-)

Love love love it!  Holds up great to wear and tear, rain and even washing, though I only washed jerseys after everywhere. Other items, I may use a few times before wash.

Even after all these years, I still mess up and 1/100 times will iron it on with the pink film underneath, so that is my only cautionary tale.  Usually, I catch it immediately, but I’m still mad at myself for having to cut another piece :)

Gear aid makes a good stick on tape that Dan has great success with. It also holds up well to water and rain. I just find it more expensive than I’m willing to do for the large quantity I usually use, but it’s great for my smaller uses.

Pam Wright

Sent from Pam's phone

Please pardon misspellings and/or short responses. 

On Jul 17, 2025, at 10:43 AM, Emily O'Brien <emilyo...@emilysdomain.org> wrote:

I would suggest a sew-on or iron-on reflective material, such as these: 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/randonneurs-usa/3BBF4BF3-3715-4254-B7F6-AEB0AD40E0D4%40emilysdomain.org.

[Mimo DeMarco]

Emily,

This is a great suggestion. Thank you!!! Love that these strips are "exposed high-performance glass lenses bonded to a special polymer layer". Maybe they'll be the just-right-Goldilocks-blend of the too thick ProViz fabric and the too thin / wearing out material on my current vests. 

My one concern is the temperature needed to effect bonding between the 3M tape and the 100% synthetic vest material. Per the attached PDF, it recommends a temp of 340 degrees F (170 C) for lamination / bonding. Not to put you on the spot, but do you think a very soft to the touch, 100% polymeric vest can handle that temp without melting? What setting on an iron have you used successfully? Since one of my vests is completely unreflective at this point, I may give it a go regardless. (I think I still have an iron. Been a long time since it was used, that's for sure!)

Mimo

[Dan Driscoll]

In addition to the Iron on, Gear Aid makes a stick on reflective tape, that I’ve used with good success. https://www.landfallnavigation.com/g-aid-tenacious-tape-reflective-fabric.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20707447321&gbraid=0AAAAAD_jR8r-RfRk3DpM5ORrxzg0mJEO6

 

We have used this tape to make some jerseys RUSA Reflective compliant, for summer night riding with out a vest.  

DanD 

On Jul 19, 2025, at 07:20, Dan Driscoll <dandri...@me.com> wrote:

Mimo, depending on how old the vest is, Voler may warranty it with a new one, they have for me, it’s a bit of a pain, you have to live with out it for a while, and get it in the mail to them, but may be worth it to you. If you decide to go this route, send me a note off list and I will share contact information with you. 

DanD 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/randonneurs-usa/CAA8MVns87oS1d3jKEtDDueBGrj4%2BX9NKugySV0DSaAJi0u6VVQ%40mail.gmail.com.
<3M Scotchlite 5510 Film.pdf>

[Dan Driscoll]

Mimo, depending on how old the vest is, Voler may warranty it with a new one, they have for me, it’s a bit of a pain, you have to live with out it for a while, and get it in the mail to them, but may be worth it to you. If you decide to go this route, send me a note off list and I will share contact information with you. 

DanD 

On Jul 17, 2025, at 10:58, Mimo DeMarco <mi...@demarcoip.com> wrote:

[Mimo DeMarco]

Dan - Really appreciate the suggestions!

Also, thank you to the folks that sent things offline. Really like the ironing suggestions to surround the area you want to heat with some type of insulator to protect the fabric you don't want to heat.

Mimo