Fasteners, denier & safety standards

High-tenacity ballistic nylon for business packs and extreme use.

More affordable UV-stable alternative to 1680D nylon for tough outer shells.

Thin polyester taffeta with 190 threads per inch, classic jacket lining.

Light, smooth polyester fabric for bag linings and ripstop shells with 210 denier yarn.

Medium-weight polyester for backpacks, travel bags and training vests.

Rugged 420-denier polyester, common in hiking packs and reinforcement panels.

Reinforced 600D variant with thicker PU coating for construction and wet-site use.

Industry standard for tough backpacks, tool bags and workwear reinforcements.

Very light nylon fabric for ultralight tents, down jackets and rain trousers.

Metric quantifying a garment's protection against the thermal effects of an electric arc flash, expressed in cal/cm².

One-piece metal or plastic buckle with a spring-loaded cam that clamps a webbing strap — quickly adjustable without unthreading.

Standardised graphic symbols that indicate, next to the CE mark, the protective function of a PPE — legal basis: EU regulation 2016/425.

Yarn fineness unit: 1 den = 1 g per 9000 m of filament.

Former EU standard for professional motorcycle protective clothing (couriers, police, emergency services) — now largely superseded by the newer EN 17092.

European standard for surgical gowns, drapes and clean-air suits — defines test methods and limits for barrier performance, bio-burden, bursting strength and fluid penetration.

International standard for risk management of medical devices — mandatory for producers of medical textiles such as surgical gowns, drapes and compresses.

Brand of plastic hardware (buckles, side-release fasteners, cord stoppers) by US manufacturer National Molding; standard in outdoor, tactical and backpack manufacture.

Former PPE directive; replaced by PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425 as of 21 April 2018.

Standard for antistatic clothing in explosion zones; covers material performance and construction.

Standard for hi-vis clothing for non-professional use, e.g. children and leisure cyclists.

Standard for limited-performance chemical protective clothing type 6 / PB[6] against liquid aerosols and light splashes.

Standard for visibility accessories (reflective tags, bands) for non-professional use.

EU standard for industrial compostability — 90 % disintegration within 12 weeks, 90 % biodegradation within 6 months, no ecotoxicity.

European standard for motorcycle clothing as PPE — sets abrasion, tear and seam strength in four levels.

European standard for the UV protection factor (UPF) of apparel textiles - test methods and labelling rules for UV blocker performance.

Standard for garments protecting against cool environments down to -5 C; complements EN 342 upward.

European safety standard for cords, drawstrings and functional straps on children's clothing up to age 14 - defines allowed zones and maximum cord overhangs.

Standard for cold protective clothing below -5 C; measures Icler insulation, air permeability and optional water tightness.

Standard for foul-weather clothing; grades water resistance and vapor permeability in 4 classes each.

Rain protection standard; classes 1-4 for water tightness and 1-4 for water vapour resistance.

Standard for gloves against mechanical risks; six-digit code abrasion, cut, tear, puncture, TDM cut, impact.

Standard for gloves against thermal risks; six-digit code flame, contact, convective, radiant, small and large molten metal.

European standard for protective clothing worn by firefighters during structural firefighting and similar activities.

Predecessor of EN ISO 20471; no longer used for new purchases since 2013 but common in existing stock.

Standard for gloves against convective and contact cold down to -50 C; three-digit code plus water tightness.

European standard series for toy safety; covers mechanics, chemistry, flammability and more.

Standard for bump caps; protection against striking stationary objects, no substitute for hard hat.

Umbrella term for EN standards that regulate ergonomic requirements for protective clothing and textiles — the core standard is EN 13921 “PPE ergonomic requirements”, complemented by EN ISO 9241 (user-centred design) and sector-specific standards.

Standard for welder clothing with two classes and flame test procedures A1 (surface) and A2 (edge).

Standard for clothing against heat and flame with codes A, B, C, D, E and F per heat source.

European standard for chemical protective clothing offering limited performance against liquid splashes (Type 6, "spray test") — deliberately lightweight protection class for short contact with small amounts of chemicals.

Base standard for protective clothing; covers ergonomics, sizing, ageing, compatibility and marking.

Standard for materials and clothing with limited flame spread; index 1, 2 or 3 per ISO 15025.

European test standard for workwear that must be suitable for industrial laundering in commercial laundries — defines 8 wash and 5 dry procedures to assess colour fastness, shrinkage and appearance.

Standard for testing industrial launderability of workwear; PRO-Label as care mark.

European standard for safety footwear with 200 J toe protection and classes SB, S1, S1P, S2, S3, S5.

New safety shoe standard from 2022 with classes S1 to S7, textile puncture protection S3L/S1PL and slip mark SR.

Standard for hi-vis clothing with class 1, 2 and 3 depending on fluorescent and retroreflective area.

Test standard for chemical protective clothing — measures the time until a chemical diffuses through the material (breakthrough time, classes 1–6).

Knitting fineness: number of needles per inch (25.4 mm).

British railway group standard for track-side hi-vis; stricter than EN ISO 20471.

Detachable or integrated thigh pocket for fast tool access.

International norm series on electrostatic discharge (ESD) — governs ESD-protective clothing with surface resistance 10⁵–10¹¹ Ω.

Standard series for protective clothing against thermal hazards of an electric arc during live working.

ISO series for colour fastness; B = light, C = wash, E = water/perspiration, X = rubbing.

Standardised wash test for the colour fastness of textiles — simulates domestic and commercial laundering with steel balls and rates colour change and staining on the grey scale 1-5.

Standard test measuring how much a textile colour bleeds or stains other fabrics under artificial perspiration.

Test standard for the transfer of textile colour under dry and wet rubbing using a crockmeter.

International standard for the periodic inspection and testing of composite gas cylinders — including firefighter self-contained breathing apparatus.

Test standard for the rub fastness of leather and coated surfaces using an oscillating felt pad.

Test method for the pilling tendency of textiles graded 1 to 5 (5 = no pilling).

International QMS standard for manufacturers of medical devices — basis for surgical textiles, protective masks and gowns, harmonised with the EU MDR.

Test standard for tensile strength and elongation of fabrics; part 1 strip method, part 2 grab method.

Test standard for bursting pressure and distension; part 1 hydraulic, part 2 pneumatic.

International standard for determining the antiviral activity of textile products — basis for all serious 'antiviral' claims.

ISO standard series for professional textile care; defines test methods and labelling for solvent cleaning (P/F) and wet cleaning (W).

International standard for textile care labelling with five care pictograms (washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, professional care).

International standard defining exact household washing and drying procedures — the basis for shrinkage, colour and pilling tests.

International standard measuring flame spread on vertically suspended textile specimens with a defined ignition flame — a core building block for protective and contract textiles.

Abrasion test per EN ISO 12947; counts cycles until fabric breakdown.

English cotton count: number of hanks (840 yards) per pound; higher Ne = finer yarn.

Length numbering system for yarns: metres length per 1 gram weight; higher Nm = finer yarn.

Textile test for pill formation under friction; grade 1 (heavy) to 5 (none).

Closure using a rigid bar and loop, common on duffel bags, parkas and outdoor packs.

Swiss premium zipper brand from Mendrisio (founded 1936, today part of the Oerlikon Group); reference for luxury leather goods and high-end fashion.

UK rail standard for hi-vis clothing; builds on EN ISO 20471 class 2 and mandates fluo orange.

Safety shoe with toecap, antistatic, fuel resistance and penetration resistance per EN ISO 20345.

Baseline SB safety shoe with added penetration resistance per EN ISO 20345.

Two-part plastic snap buckle with sprung side prongs — the standard closure for backpacks, belts and load-carrying gear.

Brown-mottled look for buttons and accessories, today mostly plastic instead of sea turtle.

Universal weight numbering system for yarns: grams per 1000 metres; higher tex = coarser yarn.

Metal or plastic clip that fixes the tie behind the shirt or on the front placket.

Two-part textile fastener made of hook and loop tape, reusable and tool-free.

PU-coated water-repellent YKK zipper; available as coil and Vislon variants.

Spiral zipper made from a continuously wound plastic filament; light, flexible and self-healing.

Plastic zipper with individually moulded teeth; light, robust, separating and typical for jackets.