Depending on where you shop or what it is that you’re looking for exactly, figuring out if a piece of clothing is resistant to fire and how resistant it is considered to be is not always easy. Because of that confusion, we’ve decided to make a guide on how you can tell if clothes are fire-resistant or not. After reading this, we will hopefully be able to clear up this problem for you.
Naming Conventions
The easiest way to know if an article of clothing is resistant to fire is if it has the terms “flame-resistant” or “fire-resistant” in the name. Depending on how it’s made, “resistant” might be replaced with “retardant.” Either way, all of these phrasings can be shortened to the abbreviation “FR,” which is what’s most commonly used. Some manufacturers will also label apparel as “fireproof,” but that doesn’t mean it’s completely immune to fire.
Brand Name
Certain brands are more well known for FR clothing than others. Here is a list of the ones that are most focused on protecting against flames:
- Ariat
- Bulwark
- Carhartt
- Lapco
- Rasco
- Reed
Some highly recognizable companies, such as Wrangler, make fire-resistant clothes as well, but these six are the most well-known and trusted FR clothing manufacturers around.
Arc Rating
A surefire way to know how to can tell if clothes are fire-resistant or not is to check for an arc rating. FR clothing must label what the arc rating of that particular piece of clothing is in order to sell it. The higher the number, the more protection it offers. If there is no number, it most likely isn’t flame-resistant.
Level of Protection
Unless your employer specifically told you what arc rating of clothing you need, it can be challenging to know what level of protection you’ll need. That’s why most FR shirts and pants will have a CAT rating as well. The CAT rating ranges from one to four and has the minimum arc rating for each level go up incrementally.
Some clothing has a broader rating system, though, with primary and secondary protection. Primary is best for people who are constantly around fires or could come into contact with scorching flames. The secondary level is for everyone else who could come into contact with fire.
Store You Buy From
The last key thing to note when determining if the clothes you are looking at are flame-resistant is where you are buying them from. Some sports and hardware stores will sell FR clothing, but the best places to go are ones that specialize in that type of apparel. Our online store is one of those places. We even have a full fire-resistant women’s clothing section, helping us stay ahead of our competitors.