Landscaping crews deal with three things most workwear guides treat separately: all-day sun, constant dust and debris, and job sites that sit a few feet from moving cars. The right shirt handles all three. This guide covers what to look for, when a bright shirt is enough, and when you need ANSI-rated gear.
First question: is your crew working near traffic?
This decides everything else.
- Backyards, parks and commercial properties away from vehicles: a bright Safety Green or Safety Orange shirt helps your crew see each other and looks professional. It does not need to be ANSI rated.
- Medians, road shoulders, parking lots and any public right-of-way: workers exposed to traffic are generally required to wear ANSI Class 2 or Class 3 high-visibility apparel with reflective tape. Check your state rules and your contract, because many cities and HOAs write this into the job.
A bright cotton tee with no reflective tape is not a rated garment, no matter the color. For the difference, read enhanced visibility vs ANSI hi-vis.
Sun protection: the hooded long sleeve
Long sleeves sound wrong for summer, but a lightweight polyester long sleeve keeps direct sun off your skin and dries fast. Add a hood and a face cover and you protect the neck, ears and face, which are the spots crews burn most.
- The Long Sleeve Hooded Work Shirt with Built-In Face Mask comes in Safety Green and Safety Orange with UPF 30+ fabric. The built-in mask helps with dust from mowers and blowers. It is bright but not ANSI rated.
- The Hooded Long Sleeve Hi Vis Shirt in lightweight mesh is a simpler hooded option in Safety Green, Safety Orange and Grey.
- Prefer short sleeves? Add UPF 50+ cooling arm sleeves and a reflective neck gaiter.
More on this in hi-vis long sleeve work shirts for sun protection.
Roadside and right-of-way work: go ANSI rated
For mowing medians, trimming along roads or working in active parking lots, choose garments with reflective tape that state their ANSI class on the product page.
- Rated shirts: the short sleeve hi-vis safety t-shirt for heat, or the hooded safety tee with reflective stripes for sun and visibility together.
- Vests over any shirt: an ANSI Class 2 safety vest with 4 pockets lets a crew switch between a backyard job and a roadside job without changing shirts.
Not sure which class applies? See ANSI Class 2 vs Class 3.
Everyday crew tees
For crews that stay off the road, cotton tees in safety colors are comfortable and inexpensive, and they print well. The Jerzees short sleeve tee in safety colors carries a quantity discount: 12% off 6 to 11 shirts and 24% off 12 or more. Plan on enough shirts per person for a full week. Our work t-shirt rotation guide helps with the math.
Add your company logo
A logo on the back turns every job into advertising in the neighborhoods you already work in. You can add a logo to any product with no minimum order. Send a PNG with a transparent background, choose left chest, full front or full back, and approve a mockup before we print. See how it works on our custom logo workwear page.
A simple kit for a landscaping crew
- 2 to 3 hooded long sleeve sun shirts per person for mowing and trimming days
- 3 to 5 safety-color tees per person for cooler days and layering
- 1 ANSI Class 2 vest per person for roadside and parking lot work
- Cooling arm sleeves, a neck gaiter and a cap
When to replace them
Sun and washing fade bright fabric, and faded gear is harder to see. If the color looks dull next to a new shirt, or the reflective tape is cracked or peeling, replace it. Here are 6 signs your safety gear is done.
Shop long sleeve safety shirts, short sleeve safety shirts and safety vests to build your crew's kit.
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