Portwest ES1 Essential Hi-Vis Softshell Jacket (2L)

Certified Visibility. All-Weather Versatility. Responsibly Built.

The Portwest ES428 Essential Hi-Vis Softshell Jacket is a premium, high visibility outer layer engineered to keep workers warm, dry, visible, and comfortable across the full range of conditions that outdoor and exposed working environments can throw at them. Combining a 2-layer breathable, windproof, and water-resistant construction with a micro polar fleece inner lining, the ES428 delivers the performance of a technical outdoor jacket alongside the certified high visibility credentials required for professional safety-critical work.

Fully CE certified to EN ISO 20471 — achieving Class 3 from size Small upwards and Class 2 for size XS — and compliant with RIS 3279-TOM Issue 2 for rail industry use in orange, the ES428 meets the most demanding visibility standards in use across UK industry today. Certification is maintained for an impressive 50 washes, providing long-term confidence in the garment's compliance throughout its working life.

2-Layer Softshell Construction — Performance Where It Counts

The ES428 is built around a 2-layer 280g shell fabric combining 94% polyester and 6% elastane, bonded directly to a 100% polyester micro polar fleece lining. This construction delivers a carefully engineered balance of properties that make it genuinely suitable for the demands of outdoor and physically active work:

• The polyester-elastane outer shell provides structure, durability, and stretch — allowing unrestricted movement during manual tasks without the rigidity of conventional shell jackets.
• The bonded micro polar fleece inner layer traps warm air close to the body, providing meaningful insulation against wind and cold without adding excessive bulk or weight.
• The 2-layer bonded construction means the outer and inner layers move together as a single unit, eliminating the bunching, shifting, and uncomfortable fabric movement that can occur in non-bonded layered garments.

The result is a softshell jacket that moves with the wearer, maintains its shape, and consistently delivers warmth and weather protection throughout the working day.

PFAS-Free Texpel™ Splash Eco Water Resistance

Water resistance in workwear is nothing new — but the chemistry behind it matters more than ever. Many conventional water-resistant finishes rely on PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) — a group of synthetic chemicals that are persistent in the environment and increasingly subject to regulatory restriction due to their environmental and health implications.

The ES428 uses Texpel™ Splash Eco — an extremely water-resistant, PFAS-free fabric finish that causes water to bead and roll away from the outer surface without relying on harmful fluorinated compounds. This makes the ES428 a responsible procurement choice for organisations with sustainability commitments, environmental policies, or supply chain due diligence requirements relating to chemical usage — without any compromise on the water-resistant performance that outdoor workers depend on.

For procurement teams navigating increasing scrutiny around PFAS in workwear, the ES428's PFAS-free credentials represent a genuinely meaningful and future-proof specification.

EN ISO 20471 Certified — Through 50 Washes

High visibility certification is only as valuable as its durability in real-world use. A garment that is EN ISO 20471 compliant when new but loses its certified visibility properties after a handful of washes provides far less practical safety value than its initial certification suggests.

The ES428 is certified to EN ISO 20471 after 50 washes — double the wash durability of many comparable garments on the market. This is a significant and meaningful specification for workwear buyers, confirming that the fluorescent fabric and reflective tape will continue to meet their rated performance standards throughout a realistic and extended working lifespan. For employers who issue PPE clothing and are responsible for its ongoing compliance, this wash durability certification provides genuine long-term assurance.

The ES428 achieves:

• EN ISO 20471 Class 3 — the highest available hi-vis classification — for sizes Small and above, providing the maximum required area of fluorescent and reflective material for the most safety-critical environments.
• EN ISO 20471 Class 2 for size XS, ensuring certified visibility across the full size range.

Rail Industry Compliant

In its orange colourway, the ES428 complies with RIS 3279-TOM Issue 2 — the Network Rail standard governing high visibility clothing for personnel working on or near the UK rail infrastructure. For rail contractors, maintenance teams, trackside engineers, and support personnel where RIS compliance is a non-negotiable requirement, the ES428 provides a technically robust and commercially practical solution in a single garment.

The combination of EN ISO 20471 Class 3 and RIS 3279-TOM compliance also simplifies procurement for contractors working across both rail and non-rail environments, allowing a single garment specification to cover both regulatory contexts.

Reflective Tape for All-Conditions Visibility

Strategically placed reflective tape across the ES428 ensures that the high visibility properties of the garment extend beyond daylight hours and fluorescent fabric performance. In low-light conditions, poor weather, or night-time working environments, the reflective tape returns light directly to its source — dramatically increasing the wearer's conspicuity to vehicle operators, plant drivers, and colleagues at distance. Together with the certified fluorescent fabric, the reflective tape ensures the ES428 delivers 360-degree, all-conditions visibility.

40 UPF Sun Protection

The ES428 fabric carries a UPF 40 rating, providing protection against 98% of harmful UV radiation. For workers spending extended periods outdoors — particularly during summer months or in high-UV environments — this reduces the cumulative risk of UV-related skin damage. UPF-rated fabric is an increasingly recognised but still frequently overlooked element of outdoor worker health and wellbeing, and the ES428's 40 UPF rating ensures sun protection is built directly into the garment rather than relying on additional measures.

Two Side Pockets for Practical Storage

The ES428 features two side pockets providing secure, convenient storage for everyday essentials — phones, gloves, documentation, and small tools. In cold working conditions, the pockets also provide a practical hand-warming option for workers during brief pauses in activity. Practical pocket provision is a simple but often decisive factor in day-to-day workwear usability, and the ES428's pocket arrangement keeps essentials accessible without compromising the jacket's clean, professional profile.

Suited to a Wide Range of Industries

The ES428's combination of EN ISO 20471 Class 3 certification, rail compliance, PFAS-free water resistance, and all-weather softshell performance makes it an excellent choice across a broad spectrum of high visibility working environments:

• Rail maintenance and infrastructure
• Road and highway maintenance
• Construction and civil engineering
• Utilities — gas, electricity, water, telecoms
• Logistics and transport
• Airport ground operations
• Waste management and local authority
• Highways and traffic management

Key Features at a Glance

• 2-layer breathable, windproof, and water-resistant softshell construction
• Bonded micro polar fleece inner lining for warmth and comfort
• PFAS-free Texpel™ Splash Eco water-resistant finish — environmentally responsible
• EN ISO 20471 Class 3 certified (S and above) / Class 2 (XS)
• Certified to EN ISO 20471 after 50 washes — long-term compliance assurance
• Reflective tape for all-conditions, all-light-level visibility
• RIS 3279-TOM Issue 2 compliant — orange colourway for rail industry
• 40 UPF rated fabric — blocks 98% of UV rays
• Two side pockets for practical everyday storage
• Polyester-elastane shell for stretch, movement, and durability
• CE certified

Technical Specifications