Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Reflective Safety: It Just May Save Your Life.

Disclaimer:  I received Brilliant Reflective Safety Strips to use and review as part of being a BibRave Pro.  Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave to review, find and write race reviews.


Nine months of the year,  early mornings in Minnesota are DARK.  So dark in fact, it's imperative for a runner to have bright and reliable reflective gear.  My morning runs are most always in the dark and I often run right on the roads, as the sidewalk is not always accessible. 

It's an absolute FACT that more pedestrians are struck by vehicles in the dark!  And, did you know that a person is 1100% MORE  likely to be struck in the dark than in daylight?

That's reason enough for ME to protect myself with reflection!

At $9.99 there really isn't a more affordable way to be seen in the dark!   Brilliant Reflective strips are 200 times brighter than a white t-shirt and they are made with the same reflective properties that protect our military.  How cool is that?!

If you look below, these strips are available in two different versions: iron-on and stick-on.  The picture was taken to accentuate the reflective properties of the strips.


The iron-on strips are very easy to use.  The directions are inside on the cover of the packaging and are clear and concise.  How innovative!  I was impressed with the packaging and the conservation of not having the loose directions.  My husband is an environmentalist,  so I learn from the best.  Make sure to check out my video below showing just how cool this really is!  A+ goes out to Brilliant Reflective on the minimalist packaging!



I found that I used the stick-on strips the most during my testing period.  I used these only because I placed them on my absolute favorite piece of winter running gear.  Initially, I was cautious of the adhesive and how it would react with my jacket.  My jacket is nylon so I was afraid it would not withstand the ironing of the strips.  In addition, this jacket only gets washed occasionally, so I was fine with the stick-on strips being placed on it.

I have had no trouble with them falling off while running.  The stick-on strips have heavy duty adhesive and are a fabric-like material.  I still have them attached to my shoes even in the slushy and snowy Minnesota runs!  Also, my headband has been washed several times and the stick-on strip is still there!

My only minor complaint is regarding the adhesive.  It's a pro and a con at the same time.  The strips did such a good job adhering to the fabric on my outer jacket I could hardly get them off.  After three washes they were stuck on just like the first day they were placed.

However, removing them did take effort, and on a few locations, the strip did leave a bit of glue residue.  This did not ruin my jacket and I'm sure I'll be able to get off the residue, but it will require a bit of elbow grease.  The excess adhesive left could be due to the jacket being nylon, it's a more sensitive fabric in my opinion.

It was very important that I placed these strips in a position that was conducive to bio-motion.  According to Brilliant Reflective, when you outline the human form with the reflective strips, you are more easily identified because the light reflecting back to the driver will be in the shape of a person.   Drivers will absolutely pay more attention to reflection if they think it's a person!


Just LOOK at how bright I am!  You can even see the strips on the tips of my toes! They glow nicely in this photo!

I am in LOVE with these innovative strips!  I would say these are a MUST-TRY!  How can you go wrong?  At $9.99, which includes free shipping,  these strips are an affordable way to give you a bit more protection during your dark runs. If you're anything like me, you need the extra protection in the dark!

If you still have questions, make sure to check out our #bibchat on Twitter!  Tuesday, Jan. 10th - 8 PM CST.  We will talk all things reflection and you just may win a package for yourself!


3 comments:

  1. Wow, those look great! Are they reuseable? Or can you only use them on one item?

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  2. They are not reuseable. But, my stick on ones were so sticky, I surely could have used them on something else as well, but they may not be quite as pretty looking. :) maybe a bit curled on the edges. The iron-on are permanent.

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  3. These strips are so awesome! I need to get some for my jogging stroller. I never run with it in the dark but the reflective gear is handy even for an overcast or dreary day!

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