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The Best Flame Resistant Workwear in Australia (2026)
Short version: buy FR because your site requires it or your work carries arc or flash risk. If it does, the grade of the fabric matters more than the brand on it, and Bisley publishes that grade — which is why this is the one guide on our site that can rank on fabric weight.
The number on the label is the whole story
Most of the FR range here is built from TenCate Tecasafe Plus, and the number after it is not marketing. It is the fabric grade, and it maps directly to weight:
- Tecasafe Plus 480 — 160gsm. The lightest. Built for heat.
- Tecasafe Plus 580 — 197gsm. The middle, and where most coveralls sit.
- Tecasafe Plus 700 — 238gsm. The heaviest, and the most protective.
All three are the same fibre blend — modacrylic, lyocell and aramid — and all three are inherently flame resistant rather than treated. That distinction is worth money: inherent protection is a property of the fibre itself, so it lasts the life of the garment. A treated fabric has had a finish applied that degrades with washing, and you cannot see when it has gone.
Two things this guide deliberately does not do. It does not rank on price, because on FR that is the wrong axis — the cheapest garment that meets your site's requirement is the right one, and the cheapest garment that does not is worthless. And it does not quote arc ratings or ATPV values, because those are certified per-fabric figures that belong on the manufacturer's datasheet and on your site's risk assessment, not paraphrased by a retailer.
If you are unsure which grade your site requires, that is a question for your safety officer, not for us.
1. Bisley TenCate Tecasafe Plus Taped Two Tone Hi Vis FR Vented Long Sleeve Shirt (BS8082T) — our pick for heavy-duty FR
Tecasafe Plus 700, 238gsm — the heaviest grade in the range, in a taped, two-tone hi vis shirt. This is the one to buy if your assessment points at the top grade and you want a single shirt that will not be questioned.
The detailing is built for people wearing gas monitors and radios: two-way radio or gas monitor loops on both sides, twin mitred chest pockets with press-snap flaps, a pen division in the left pocket, a two-piece structured collar, and full gusset cuffs with press snaps. FR reflective tape runs in a hoop pattern around the body and sleeves — note that the tape itself is FR, which is not automatic and matters, because ordinary reflective tape on an FR garment is a weak point.
It is also vented, which is the only reason a 238gsm shirt is wearable in an Australian summer.
XS to 3XL, two colours.
2. Bisley TenCate Tecasafe Plus Taped Hi Vis FR Lightweight Vented Long Sleeve (BS8238T) — our pick for heat
Tecasafe Plus 480, 160gsm — the lightest grade, at roughly two thirds the weight of pick one. If your site permits the 480 grade, this is a materially more comfortable shirt to spend a summer in and there is no reason to carry the extra weight.
It adds ventilation in two places rather than one: an action back panel and underarm venting. Same radio and gas monitor loops on both sides, same twin mitred chest pockets, same FR reflective hoop taping, with a concealed press-stud front closure.
Check the grade before you switch. If your site specifies the 700, this shirt does not substitute for pick one no matter how much better it feels.
3. Bisley Apex 240 FR Taped Ripstop Cargo Pant (BPC8580T) — our pick for FR pants
A different fabric to the shirts above — Apex 240, an inherent flame resistant ripstop. Ripstop is the right construction for trousers: the grid weave stops a snag becoming a tear, and trousers are what catch on things.
Perforated FR reflective tape around the lower legs, cargo pockets with press-snap flaps, two angled side pockets, two back welt pockets with flaps, seven reinforced wide belt loops, a YKK zip, and reinforced stitching at the front and back rise — the seam that fails first on work trousers.
It comes in Regular, Stout and Long across thirteen sizes, which is better length coverage than most of the FR range and matters more than usual here, because you cannot simply hem an FR garment without thinking about what thread you are using.
4. Bisley Taped Two Tone Hi Vis FR Lightweight Engineered Coverall (BC8186T) — our pick for coveralls
Tecasafe Plus 580, 197gsm — the middle grade, which is where coveralls usually land: heavier than a summer shirt because a coverall is your whole garment, lighter than the 700 because you are wearing it over everything.
Stand collar, covered press-snap front closure so there is no exposed metal, radio or gas monitor loops on both sides, a left chest patch pocket with a pen division, a right chest pocket with an additional phone pocket, and full gusset sleeve cuffs. FR reflective hoop taping around body and sleeves.
Regular and Stout lengths.
5. Bisley Taped Two Tone Hi Vis FR Wet Weather Shell Jacket (BJ8110T) — our pick for FR in the wet
The problem this solves is specific and expensive: an ordinary rain jacket over FR clothing defeats the FR clothing. A polyurethane shell will melt. If you need FR and it rains on you, you need an FR-rated shell, and there are not many.
This one is fully seam sealed for genuine wet weather protection, fully lined in cotton FR lining, with Sto-nor 9801 FR reflective taping in a hoop pattern and biomotion taping on the sleeves. A detachable zip-off hood, a storm flap at centre front, and twin waist pockets with flap and touch-tape closures.
It is the most expensive garment on this list by a wide margin, and if you need it there is no cheaper answer.
How to choose between them
- Find out which grade your site requires. Everything else is secondary, and this is not a decision to make from a product page.
- Then take the lightest garment that meets it. Weight you do not need is heat you do not need, and heat stress is its own hazard.
- Check what goes over the top. A non-FR jacket, vest or wet weather shell over FR clothing undoes it.
- Check the tape. On these garments the reflective tape is itself FR. That is not universal.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between inherent and treated flame resistance?
Inherent means the fibre itself is flame resistant, so the protection lasts as long as the garment. Treated means a finish has been applied to a normal fabric, and that finish degrades with washing and wear. Everything on this page is inherent. You cannot tell the difference by looking, which is exactly why it matters.
What do the Tecasafe numbers 480, 580 and 700 mean?
They are fabric grades, and they track weight: 480 is 160gsm, 580 is 197gsm, 700 is 238gsm. Same fibre blend of modacrylic, lyocell and aramid; more fabric means more protection and more heat. Your site's requirement decides which one you need.
Can I wear a normal hi vis vest over FR clothing?
No, and this is the most common way FR protection gets defeated on site. A standard polyester vest can melt onto the garment underneath. Anything worn over FR needs to be FR itself.
How should FR clothing be washed?
No bleach, no fabric softener, and no starch — all three can leave flammable residue on the fabric or interfere with the protection. Wash separately from heavily soiled non-FR workwear, because contamination with oils and solvents is itself a fire risk. Because these fabrics are inherent, correct washing does not reduce the protection; contamination does.
When does FR clothing need replacing?
When it is damaged, when it is contaminated with something flammable that will not wash out, or when a hole, tear or worn area exposes what is underneath. Inherent FR does not "wear out" chemically the way treated fabric does, but a garment with a hole in it is not protecting that part of you.
Does FR clothing also make me visible?
Only if it is a hi vis garment as well — most of the picks above are both, and the reflective tape on them is FR rated. FR and high-visibility are separate requirements and a site can specify either, both, or neither.
Keep looking
All men's flame resistant workwear · FR shirts · FR pants · FR overalls · Women's FR · Best wet weather workwear · Size guide