A traffic cone looks like the simplest thing on a work site: you put it down and that is it. In practice, the wrong cone either falls over at the first gust of wind, is too short for anyone to see over the bonnet of the car in front, or is too heavy for the crew to move along with the works. This guide explains the types of cones, how PVC differs from PE, which height and which base to choose, how many cones you need and what you can attach to them.
What a traffic cone is
A traffic cone, also called a road cone, a safety cone or a traffic control cone, is a flexible plastic cone on a wide base that shows drivers and pedestrians where not to go. It closes a lane, an entrance or a work zone quickly and is packed away just as quickly. You see it at road works, in no-entry zones, in car parks and on building sites.
A cone is not fixed into the asphalt: you set it down, move it as the works progress and put it back in the vehicle in the evening. All our cones are flexible and weather resistant; you choose by material, height, base and where they will stand.
The types of cones
Orange cones with a standard base
These are the classic cones: an orange body, 2 white honeycomb reflective bands and an octagonal base. They come in three heights, each in PVC, the premium range, or in PE, the economy range:
- 50 cm: the V6-50R2 in PVC, 1.3 kg, and the V6-50R2E in PE, 0.9 kg; both are 48.3 cm tall with a 28 x 28 cm base;
- 70 cm: the V6-70R2 in PVC, 2.3 kg, and the V6-70R2E in PE, 1.6 kg; both are 71.3 cm tall with a 38 x 38 cm base;
- 90 cm: the V6-90R2 in PVC, 3.2 kg, and the V6-90R2E in PE, 2.2 kg; both have a 38 x 38 cm base.
Being light, they are moved with one hand, along with the works. You will find them under premium PVC cones and economy PE cones.
Cones with a weighted base
The codes with the letter A are the same orange cones, with the same bands, on a weighted hexagonal base. The base keeps the cone in place in the wind, next to lorries and on works left overnight:
- 50 cm, on a 38 x 38 cm base: the V6-50AR2 in PVC, 2.7 kg, and the V6-50AR2E in PE, 2.3 kg;
- 70 cm, on a 48 x 48 cm base: the V6-70AR2 in PVC, 5 kg, and the V6-70AR2E in PE, 4.35 kg;
- 90 cm, on a 48 x 48 cm base: the V6-90AR2 in PVC, 6 kg, and the V6-90AR2E in PE, 5.95 kg.
Here the weight difference between PVC and PE almost disappears, because most of it comes from the base: the V6-90AR2E weighs 5.95 kg against 6 kg for the V6-90AR2, and stays put just as well. If it is hit, the flexible body bends and the heavy base stops it being thrown out of position.
Parking cones
In a car park, a cone does not close a lane; it keeps a space free or blocks an entrance. The V6-60R, in red, and the V6-60BL, in blue, are made for that. They have 2 wide white bands with 12 cat’s eye reflectors, a 36 x 36 cm hexagonal base and weigh 6 kg, so neither the wind nor a light knock moves them, even in an open car park. They are made of PPC, PVC and PC, flexible and weather resistant.
You use them to reserve a parking space, close an entrance for a while, mark a work zone in a car park or yard and show drivers where they may not go. The blue stands apart from red and orange work cones, so the V6-60BL suits reserved spaces, the entrance to a private car park or the area in front of a garage. At night the reflectors return the headlights, and the red cone shows as a row of red dots on white.
Marker cones
The marker cone is the simple red cone with 2 white bands with red dots, from the economy range, in matt colours. The V6-50E is 50 cm tall, has a 28 x 28 cm octagonal base and weighs 0.95 kg. The V6-50EA is the same marker on a black, hexagonal, weighted 38 x 38 cm base: it weighs 2.4 kg, two and a half times the plain one, and does not tip over at the first knock.
Marker cones are for occasional marking: in yards, at car workshops, in car parks, on building sites or along a temporary route. For works on a busy road, choose a cone with honeycomb reflective bands, such as the V6-50R2E or, with a heavy base, the V6-50AR2E.
PVC or PE: premium or economy
PVC cones are the premium range: bright, vivid colours and a long service life. When a car touches a PVC cone, it bends instead of cracking and then springs back. PE (polyethylene) cones are the economy range: lower weight and matt colours. In each pair, the PVC and the PE cone have the same height, the same base and the same 2 reflective bands. What differs is the colour and the weight:
- at 50 cm: 1.3 kg in PVC, 0.9 kg in PE;
- at 70 cm: 2.3 kg in PVC, 1.6 kg in PE;
- at 90 cm: 3.2 kg in PVC, 2.2 kg in PE.
Choose PE when you need many pieces: for a works crew, a building site, a large car park or an event. Ten V6-50R2E cones weigh only 9 kg together and fit in a small car. Choose PVC when the cones must look good and last, at a company that uses them every day.
How to choose: three questions
How far away must the cone be seen?
You choose the height by the speed and the distance from which the driver needs to see the cone:
- 50 cm is the most common cone, for closing a lane, an entrance or a parking space quickly;
- 70 cm can be seen over car bonnets; it is the height for road works, for moving traffic off a lane and for closing longer stretches of road or car park;
- 90 cm is for faster roads and for places where the cone must be seen in good time: a lane closed for works, a diversion, an accident or a large obstacle. On a 90 cm cone the reflective bands sit higher, at the level of the headlights and the driver’s eyes.
Is it windy, or do lorries pass close by?
A light cone of 1-3 kg can tip over in the wind or in the draught left by a lorry. In town, for short jobs and where you move the cones often, a standard base is enough. On open roads, next to heavy traffic or on a sloping road, choose the weighted base. If you find the cones lying on the road in the morning, that is the sign you need heavier ones.
How long will the cone stay in place?
For a few hours, with people around who can stand it back up, a standard-base cone will do. For works left overnight and for cones that stay in the same place for hours or days, the weighted base saves you the trips to stand them back up.
How many cones you need
The number of cones is easy to work out: divide the length of the zone by the distance between cones and add one for the end. The distance comes from the traffic plan for the works; the examples below only show the calculation and how much you have to load into the vehicle:
- a lane closed over 30 m, with a cone every 3 m: 11 cones, which is 25.3 kg with the V6-70R2 or 55 kg with the V6-70AR2;
- a 40 m diversion, with a cone every 4 m: 11 cones, which is 17.6 kg with the V6-70R2E;
- a lane closed over 50 m, with a cone every 5 m: 11 cones, which is almost 48 kg with the V6-70AR2E.
You feel the difference when loading, but also in how well the cones stay put. Cones add to the signs; they do not replace them. Which temporary signs a work site needs is covered in our guide to signing road works with U signs, and if vehicles need a clearer route, beacons are explained in our guide to road beacons.
Reflective cones: what shows at night
All orange cones have 2 white honeycomb reflective bands that show up in the headlights. Parking cones have 12 cat’s eye reflectors on 2 white bands instead, and marker cones have white bands with red dots, in matt colours. So for a busy road after dark, choose orange cones with honeycomb bands, as tall as possible: at 90 cm the bands reach headlight height.
The bands only show in the headlights. For the zone to be seen from where headlights do not reach, put a lamp on the cone, as below.
Cone accessories
A sign or a lamp on top of the cone
The cones we sell in sets have a built-in thread at the top. A small plastic sign or a warning lamp screws straight into it, with no extra part. That way the cone does not just mark the zone, it also says what is there, and at night it can be seen from far away.
The chain hook
The ATZ 101A is a red PPC hook weighing 50 g. Its ribbed lower part goes into the opening at the top of the cone, and above it stays a ring through which you pass a chain or barrier tape. You put one hook on each cone, so a row of 8 cones linked with a chain needs 8 hooks. Red-white and yellow-black barrier tapes are covered in our guide to barrier tapes.
Cones for windy places
If the cones will stand on an open road, at works left overnight or in a car park exposed to the wind, choose a model with a weighted base from the start, such as the V6-50AR2, V6-70AR2 or V6-90AR2. Every height, 50, 70 and 90 cm, comes with a weighted base in both PVC and PE.
Frequently asked questions
How does a PVC cone differ from a PE one?
They have the same height, the same base and the same reflective bands. The PVC cone has vivid colours and a long service life, while the PE cone has matt colours and is lighter: for example 1.6 kg against 2.3 kg at 70 cm.
How tall is the 50 cm cone?
The orange 50 cm cones, such as the V6-50R2 and V6-50R2E, are 48.3 cm tall with a 28 x 28 cm octagonal base. The 70 cm standard-base cones are 71.3 cm tall, and the 90 cm ones are exactly 90 cm.
Why do cones blow over, and how do I keep them in place?
Because of the wind and the draught from lorries passing close. Choose a cone with a weighted base, for example the V6-70AR2, which weighs 5 kg, or the V6-90AR2E for busy roads.
Can I put a sign or a lamp on a cone?
Yes. The cones sold in sets have a built-in thread at the top, into which a small plastic sign or a lamp screws straight in.
Which cone do I use to reserve a parking space?
The V6-60R parking cone, in red, or the V6-60BL, in blue. It weighs 6 kg and has a 36 x 36 cm base, so the wind does not move it, and its 12 reflectors show up in the headlights at night.
What is a marker cone?
A red 50 cm cone with 2 white bands with red dots, for occasional marking in yards, workshops, car parks or along a temporary route. The V6-50E weighs 0.95 kg, and the V6-50EA, on a weighted base, weighs 2.4 kg.
How we can help
All cones, marker cones and accessories are under traffic cones. If you are not sure which height, which base or how many pieces you need, tell us what you are closing off, over what length, on what kind of road and how long the cones will stay there, and we will put the list together for you, including hooks or the signs that announce the works.
