Thermal manikins have become one of the most valuable scientific tools for evaluating clothing comfort, heat loss, evaporative resistance, PPE performance, and environmental thermal stress.
Whether used in outdoor apparel R&D, firefighter PPE certification, or vehicle cabin climate studies, manikins allow engineers to measure how clothing and environments interact with the human body — in a repeatable, controlled, and scientifically valid way.
However, because thermal comfort is influenced by many factors (heat transfer, sweating, air movement, fabric layering, humidity), international standards are essential to ensure test accuracy, comparability, and compliance.
This article explains all major global standards related to Thermal Manikins, what they measure, and how to apply them correctly.
ISO 15831 is the world’s most widely adopted standard for measuring the thermal insulation (Rct) of clothing ensembles using a thermal manikin.
It defines:
Manikin requirements and heating zones
Chamber temperature, humidity, airflow limits
Test methods for static and moving conditions
Calculation of thermal resistance
This standard is essential for:
Outdoor apparel
Workwear
Uniforms
Cold protection systems
Multi-layer clothing evaluations
For most laboratories, ISO 15831 is the foundation of all manikin-based thermal testing.
ASTM F1291 is the American counterpart to ISO 15831, with similar methodology but slightly different test parameters.
It is widely used by:
U.S. apparel brands
Government testing labs
Military clothing developers
Many companies test to both ISO and ASTM to support global product distribution.
While ISO 15831 focuses on heat transfer, ASTM F2370 focuses on evaporative resistance (Ret) under sweating conditions.
This standard evaluates:
Moisture vapor transfer
Fabric drying behavior
Overall body cooling efficiency
It is widely used for:
High-performance sportswear
Protective clothing
Firefighter gear
Military uniforms
Waterproof–breathable apparel
Products like rain jackets, base layers, and breathable membranes use F2370 to validate real sweat behavior that flat fabric tests cannot capture.
ISO 11092 uses a sweating hotplate (not a manikin), but it is commonly paired with manikin tests to verify:
Moisture vapor permeability
Thermal resistance of textiles
Clothing system comfort prediction
Most R&D teams run ISO 11092 → ISO 15831 → ASTM F2370 for a complete comfort profile.
Fire environments require both thermal insulation and evaporative resistance. The following PPE standards rely heavily on manikin testing:
ISO 18640
Evaluates heat stress and evaporative resistance for firefighting clothing.
EN 469 / NFPA 1971
Focus on structural firefighting suits; thermal manikins help assess:
Heat transfer
Evaporative cooling behavior
Overall thermal burden
Sweating manikins are essential here because firefighters must balance thermal protection with heat stress reduction.
This standard measures heat loss when the manikin is submerged in cold water.
Used for:
Marine survival suits
Offshore safety gear
Coast guard and rescue equipment
The manikin simulates:
Body heat loss into water
Thermal insulation of the suit
Survival time prediction
It is one of the most critical standards for the maritime safety industry.
ISO 14505-2 — Vehicle Thermal Environment Evaluation Using Manikins
The primary global standard for assessing:
HVAC effectiveness
Seat heating/cooling
Cabin airflow
Local thermal discomfort
Thermal manikins help OEMs optimize occupant comfort in hot, cold, and mixed environments.
ISO 14505-3
Measures clothing insulation inside a vehicle, where air movement and posture differ from laboratory conditions.
SAE J2234
Describes manikin-based thermal comfort modeling in vehicles.
These standards are heavily used in automotive R&D, seat design, and interior climate development.
ASHRAE 55
Defines acceptable indoor thermal comfort.
Manikins are often used to calibrate HVAC systems and airflow in:
Offices
Hospitals
Transportation hubs
Laboratories
ISO 7726
Specifies thermal environment measuring instruments, including thermal manikins.
EN 15251 / ISO 17772
Manikin data is used to evaluate:
Local discomfort
Airflow drafts
Radiant asymmetry
These standards are key to indoor climate engineering.
China has its own strong set of thermal manikin guidelines, widely used in manufacturing and national testing labs:
GB/T 11048 — Clothing Thermal Insulation Using a Thermal Manikin
The direct Chinese equivalent to ISO 15831.
GB/T 31127 — Cold Protective Clothing Thermal Resistance
Specifies cold-protection suit testing with manikins.
These standards are especially important for companies targeting the Chinese PPE, textile, and uniform market.
These six standards cover 90% of global manikin testing:
ISO 15831 — Clothing thermal insulation
ASTM F1291 — U.S. clothing thermal insulation
ASTM F2370 — Evaporative resistance with sweating manikin
ISO 15027 — Immersion & survival suit insulation
ISO 14505-2 — Vehicle cabin thermal comfort
GB/T 11048 — Chinese manikin thermal insulation
These standards represent the primary testing needs across apparel, PPE, automotive, and environmental engineering.
Thermal manikins are powerful tools that bridge the gap between laboratory testing and real human experience. But their value depends on using the correct standards.
By understanding ISO, ASTM, EN, NFPA, SAE, ASHRAE, and GB standards — and when to apply each — manufacturers and testing labs can ensure accurate, repeatable results that stand up to global certification requirements.
