All 15 backpacks we scored fail our PFAS screen

The verdict
All 15 backpacks PFAS Authority has graded score below its 70 point pass mark for PFAS and other toxins, as of October 2026.
Free to quote with attribution to PFAS Authority and a link to pfasauthority.com/best/backpacks. Grades are model-based estimates from published materials and disclosures, not lab tests. The rubric.

Every grade below is built from published materials, ingredient lists, certifications and brand disclosures, scored on one public rubric and ranked best-graded first. Each score links to the full breakdown of what earned it, and the numbers across the whole dataset are published too.

Are backpacks non-toxic?

None of the 15 backpacks we graded clear our screen. Non-toxic is not a defined or regulated term, so what we can tell you is what our graders recorded. Beyond PFAS, the hazards found or left unruled-out on backpacks in this category are microplastics, VOCs and off-gassing, formaldehyde.

Why Patagonia Refugio Day Pack 30L grades highest here, and why that is not a pass

Every grade on this page is one sum. A category starts from a baseline, each disclosed material or coating adds risk points, and each thing the brand or a third party has published takes them away. Below is that sum for the winner, then for 1 product it beats, so you can see exactly where the 25 points between the top and the bottom of this backpacks ranking come from. Nothing in this category reaches our 70 point pass mark, so this is the shape of the field rather than a recommendation.

Top graded, and still below our pass mark

Patagonia Refugio Day Pack 30L
45Poor
Patagonia Refugio Day Pack 30L

Made of Nylon/polyester blend with water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) treatment.

  • +35Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment. Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
  • +30Category baseline. The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
  • -10Brand-stated PFAS-free. The brand states this product is PFAS-free. We have not verified the claim.

55risk points in total, which is a grade of 45

What the grade does not fix. It still carries one risk factor, Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment, and our graders recorded 3 other hazards on it. See the full breakdown.

Full breakdown

What it still grades above, and why

Fjällräven Fjallraven Kanken Backpack
20Bad25 points behind the winner
Fjällräven Fjallraven Kanken Backpack

What puts it behind. No PFAS disclosure, +15 points. No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product. The top-graded product carries no such factor.

Made of Vinylon (polyvinyl chloride-based synthetic fiber) fabric with wax-based water repellent.

  • +35Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
  • +30Category baseline
  • +15No PFAS disclosure

80risk points, a grade of 20

No product on this page was physically tested by us. Every number above comes from published materials, ingredient and coating disclosures, certifications and brand statements, scored on one public rubric. Formulations change without notice, so check the current product listing before buying.

What to watch for in backpacks

Beyond the PFAS grade, these are the things our graders recorded on the 15 backpacks in this category. We assess from materials, brand statements and published research. We do not lab-test.

  • Microplastics

    Plastic fragments small enough to shed from a product into food, water or air without anyone seeing it.

    Found on 1 of these backpacks. Plausible but unconfirmed on 8 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. EPA

  • VOCs and off-gassing

    Volatile compounds that evaporate out of a material at room temperature, which is what a new product smell is.

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 4 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. EPA

  • Formaldehyde

    A preservative and resin ingredient that is also released slowly by a group of chemicals used in its place.

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 1 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. NCI

The safest backpacks we graded, lowest PFAS risk first

Nothing in this category clears our buy threshold yet. That is the finding, not a gap.

See PFAS-free backpacks on Amazon

The backpacks we would skip

Lowest scoring in this category, worst first, with the reason.

How to read these scores. PFAS Authority is a scoring system, not a laboratory. We do not test products ourselves. Each grade is a model-based assessment built from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, brand disclosures, recalls and third-party lab results where they exist. Read the full rubric to see exactly what adds and removes points.

What we check on backpacks

  • Confirmed PFAS, PTFE or fluoropolymer content, which is the heaviest penalty we apply.
  • Stain, water or grease resistant treatments, which usually mean fluorinated chemistry.
  • Whether the brand discloses what is in the product, or stays silent behind a “clean” claim.
  • Independent lab results and certifications where they exist.

Full point-by-point rubric on the methodology page.

The backpacks brands we found no PFAS statement from

We found no PFAS statement from 2 of the brands here. That is our research, not proof a brand has never said anything, and it is not evidence of harm. It is why none of them score well on disclosure.

Fjällräven, Peak Design.

The brands that have published something, and what each of them actually said, are in our record of what every brand has said about PFAS.

Common questions about PFAS in backpacks

Are backpacks PFAS free?

All 15 backpacks PFAS Authority has graded score below its 70 point pass mark for PFAS and other toxins, as of October 2026. The lowest graded is Fjällräven Fjallraven Kanken Backpack at 20 out of 100.

Are backpacks non-toxic?

None of the 15 backpacks we graded clear our screen. Non-toxic is not a defined or regulated term, so what we can tell you is what our graders recorded. Beyond PFAS, the hazards found or left unruled-out on backpacks in this category are microplastics, VOCs and off-gassing, formaldehyde.

Which backpacks should I avoid?

The three lowest scoring we hold are Fjällräven Fjallraven Kanken Backpack at 20, Fjällräven Fjallraven Raven 20 Backpack at 20, Fjällräven Fjallraven Skule Backpack at 20. The problem with the first is that contact Fjällräven directly if PFAS-free status matters to your purchase decision.

Which backpacks brands have not published a PFAS statement?

We found no PFAS statement from 2 of the brands we scored in this category, including Fjällräven, Peak Design. That is what our research turned up, not proof a brand has never said anything, and a missing statement is not evidence of harm. It is the reason those brands cannot score well on disclosure.

Do you lab test backpacks?

No. We score from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, disclosures and third party lab results where they exist. Where a product has been independently tested we use that result and say so.

More clothing and outdoor categories we have graded

Same rubric, same scale. These are the categories closest to backpacks.

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Does a particular brand of backpacks have PFAS?

Brands we grade across the catalogue

Everything we have scored from these brands, not just backpacks.

We also wrote this up at length. Safest School Backpacks, PFAS Grades Compared

Want to filter the whole category yourself? Browse all 15 backpacks.