All 84 cycling jackets we scored fail our PFAS screen

The verdict
All 84 cycling jackets 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/bike-rain-gear. 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 cycling jackets non-toxic?

None of the 84 cycling jackets 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 cycling jackets in this category are microplastics, flame retardants, formaldehyde, artificial dyes, heavy metals.

Why Patagonia Women's Dirt Roamer Storm Jacket 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 2 products it beats, so you can see exactly where the 25 points between the top and the bottom of this cycling jackets 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 Women's Dirt Roamer Storm Jacket
45Poor
Patagonia Women's Dirt Roamer Storm Jacket

Made of polyester shell with water-repellent coating finish.

  • +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 4 other hazards on it. See the full breakdown.

Full breakdown

What it still grades above, and why

Decathlon Forclaz Men's Trek 100 Synthetic Down Puffer Backpacking Jacket
20Bad25 points behind the winner
Decathlon Forclaz Men's Trek 100 Synthetic Down Puffer Backpacking Jacket

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 synthetic down, polyester shell with water-repellent coating treatment.

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

80risk points, a grade of 20

Mens Balance Made In Usa Cycling Jacket Windbreaker Water Resistant
20Bad25 points behind the winner
Mens Balance Made In Usa Cycling Jacket Windbreaker Water Resistant

What puts it behind. Vague safety claims only, +15 points. Uses vague language ("eco-friendly", "clean") without a specific PFAS statement. The top-graded product carries no such factor.

Made of Synthetic fabric with water-resistant water-repellent coating, unspecified.

  • +35Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
  • +30Category baseline
  • +15Vague safety claims only

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 cycling jackets

Beyond the PFAS grade, these are the things our graders recorded on the 84 cycling jackets 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 27 of these cycling jackets. Plausible but unconfirmed on 28 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. EPA

  • Flame retardants

    Chemicals added to foam, fabric and electronics to slow ignition.

    Found on 1 of these cycling jackets. NIEHS

  • Formaldehyde

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

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 41 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. NCI

  • Artificial dyes

    Synthetic colours added to food, cosmetics and textiles, most of them petroleum derived.

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 32 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. FDA

  • Heavy metals

    Metals such as antimony, nickel and chromium migrating from a material into what touches it.

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 23 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. ATSDR

The safest cycling jackets 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 cycling jackets on Amazon

What the evidence says about PFAS in cycling jackets

California has banned regulated PFAS in most new textiles since January 2025, but gives outdoor apparel for severe wet conditions until January 2028, requiring a Made with PFAS chemicals disclosure in the meantime. Colorado has required disclosure on such apparel since January 2025, and Maine will require the same disclosure from January 2029. The European Commission adopted a restriction in 2024 banning PFHxA in consumer textiles such as rain jackets. In testing released in 2022, the advocacy group Toxic-Free Future found PFAS in 9 of the 13 jackets it tested that were labeled stain or water resistant.

  • Regulatory filingCalifornia’s AB 1817 has banned regulated PFAS in new textile articles since January 1, 2025, but does not apply the ban to outdoor apparel for severe wet conditions until January 1, 2028, which until then must carry a Made with PFAS chemicals disclosure. California Legislature ↗
  • Regulatory filingMaine law bars selling outdoor apparel for severe wet conditions with intentionally added PFAS from January 1, 2029 unless it carries a Made with PFAS chemicals disclosure, including online. Maine Legislature ↗
  • Regulatory filingColorado’s public health department says state law has required disclosure on outdoor clothing for severe wet conditions with intentionally added PFAS since January 1, 2025. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment ↗
  • Regulatory filingThe European Commission adopted a restriction in September 2024 that bans the sale and use of PFHxA in consumer textiles such as rain jackets, with transitional periods depending on the use. European Commission ↗
  • Independent testToxic-Free Future, an advocacy group, reported detecting PFAS in 15 of 20 outdoor apparel items labeled stain or water resistant, including 9 of 13 jackets. Toxic-Free Future ↗
  • Government sourceA May 2023 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency report says PTFE, especially its expanded form ePTFE, has been used since the 1970s to make porous waterproof membranes for apparel and outdoor gear. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency ↗

Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.

The cycling jackets 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 cycling jackets

  • Formaldehyde / VOCs. Off-gassing chemicals from some finishes, textiles, and pressed wood. ATSDR
  • Endocrine disruptors. Chemicals that interfere with the body’s hormone system. NIEHS

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

The cycling jackets brands we found no PFAS statement from

We found no PFAS statement from 14 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.

Cannondale, Castelli, Decathlon, Endura, Giant, Gore, Jack Wolfskin, Merrell, New Balance, Pearl Izumi, Primal, Rapha.

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 cycling jackets

Are cycling jackets PFAS free?

All 84 cycling jackets PFAS Authority has graded score below its 70 point pass mark for PFAS and other toxins, as of October 2026. The lowest graded is Decathlon Forclaz Men's Trek 100 Synthetic Down Puffer Backpacking Jacket at 20 out of 100.

Are cycling jackets non-toxic?

None of the 84 cycling jackets 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 cycling jackets in this category are microplastics, flame retardants, formaldehyde, artificial dyes, heavy metals.

Which cycling jackets should I avoid?

The three lowest scoring we hold are Decathlon Forclaz Men's Trek 100 Synthetic Down Puffer Backpacking Jacket at 20, The North Face Men's Apex Bionic 3 Jacket at 20, adidas Terrex Multi 2-Layer CLIMAPROOF Rain Jacket at 20. The problem with the first is that synthetic down jacket with unknown DWR chemistry; limited transparency.

How can you tell if cycling jackets contain PFAS?

In this category we check for formaldehyde / VOCs, endocrine disruptors. Off-gassing chemicals from some finishes, textiles, and pressed wood. Language like stain resistant, water repellent or easy release usually means fluorinated chemistry even when PFAS is never printed on the box.

Which cycling jackets brands have not published a PFAS statement?

We found no PFAS statement from 14 of the brands we scored in this category, including Cannondale, Castelli, Decathlon, Endura, Giant, Gore. 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 cycling jackets?

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 cycling jackets.

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Does a particular brand of cycling jackets have PFAS?

Brands we grade across the catalogue

Everything we have scored from these brands, not just cycling jackets.

Want to filter the whole category yourself? Browse all 84 cycling jackets.