All 15 hiking pants we scored fail our PFAS screen
We scored 15 hiking pants for PFAS forever chemicals and other hazards, then ranked them safest first. Every score below links to the full breakdown of what earned it.
100% of the 15 hiking pants we scored fail our PFAS and toxin screen.
The safest PFAS-free hiking pants we have scored
Nothing in this category clears our buy threshold yet. That is the finding, not a gap.
The hiking pants we would skip
Lowest scoring in this category, worst first.
The North Face
Men's Basin Pants
nylon/polyester blend with water-repellent coating treatment
water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) coating chemistry
High concern
Antimony in polyester
Limited concern
water-repellent coating degradation and microfiber shedding
Moderate concern
High risk; waterproof pants likely treated with legacy PFAS without brand disclosure.
⚠Waterproof or stain-proof treatment
The North Face
Men's Sprag 5-Pocket Pants
Cotton/nylon blend with water-repellent coating finish (likely fluorocarbon-based)
PFAS
Limited concern
Coating degradation and microparticle shedding
Limited concern
High risk; skip until North Face commits to PFAS-free water-repellent coating or transparent testing.
⚠Waterproof or stain-proof treatment
Patagonia
Men's Outdoor Everyday Pants
Nylon blend with water-repellent coating water-repellent finish
PFAS
Limited concern
Microfiber shedding from nylon
Limited concern
Lower risk than legacy gear, but Patagonia leaves water-repellent coating treatment specifics undisclosed.
⚠Waterproof or stain-proof treatment
What we check on hiking pants
- Heavy metals. Lead, cadmium, arsenic and others that accumulate in the body. FDA
- Lead. A heavy metal with no safe exposure level, especially for children. ATSDR
- Cadmium. A toxic heavy metal found in some glazes, pigments, and batteries. ATSDR
- 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 hiking pants brands that will not say
4 of the brands here publish nothing about PFAS at all. Silence is not evidence of harm, but it is why none of them score well on disclosure.
Columbia, Fjallraven, Patagonia, The North Face.
Common questions about PFAS-free hiking pants
Is hiking pants PFAS free?
Mostly not. Of the 15 hiking pants we have scored, 100% fail our PFAS and toxin screen, which leaves 0 that pass. The lowest is The North Face The North Face Men's Basin Pants at 20.
Which hiking pants should I avoid?
The three lowest scoring we hold are The North Face The North Face Men's Basin Pants at 20, The North Face The North Face Men's Sprag 5-Pocket Pants at 20, Patagonia Patagonia Men's Outdoor Everyday Pants at 20. The problem with the first is that high risk; waterproof pants likely treated with legacy PFAS without brand disclosure.
How can you tell if hiking pants contain PFAS?
In this category we check for heavy metals, lead, cadmium, formaldehyde / vocs, endocrine disruptors. Lead, cadmium, arsenic and others that accumulate in the body. Language like stain resistant, water repellent or easy release usually means fluorinated chemistry even when PFAS is never printed on the box.
Which hiking pants brands will not say whether they use PFAS?
4 of the brands we scored in this category publish nothing about PFAS at all, including Columbia, Fjallraven, Patagonia, The North Face. Silence is not evidence of harm, but it is the reason those brands cannot score well on disclosure.
Do you lab test hiking pants?
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.
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