All 15 hiking pants we scored fail our PFAS screen
All 15 hiking pants PFAS Authority has graded score below its 70 point pass mark for PFAS and other toxins, as of October 2026.
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 hiking pants non-toxic?
None of the 15 hiking pants 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 hiking pants in this category are microplastics, formaldehyde, heavy metals, artificial dyes, undisclosed fragrance.
Why Columbia Men's Stealth Spring Chino Pants 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 45 points between the top and the bottom of this hiking pants 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
Made of cotton-blend chino twill (no water-repellent treatment noted).
- +30Category baseline. The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
- +15No PFAS disclosure. No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
- -10Base material not linked to PFAS. The main material recorded for this product is not one associated with PFAS.
35risk points in total, which is a grade of 65
What the grade does not fix. It still carries one risk factor, No PFAS disclosure. See the full breakdown.
What it still grades above, and why
What puts it behind. Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment, +35 points. Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS. The top-graded product carries no such factor.
Made of Nylon blend with water-repellent coating water-repellent finish.
- +35Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
- +30Category baseline
- -10Brand-stated PFAS-free. The brand states this product is PFAS-free. We have not verified the claim.
55risk points, a grade of 45
What puts it behind. Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment, +35 points. Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS. The top-graded product carries no such factor.
Made of GORE-TEX laminate membrane (polytetrafluoroethylene-based).
- +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 hiking pants
Beyond the PFAS grade, these are the things our graders recorded on the 15 hiking pants 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 6 of these hiking pants. Plausible but unconfirmed on 6 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 4 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. NCI
- Heavy metals
Metals such as antimony, nickel and chromium migrating from a material into what touches it.
Plausible but unconfirmed on 4 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. ATSDR
- Artificial dyes
Synthetic colours added to food, cosmetics and textiles, most of them petroleum derived.
Plausible but unconfirmed on 2 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. FDA
- Undisclosed fragrance
A single word on a label that can stand for dozens of undeclared ingredients, protected as trade secret.
Plausible but unconfirmed on 1 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. FDA
The safest hiking pants 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 hiking pants on AmazonQuestions people ask about hiking pants
The hiking pants we would skip
Lowest scoring in this category, worst first, with the reason.
- 20Fjallraven Fjällräven Men's Keb GTX Waterproof Shell TrousersBad
Formaldehyde / VOCs
- 20Fjallraven Abisko Lite Trekking Trousers Men'sBad
Heavy metals
- 20Columbia Men's Silver Ridge Convertible PantsBad
water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish durability and degradation
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.
Common questions about PFAS in hiking pants
Are hiking pants PFAS free?
All 15 hiking pants PFAS Authority has graded score below its 70 point pass mark for PFAS and other toxins, as of October 2026. The lowest graded is Fjallraven Fjällräven Men's Keb GTX Waterproof Shell Trousers at 20 out of 100.
Are hiking pants non-toxic?
None of the 15 hiking pants 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 hiking pants in this category are microplastics, formaldehyde, heavy metals, artificial dyes, undisclosed fragrance.
Which hiking pants should I avoid?
The three lowest scoring we hold are Fjallraven Fjällräven Men's Keb GTX Waterproof Shell Trousers at 20, Fjallraven Abisko Lite Trekking Trousers Men's at 20, Columbia Men's Silver Ridge Convertible Pants at 20. The problem with the first is that high risk due to GORE-TEX; Fjällräven provides no PFAS disclosure or alternatives.
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.
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.
More clothing and outdoor categories we have graded
Same rubric, same scale. These are the categories closest to hiking pants.
- Best non-toxic outdoor furniture cushion protectants357 graded
- Best non-toxic tents323 graded
- Best non-toxic ski jackets217 graded
- Best non-toxic ski wax210 graded
- Best non-toxic wrinkle-free dress shirts16 graded
- Best non-toxic stain-resistant jeans15 graded
- Best non-toxic backpacks15 graded
- Best non-toxic fishing gear15 graded
Get the graded list, free.
The products we score each week, and the best-graded alternative in every category.
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Does a particular brand of hiking pants have PFAS?
Brands we grade across the catalogue
Everything we have scored from these brands, not just hiking pants.
We also wrote this up at length. PFAS in Hiking Pants, Where Only the Untreated Pairs Pass
Want to filter the whole category yourself? Browse all 15 hiking pants.