All 323 tents we scored fail our PFAS screen

The verdict
All 323 tents 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/outdoor-camping-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.

Narrow it downSilicone Tents

Are tents non-toxic?

None of the 323 tents 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 tents in this category are microplastics, VOCs and off-gassing, formaldehyde, flame retardants, artificial dyes.

What to watch for in tents

Beyond the PFAS grade, these are the things our graders recorded on the 323 tents 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 25 of these tents. Plausible but unconfirmed on 144 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.

    Found on 5 of these tents. Plausible but unconfirmed on 140 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.

    Found on 1 of these tents. Plausible but unconfirmed on 26 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. NCI

  • Flame retardants

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

    Found on 1 of these tents. NIEHS

  • Artificial dyes

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

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 25 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. FDA

The safest tents 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 tents on Amazon

Questions people ask about tents

The tents 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 tents

  • 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 tents brands we found no PFAS statement from

We found no PFAS statement from 50 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.

ALPS Mountaineering, Ascend, Big Agnes, Black Diamond, Cabela's, Caddis, Core Equipment, Decathlon, Eastern Mountain Sports, Eureka!, Exped, Ferrino.

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 tents

Are tents PFAS free?

All 323 tents PFAS Authority has graded score below its 70 point pass mark for PFAS and other toxins, as of October 2026. The lowest graded is Big Agnes Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent at 20 out of 100.

Are tents non-toxic?

None of the 323 tents 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 tents in this category are microplastics, VOCs and off-gassing, formaldehyde, flame retardants, artificial dyes.

Which tents should I avoid?

The three lowest scoring we hold are Big Agnes Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent at 20, Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 Backpacking Tent at 20, Heimplanet The Cave Tent at 20. The problem with the first is that waterproof tent coating raises PFAS concern; Big Agnes does not disclose its treatment.

Which tents brands have not published a PFAS statement?

We found no PFAS statement from 50 of the brands we scored in this category, including ALPS Mountaineering, Ascend, Big Agnes, Black Diamond, Cabela's, Caddis. 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 tents?

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 tents.

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Does a particular brand of tents have PFAS?

Brands we grade across the catalogue

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

Want to filter the whole category yourself? Browse all 323 tents.