All 75 rain jackets we scored fail our PFAS screen

The verdict
All 75 rain 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/rain-jackets. 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 downOrganic Cotton Rain Jackets

Are rain jackets non-toxic?

None of the 75 rain 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 rain jackets in this category are microplastics, VOCs and off-gassing, formaldehyde, artificial dyes, heavy metals.

What to watch for in rain jackets

Beyond the PFAS grade, these are the things our graders recorded on the 75 rain 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 18 of these rain jackets. Plausible but unconfirmed on 29 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 1 of these rain jackets. Plausible but unconfirmed on 8 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 22 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 12 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 10 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. ATSDR

The safest rain 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 rain jackets on Amazon

What the evidence says about PFAS in rain 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.

Questions people ask about rain jackets

The rain 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 rain 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 rain jackets brands we found no PFAS statement from

We found no PFAS statement from 13 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.

Barbour, Canada Goose, Carhartt, Gore, Jack Wolfskin, KUHL, Keen, La Sportiva, Nautica, Outdoor Research, Spiewak, Stio.

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 rain jackets

Are rain jackets PFAS free?

All 75 rain 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 La Sportiva Men's Aequilibrium Lite GTX Jacket at 20 out of 100.

Are rain jackets non-toxic?

None of the 75 rain 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 rain jackets in this category are microplastics, VOCs and off-gassing, formaldehyde, artificial dyes, heavy metals.

Which rain jackets should I avoid?

The three lowest scoring we hold are La Sportiva Men's Aequilibrium Lite GTX Jacket at 20, Barbour Chelsea Waterproof Jacket Mens at 20, Barbour Women's Baythorpe Waterproof Jacket at 20. The problem with the first is that gORE-TEX implies PTFE, no public PFAS disclosure from La Sportiva

How can you tell if rain 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 rain jackets brands have not published a PFAS statement?

We found no PFAS statement from 13 of the brands we scored in this category, including Barbour, Canada Goose, Carhartt, Gore, Jack Wolfskin, KUHL. 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 rain 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 rain jackets.

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Does a particular brand of rain jackets have PFAS?

Brands we grade across the catalogue

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

We also wrote this up at length. PFAS in Rain Jackets, 74 Graded and Every One Scores 20

Want to filter the whole category yourself? Browse all 75 rain jackets.