All 15 snow pants we scored fail our PFAS screen

The verdict
All 15 snow pants 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/snow-pants. 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 snow pants non-toxic?

None of the 15 snow 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 snow pants in this category are microplastics, formaldehyde, VOCs and off-gassing, flame retardants, artificial dyes.

Why Patagonia Men's Powder Town 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 1 product it beats, so you can see exactly where the 25 points between the top and the bottom of this snow 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

Patagonia Men's Powder Town Pants
45Poor
Patagonia Men's Powder Town Pants

Made of nylon blend with water-repellent coating water-repellent treatment.

  • +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 3 other hazards on it. See the full breakdown.

Full breakdown

What it still grades above, and why

Burton Men's Ballast GORE-TEX 2L Pants
20Bad25 points behind the winner
Burton Men's Ballast GORE-TEX 2L Pants

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 GORE-TEX 2L membrane laminate (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 snow pants

Beyond the PFAS grade, these are the things our graders recorded on the 15 snow 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 2 of these snow pants. Plausible but unconfirmed on 10 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 5 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. NCI

  • VOCs and off-gassing

    Volatile compounds that evaporate out of a material at room temperature, which is what a new product smell is.

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 2 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. EPA

  • Flame retardants

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

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 1 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. NIEHS

  • Artificial dyes

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

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 1 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. FDA

The safest snow 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 snow pants on Amazon

The snow pants 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 snow 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 snow pants

Are snow pants PFAS free?

All 15 snow 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 Burton Men's Ballast GORE-TEX 2L Pants at 20 out of 100.

Are snow pants non-toxic?

None of the 15 snow 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 snow pants in this category are microplastics, formaldehyde, VOCs and off-gassing, flame retardants, artificial dyes.

Which snow pants should I avoid?

The three lowest scoring we hold are Burton Men's Ballast GORE-TEX 2L Pants at 20, Burton Men's Reserve 2L 3-In-1 Pants at 20, Columbia Men's Bugaboo V Pants at 20. The problem with the first is that avoid if concerned about PFAS; PTFE membrane carries risk and Burton discloses nothing.

How can you tell if snow 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 snow 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 snow pants.

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Does a particular brand of snow pants have PFAS?

Brands we grade across the catalogue

Everything we have scored from these brands, not just snow pants.

Want to filter the whole category yourself? Browse all 15 snow pants.