Do Arc'teryx backpacks have PFAS?
Arc'teryx backpacks average 20 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 6 Arc'teryx backpacks graded as of October 2026, and none of them reach its 70 point pass mark.
Arc'teryx backpacks average Bad on our four-band scale. None of them clear our buy threshold.
PFAS Authority is a scoring system, not a laboratory. We do not test products ourselves. Grades are model-based, built from published ingredients, materials, certifications, brand disclosures and third-party lab results where they exist. See the rubric.
You may also be interested in
Top-graded picks in the categories readers replace first, every one scored on the same rubric.
- polypropylene filter housing, carbon/sediment cartridge
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial growth in spent cartridges
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Aquasure
Premier Series 75 GPD Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System
- RO membrane, carbon filters, stainless steel housing
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial and microbial growth in housing and filters
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Avocado
Vegan Mattress
- organic cotton, natural latex, coconut coir, recycled steel coils
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Heavy metals
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
What Arc'teryx says and does about PFAS
Arc'teryx says on its sustainability page that it fully supports removing PFAS from its products and that the majority of its products are now PFAS-compliant, with the rest of the line transitioning. That is a claim for part of the range, so we bucket it as lines. Greenpeace lab tests from 2016 detected PFCs in Arc'teryx trousers, though that predates the current transition.
- Brand statementArc'teryx says it fully supports removing PFAS from its products and worked with Gore-Tex on ePE, a membrane it says is free of intentionally added PFAS. Arc'teryx sustainability page ↗
- Brand statementArc'teryx says the majority of its products are PFAS-compliant and the remainder of the line is transitioning. Arc'teryx sustainability page ↗
- MaterialsArc'teryx names its FC0 DWR and ePE membrane as its PFAS-compliant materials. Arc'teryx sustainability page ↗
- Independent testGreenpeace commissioned an independent lab to test 40 outdoor products in 2016. It reported that only four were free of PFCs, and named Arc'teryx among the brands whose trousers it tested with high volatile PFCs, per a search summary. The FashionUnited report we could read names other brands and does not itemize Arc'teryx. FashionUnited reporting on Greenpeace ↗
- Independent testMamavation's roundup quotes an older Arc'teryx statement that it used short-chain PFCs. The roundup is undated in our extraction and the statement predates the current transition. Mamavation ↗
Sources checked September 29, 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.
Which Arc'teryx backpacks contain PFAS? Poor and Bad, we’d swap these
- Nylon with water-repellent coating water-repellent treatment (type unspecified)
- PFAS. Arc'teryx does not disclose water-repellent coating chemistry; nylon backpacks almost universally rely…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon
- Nylon/polyester ripstop with water-repellent coating (unspecified)
- water-repellent coating degradation and chemical release. Arc'teryx does not disclose water-repellent coating…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon
- Nylon/polyester blend with water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) treatment
- PFAS. Arc'teryx does not disclose whether the Aerios 18 uses legacy fluorocarbon-based water-repellent…
- Nylon with water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) coating
- PFAS. Arc'teryx does not disclose whether this backpack's water-repellent coating contains PFAS or PFAS…
- Nylon ripstop with water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish
- PFAS. Standard nylon backpacks commonly use perfluorinated or polyfluorinated water repellents; Arc'teryx…
- Nylon 6.6 with water-repellent coating (type unspecified)
- PFAS. Arc'teryx does not disclose water-repellent coating type; standard industry practice for durable…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on AmazonBetter backpacks from other brands
Graded higher than the Arc'teryx average of 20.
- Nylon/polyester blend with water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) treatment
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- PFAS
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon
- nylon/polyester pack with water-repellent coating
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- PFAS
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on AmazonSee every Arc'teryx product we grade on the Arc'teryx brand page, or the full backpacks ranking.