Do Columbia waterproof outdoor gear storage bags have PFAS?
Columbia waterproof outdoor gear storage bags average 20 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 5 Columbia waterproof outdoor gear storage bags graded as of October 2026, level with the 20 out of 100 median for the 29 other waterproof outdoor gear storage bags brands graded alongside it.
Columbia waterproof outdoor gear storage bags average Bad on our four-band scale. None of them clear our buy threshold. That is above 45% of the waterproof outdoor gear storage bags brands we grade.
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.
What Columbia says and does about PFAS
Columbia Sportswear Company says it completed a PFAS phase-out for all product types and brands at the end of 2024, and its September 2024 position statement described the transition and a possible different deadline for some severe-weather products. A 2022 NRDC, PIRG and Fashion FWD scorecard gave it an F and a petition campaign followed. We found no PFAS lawsuit against Columbia over its products.
- Brand statementColumbia's August 2025 Restricted Substances List says it completed its PFAS phase-out for all product types and brands as of the end of 2024. Columbia Sportswear Company ↗
- Brand statementColumbia's September 2024 position statement said it was moving to PFAS-free chemistry, and that some high-performance severe-weather products might follow a different deadline. Columbia Sportswear Company ↗
- Brand statementColumbia says it phased out long-chain PFAS including PFOA and PFOS many years ago and restricts them through its RSL. Columbia Sportswear Company ↗
- Regulatory filingColumbia's RSL tells suppliers about Minnesota's PFAS product reporting law, which requires manufacturers of products with intentionally added PFAS to report to the state. Columbia Sportswear Company ↗
- StudyIn 2022 NRDC and U.S. PIRG Education Fund delivered 48,000 petition signatures asking Columbia to phase out PFAS, and said it earned an F on their scorecard. The PFAS Project Lab, excerpting NRDC ↗
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.
Graded and flagged Poor and Bad, we’d swap these
Columbia
Landroamer 40L Duffel
- Nylon/polyester blend with water-repellent coating water-resistant coating
- water-repellent coating chemistry (fluorinated or non-disclosed), Columbia does not disclose whether the…
2 hazards checked on this product. See all of them.
Columbia
Landroamer 60L Duffel
- polyester/nylon with water-repellent coating water-resistant coating
- water-repellent coating degradation and unknown fluorocarbon content, The water-repellent coating finish will…
2 hazards checked on this product. See all of them.
Columbia
Manresa 33L Backpack
- nylon with water-repellent coating water-repellent coating
- water-repellent coating degradation and reapplication risk, As the water-repellent finish wears with use and…
2 hazards checked on this product. See all of them.
Columbia
Pfg Performance Fishing Gear 28" 75 L Weatherproof Duffle Bag
- polyester/nylon with water-repellent coating weatherproof coating
- PFAS, Columbia has not disclosed whether this duffle uses legacy PFAS-based water-repellent coating or newer…
3 hazards checked on this product. See all of them.
Columbia
Wildwood Heights 45L+5L Backpack
- Nylon ripstop with water-repellent coating treatment (unspecified)
- PFAS, Columbia does not disclose whether this backpack uses fluorocarbon or non-fluorocarbon water…
4 hazards checked on this product. See all of them.
Better waterproof outdoor gear storage bags from other brands
Graded higher than the Columbia average of 20.
REI Co-op
Trailgate Gear Bin Green 140 L
- Polypropylene storage bin, no water-resistant coating mentioned
- UV degradation and additive leaching
3 hazards checked on this product. See all of them.
Marmot
Tool Box
- Nylon, polyester, cotton blend; details unspecified
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from polyester and nylon manufacturing
5 hazards checked on this product. See all of them.
Patagonia
Disperser Roll Top Pack 40L
- Recycled polyester with water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- PFAS
4 hazards checked on this product. See all of them.
The same question, asked of the other waterproof outdoor gear storage bags brands
Best average grade first. Columbia averages 20.
See every Columbia product we grade on the Columbia brand page, or the full waterproof outdoor gear storage bags ranking.