Jackets & Coats Allbirds Full Zip Wool Blend Puffer Jacket Women Size Small vs Men's Whirlibird V Interchange Jacket: which is safer?

Allbirds Jackets & Coats Allbirds Full Zip Wool Blend Puffer Jacket Women Size Small is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Our pick

Allbirds Jackets & Coats Allbirds Full Zip Wool Blend Puffer Jacket Women Size Small

Allbirds

Jackets & Coats Allbirds Full Zip Wool Blend Puffer Jacket Women Size Small

PFAS grade

Good 65/100

Overall grade

Good 53/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Wool blend with synthetic fill (likely polyester)

Confidence

72%

Possiblewater-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) coating composition

PossibleSynthetic fill microplastic shedding

PossibleCoating degradation and leachables from synthetic lining

Columbia Men's Whirlibird V Interchange Jacket

Columbia

Men's Whirlibird V Interchange Jacket

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 0/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 5

Material

polyester/nylon with water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish

Confidence

35%

LikelyPFAS in water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) coating

PossibleAzo dyes in polyester/nylon coloring

PossibleAntimony in polyester fiber

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Durable Water Repellent (DWR) coating composition, Synthetic fill microplastic shedding and Coating degradation and leachables from synthetic lining on the Allbirds and not on the Columbia.
  • We flag PFAS in durable water repellent (DWR) coating, Azo dyes in polyester/nylon coloring, Antimony in polyester fiber and Formaldehyde resins in fabric finishing on the Columbia and not on the Allbirds.
  • The Allbirds is Wool blend with synthetic fill (likely polyester) where the Columbia is polyester/nylon with durable water repellent (DWR) finish, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • The gap is 45 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Allbirds is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the Columbia grade, at 35% confidence against 72%, because it discloses less.

Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →

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