Aerios 18 Backpack vs Jester Luxe Backpack: which is safer?
Arc'teryx Aerios 18 Backpack is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Our pick
Arc'teryx
Aerios 18 Backpack
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 16/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 1
Material
Nylon/polyester blend with water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) treatment
Confidence
45%
Possiblewater-repellent coating (PFAS status unclear)
The North Face
Jester Luxe Backpack
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 12/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
Nylon/polyester with water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) coating
Confidence
45%
Possiblewater-repellent coating composition (PFAS candidate)
PossibleMicroplastic shedding from synthetic fibers
Where these two actually differ
- We flag DWR coating (PFAS status unclear) on the Arc'teryx and not on the The North Face.
- We flag DWR coating composition (PFAS candidate) and Microplastic shedding from synthetic fibers on the The North Face and not on the Arc'teryx.
- The Arc'teryx is Nylon/polyester blend with durable water-repellent (DWR) treatment where the The North Face is Nylon/polyester with durable water-repellent (DWR) coating, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- These two are level, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.
Both products run through the same public rubric: 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 →
More backpacks: see the full ranking