Beta Pant Men's vs Women's Torrentshell 3L Pants: which is safer?
Patagonia Women's Torrentshell 3L Pants is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Arc'teryx
Beta Pant Men's
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossiblePFAS in water-repellent coating finish
PossibleFormaldehyde resins in nylon finishing
Reportedwater-repellent coating degradation and reapplication chemicals
Our pick
Patagonia
Women's Torrentshell 3L Pants
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
Possiblewater-repellent coating finish composition (unstated chemistry)
PossibleVOC off-gassing from fabric and finish
Where these two actually differ
- We flag PFAS in DWR finish, Formaldehyde resins in nylon finishing, DWR coating degradation and reapplication chemicals and Microfiber shedding during washing on the Arc'teryx and not on the Patagonia.
- We flag DWR finish composition (unstated chemistry) and VOC off-gassing from fabric and finish on the Patagonia and not on the Arc'teryx.
- The Arc'teryx is Nylon with DWR (durable water repellent) finish where the Patagonia is Nylon with DWR durable water repellent finish, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 25 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Patagonia is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Arc'teryx grade, at 45% 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 →
More rain pants, see the full ranking