Rho Glove vs Better Sweater Gloves Patagonia Women's: which is safer?
Better Sweater Gloves Patagonia Women's is the clear pick. Arc'teryx Rho Glove carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Arc'teryx
Rho Glove
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
Possiblewater-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) fluorinated compounds
PossibleMicrofiber shedding from synthetic blend components
Our pick
Patagonia
Better Sweater Gloves Patagonia Women's
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAzo dyes and heavy metal pigments
PossibleMicroplastic shedding during wash
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Durable water repellent (DWR) fluorinated compounds and Microfiber shedding from synthetic blend components on the Arc'teryx and not on the Patagonia.
- We flag Azo dyes and heavy metal pigments and Microplastic shedding during wash on the Patagonia and not on the Arc'teryx.
- The Arc'teryx is Merino wool blend with DWR finish where the Patagonia is Polyester fleece (recycled), which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 70 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 waterproof winter gloves, see the full ranking