Men's Legend Gloves vs Better Sweater Gloves Patagonia Women's: which is safer?

Better Sweater Gloves Patagonia Women's is the clear pick. Black Diamond Men's Legend Gloves carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

Black Diamond Men's Legend Gloves

Black Diamond

Men's Legend Gloves

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 8/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Leather/synthetic upper with water-repellent coating-treated exterior

Confidence

35%

Possiblewater-repellent coating chemistry (PFAS status)

PossibleAzo dyes in colored textiles

PossibleCoating degradation and re-treatment needs

Our pick

Better Sweater Gloves Patagonia Women's

Patagonia

Better Sweater Gloves Patagonia Women's

PFAS grade

Excellent 90/100

Overall grade

Excellent 82/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Polyester fleece (recycled)

Confidence

72%

PossibleAzo dyes and heavy metal pigments

PossibleMicroplastic shedding during wash

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag DWR coating chemistry (PFAS status), Azo dyes in colored textiles and Coating degradation and re-treatment needs on the Black Diamond 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 Black Diamond.
  • The Black Diamond is Leather/synthetic upper with DWR-treated exterior 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 Black Diamond grade, at 35% confidence against 72%, because it discloses less.

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 waterproof winter gloves: see the full ranking