Men's Ballast GORE-TEX 2L Pants vs Men's Powder Town Pants: which is safer?
These two grade almost identically. Pick on price and preference; neither has a PFAS edge.
Burton
Men's Ballast GORE-TEX 2L Pants
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 6/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
GORE-TEX 2L membrane laminate (polytetrafluoroethylene-based)
Confidence
45%
PossibleTeflon-type coating thermal decomposition (fume risk)
ReportedCoating or membrane degradation over time
Patagonia
Men's Powder Town Pants
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 6/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
nylon blend with water-repellent coating water-repellent treatment
Confidence
45%
PossiblePFAS in water-repellent coating
ReportedNylon degradation and microfiber shedding
Where these two actually differ
- We flag PTFE thermal decomposition (fume risk) and Coating or membrane degradation over time on the Burton and not on the Patagonia.
- We flag PFAS in DWR coating and Nylon degradation and microfiber shedding on the Patagonia and not on the Burton.
- The Burton is GORE-TEX 2L membrane laminate (polytetrafluoroethylene-based) where the Patagonia is nylon blend with DWR water-repellent treatment, 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 →
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