Men's Loose Fit Heavyweight Storm Defender Jacket vs Men's Aequilibrium Lite GTX Jacket: which is safer?
La Sportiva Men's Aequilibrium Lite GTX Jacket is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Carhartt
Men's Loose Fit Heavyweight Storm Defender Jacket
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
LikelyPFAS in water-repellent coating water-resistant coating
PossibleFormaldehyde resins in fabric finishing
PossibleAzo dyes in synthetic colorants
Our pick
La Sportiva
Men's Aequilibrium Lite GTX Jacket
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAntimony in polyester
ReportedMicrofiber shedding and textile degradation
Where these two actually differ
- We flag PFAS in DWR water-resistant coating, Formaldehyde resins in fabric finishing, Azo dyes in synthetic colorants and Coating degradation and microfiber shedding on the Carhartt and not on the La Sportiva.
- We flag Antimony in polyester and Microfiber shedding and textile degradation on the La Sportiva and not on the Carhartt.
- The Carhartt is Cotton/poly blend with DWR water-resistant coating where the La Sportiva is GORE-TEX (fluoropolymer membrane), 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, 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 →
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