Bugaboo V Waterproof Men's Pants 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.
Columbia
Bugaboo V Waterproof Men's Pants
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleFormaldehyde resins in fabric finishes
PossibleMicroplastic shedding during wash
PossibleTeflon-type coating or Teflon-family coating integrity
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 Formaldehyde resins in fabric finishes, Microplastic shedding during wash and PTFE or fluoropolymer coating integrity on the Columbia 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 Columbia.
- The Columbia is Nylon/polyester with durable water repellent (DWR) coating 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 Columbia grade, at 42% 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