Men's Silver Ridge Utility Pants vs Men's Stealth Spring Chino Pants: which is safer?
Columbia Men's Stealth Spring Chino Pants is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Columbia
Men's Silver Ridge Utility Pants
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 12/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
Nylon blend with water-repellent coating finish
Confidence
35%
Possiblewater-repellent coating finish chemistry (PFAS status undisclosed)
PossibleCoating degradation over time
Our pick
Columbia
Men's Stealth Spring Chino Pants
PFAS grade
Good 65/100
Overall grade
Good 59/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 1
Material
cotton-blend chino twill (no water-repellent treatment noted)
Confidence
72%
PossibleAzo dyes (synthetic colorants)
Where these two actually differ
- We flag DWR finish chemistry (PFAS status undisclosed) and Coating degradation over time on the Columbia and not on the Columbia.
- We flag Azo dyes (synthetic colorants) on the Columbia and not on the Columbia.
- The Columbia is Nylon blend with DWR finish where the Columbia is cotton-blend chino twill (no water-repellent treatment noted), which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 45 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Columbia is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Columbia grade, at 35% 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 →
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