Women's All Seasons Pull-On Pants vs Men's Basin Pants: which is safer?
Columbia Women's All Seasons Pull-On Pants is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Our pick
Columbia
Women's All Seasons Pull-On Pants
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleFormaldehyde resins (anti-wrinkle, sizing)
ReportedMicroplastics shedding
PossibleAntimony in polyester
The North Face
Men's Basin Pants
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
Likelywater-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) coating chemistry
PossibleAntimony in polyester
Reportedwater-repellent coating degradation and microfiber shedding
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Formaldehyde resins (anti-wrinkle, sizing) and Microplastics shedding on the Columbia and not on the The North Face.
- We flag Durable water repellent (DWR) coating chemistry and DWR coating degradation and microfiber shedding on the The North Face and not on the Columbia.
- Both carry a flag for Antimony in polyester, so neither choice avoids it.
- The Columbia is Nylon/polyester blend knit, no stated water-repellent finish where the The North Face is nylon/polyester blend with DWR treatment, 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 The North Face grade, at 45% 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 →
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