Women's Arctic Crest Gloves vs R4 Yulex Regulator Three Finger Mitts: which is safer?

Patagonia R4 Yulex Regulator Three Finger Mitts is the clear pick. Columbia Women's Arctic Crest Gloves carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

Columbia Women's Arctic Crest Gloves

Columbia

Women's Arctic Crest Gloves

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 12/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Synthetic insulation + waterproof/breathable shell coating (unspecified)

Confidence

45%

Possiblewater-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) coating composition - PFAS status unknown

PossibleCoating degradation and leaching

Our pick

Patagonia R4 Yulex Regulator Three Finger Mitts

Patagonia

R4 Yulex Regulator Three Finger Mitts

PFAS grade

Excellent 90/100

Overall grade

Excellent 82/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Yulex (synthetic rubber), neoprene-free alternative

Confidence

72%

PossibleCoating degradation and water-repellency loss

PossibleAllergen potential from Yulex itself

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Durable water repellent (DWR) coating composition - PFAS status unknown and Coating degradation and leaching on the Columbia and not on the Patagonia.
  • We flag Coating degradation and water-repellency loss and Allergen potential from Yulex itself on the Patagonia and not on the Columbia.
  • The Columbia is Synthetic insulation + waterproof/breathable shell coating (unspecified) where the Patagonia is Yulex (synthetic rubber), neoprene-free alternative, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • The gap is 70 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 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 →

More waterproof winter gloves: see the full ranking