Forclaz Men's Trek 100 Synthetic Down Puffer Backpacking Jacket vs Mens Balance Made In Usa Cycling Jacket Windbreaker Water Resistant: which is safer?

Mens Balance Made In Usa Cycling Jacket Windbreaker Water Resistant is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Forclaz Men's Trek 100 Synthetic Down Puffer Backpacking Jacket

Decathlon

Forclaz Men's Trek 100 Synthetic Down Puffer Backpacking Jacket

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 8/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

synthetic down, polyester shell with water-repellent coating treatment

Confidence

55%

Possiblewater-repellent coating (PFAS or fluorinated alternative)

PossibleAzo dyes in shell and lining

PossibleMicroplastic shedding from synthetic fill

Our pick

Mens Balance Made In Usa Cycling Jacket Windbreaker Water Resistant

Mens Balance Made In Usa Cycling Jacket Windbreaker Water Resistant

PFAS grade

Poor 25/100

Overall grade

Bad 17/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Synthetic fabric with water-resistant water-repellent coating, unspecified

Confidence

35%

Possiblewater-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) coating composition (non-PFAS hazards)

PossibleMicroplastic shedding from synthetic fabric

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag DWR coating (PFAS or fluorinated alternative), Azo dyes in shell and lining and Microplastic shedding from synthetic fill on the Decathlon and not on the .
  • We flag Durable water-repellent (DWR) coating composition (non-PFAS hazards) and Microplastic shedding from synthetic fabric on the and not on the Decathlon.
  • The Decathlon is synthetic down, polyester shell with DWR treatment where the is Synthetic fabric with water-resistant DWR coating, unspecified, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • These two are 5 points apart, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.

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 cycling rain jackets: see the full ranking