Big River Dry Bag vs Trailgate Gear Bin Green 140 L: which is safer?
REI Co-op Trailgate Gear Bin Green 140 L is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Sea to Summit
Big River Dry Bag
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossiblePhthalates in PVC plasticizer system
LikelyCoating degradation and leaching over time
PossibleOff-gassing (volatile organic compounds from coating)
Our pick
REI Co-op
Trailgate Gear Bin Green 140 L
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleUV degradation and additive leaching
PossibleMicroplastics from mechanical wear
PossibleOdor and volatile organic compounds from manufacturing
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Phthalates in PVC plasticizer system, Coating degradation and leaching over time, Off-gassing (volatile organic compounds from coating) and Undisclosed waterproof coating chemistry on the Sea to Summit and not on the REI Co-op.
- We flag UV degradation and additive leaching, Microplastics from mechanical wear and Odor and volatile organic compounds from manufacturing on the REI Co-op and not on the Sea to Summit.
- The Sea to Summit is PVC or vinyl fabric with waterproof coating where the REI Co-op is Polypropylene storage bin, no water-resistant coating mentioned, 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 REI Co-op is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Sea to Summit grade, at 42% confidence against 78%, 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 outdoor gear storage bags: see the full ranking