Fjallraven Kanken Backpack vs Jester Luxe Backpack: which is safer?
These two grade almost identically. Pick on price and preference; neither has a PFAS edge.
Fjällräven
Fjallraven Kanken Backpack
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 12/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
Vinylon (polyvinyl chloride-based synthetic fiber) fabric with wax-based water repellent
Confidence
72%
PossiblePVC polymer stability and degradation
PossibleWax-based water-repellent coating formulation opacity
The North Face
Jester Luxe Backpack
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 12/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
Nylon/polyester with water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) coating
Confidence
45%
Possiblewater-repellent coating composition (PFAS candidate)
PossibleMicroplastic shedding from synthetic fibers
Where these two actually differ
- We flag PVC polymer stability and degradation and Wax-based DWR formulation opacity on the Fjällräven and not on the The North Face.
- We flag DWR coating composition (PFAS candidate) and Microplastic shedding from synthetic fibers on the The North Face and not on the Fjällräven.
- The Fjällräven is Vinylon (polyvinyl chloride-based synthetic fiber) fabric with wax-based water repellent where the The North Face is Nylon/polyester with durable water-repellent (DWR) coating, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- These two are level, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.
- 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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