Rain Jacket vs 501 Jeans: which is safer?
Levi's 501 Jeans is the clear pick. Gore-Tex Rain Jacket carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Gore-Tex
Rain Jacket
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAzo dyes and colorant toxicity
PossibleAntimony in synthetic fibers
PossibleVOC off-gassing from laminate adhesives
Our pick
Levi's
501 Jeans
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAzo dyes in indigo coloring
PossibleFormaldehyde in sizing and finishing resins
ReportedMicroplastic shedding from synthetic finishing agents
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Azo dyes and colorant toxicity, Antimony in synthetic fibers and VOC off-gassing from laminate adhesives on the Gore-Tex and not on the Levi's.
- We flag Azo dyes in indigo coloring, Formaldehyde in sizing and finishing resins, Microplastic shedding from synthetic finishing agents and Residual pesticide or processing chemicals from cotton on the Levi's and not on the Gore-Tex.
- The gap is 60 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Levi's is the one to buy.
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 clothing: see the full ranking