Men's Dubliner Jacket vs Men's Aequilibrium Lite GTX Jacket: which is safer?

Helly Hansen Men's Dubliner Jacket is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Our pick

Helly Hansen Men's Dubliner Jacket

Helly Hansen

Men's Dubliner Jacket

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 12/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

polyester with water-repellent coating finish

Confidence

40%

Possiblewater-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) coating composition

PossibleMicroplastic shedding during washing and wear

La Sportiva Men's Aequilibrium Lite GTX Jacket

La Sportiva

Men's Aequilibrium Lite GTX Jacket

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 6/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

GORE-TEX (Teflon-family coating membrane)

Confidence

50%

PossibleAntimony in polyester

ReportedMicrofiber shedding and textile degradation

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Durable water-repellent (DWR) coating composition and Microplastic shedding during washing and wear on the Helly Hansen and not on the La Sportiva.
  • We flag Antimony in polyester and Microfiber shedding and textile degradation on the La Sportiva and not on the Helly Hansen.
  • The Helly Hansen is polyester with DWR finish where the La Sportiva is GORE-TEX (fluoropolymer membrane), 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.

Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers 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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