Vancouver Rain Jacket vs Men's Aequilibrium Lite GTX Jacket: which is safer?
La Sportiva Men's Aequilibrium Lite GTX Jacket is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Helly Hansen
Vancouver Rain Jacket
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleFormaldehyde finishing resins
PossibleAntimony catalyst residues in polyester
Reportedwater-repellent coating durability and degradation
Our pick
La Sportiva
Men's Aequilibrium Lite GTX Jacket
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAntimony in polyester
ReportedMicrofiber shedding and textile degradation
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Formaldehyde finishing resins, Antimony catalyst residues in polyester and DWR coating durability and degradation 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 durable water repellent (DWR) coating 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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