Men's Aequilibrium Lite GTX Jacket vs Men's Ethereal Pro Jacket: which is safer?
La Sportiva Men's Aequilibrium Lite GTX Jacket is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
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
La Sportiva
Men's Ethereal Pro Jacket
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleUndisclosed water-repellent coating finish chemistry (non-PFAS components)
ReportedMicrofiber shedding during washing
Possiblewater-repellent coating finish degradation and reapplication chemicals
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Antimony in polyester and Microfiber shedding and textile degradation on the La Sportiva and not on the La Sportiva.
- We flag Undisclosed DWR finish chemistry (non-PFAS components), Microfiber shedding during washing and DWR finish degradation and reapplication chemicals on the La Sportiva and not on the La Sportiva.
- The La Sportiva is GORE-TEX (fluoropolymer membrane) where the La Sportiva is Nylon with DWR water-resistant finish, 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: 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 rain jackets: see the full ranking