Men's Aequilibrium Lite GTX Jacket vs Men's Pocketshell 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 Pocketshell Jacket
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
LikelyFluorinated water-repellent coating chemicals (PFAS-class risk)
PossibleMicrofiber shedding from nylon shell
Reportedwater-repellent coating degradation and leaching
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 Fluorinated DWR chemicals (PFAS-class risk), Microfiber shedding from nylon shell and DWR coating degradation and leaching on the La Sportiva and not on the La Sportiva.
- The La Sportiva is GORE-TEX (fluoropolymer membrane) where the La Sportiva is Nylon shell with water-repellent treatment (DWR), 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