Men's Aequilibrium Lite GTX Jacket vs Men's Seam-Sealed 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
Nautica
Men's Seam-Sealed Jacket
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
LikelyPFAS in water-repellent coating (reported separately)
PossibleFormaldehyde resins in finishes
ReportedCoating degradation and microplastic shedding
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Antimony in polyester and Microfiber shedding and textile degradation on the La Sportiva and not on the Nautica.
- We flag PFAS in DWR coating (reported separately), Formaldehyde resins in finishes and Coating degradation and microplastic shedding on the Nautica and not on the La Sportiva.
- The La Sportiva is GORE-TEX (fluoropolymer membrane) where the Nautica is Polyester/nylon with seam-sealed waterproof coating, 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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