Men's Aequilibrium Lite GTX Jacket vs Men's All Terrain Gore-Tex Waterproof 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
The North Face
Men's All Terrain Gore-Tex Waterproof Jacket
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleTeflon-type coating membrane off-gassing / inhalation risk
LikelyMicrofiber shedding from membrane and nylon
PossibleSeam tape adhesive leachables
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Antimony in polyester and Microfiber shedding and textile degradation on the La Sportiva and not on the The North Face.
- We flag PTFE membrane off-gassing / inhalation risk, Microfiber shedding from membrane and nylon and Seam tape adhesive leachables on the The North Face and not on the La Sportiva.
- The La Sportiva is GORE-TEX (fluoropolymer membrane) where the The North Face is Gore-Tex membrane (PTFE-based fluoropolymer) with nylon shell, 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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