Men's Aequilibrium Lite GTX Jacket vs Men's Ridgelite Waterproof Rain 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 Ridgelite Waterproof Rain Jacket
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
Likelywater-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) treatment chemistry (PFAS family)
PossibleNylon microfiber shedding
PossibleVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) off-gassing
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 Durable water-repellent (DWR) treatment chemistry (PFAS family), Nylon microfiber shedding and Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) off-gassing 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 Nylon shell with DWR (durable water-repellent) treatment, 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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