TX5 GTX Men's vs Women's VECTIV Fastpack Insulated Waterproof Hiking Boots: which is safer?
La Sportiva TX5 GTX Men's is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Our pick
La Sportiva
TX5 GTX Men's
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 8/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 3
Material
synthetic textile with Gore-Tex membrane waterproof layer
Confidence
45%
PossibleAzo dyes
PossibleFormaldehyde-releasing resins in finishing
PossibleAntimony in polyester
The North Face
Women's VECTIV Fastpack Insulated Waterproof Hiking Boots
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 0/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 4
Material
Synthetic uppers with waterproof membrane and water-repellent coating-treated fabric
Confidence
35%
LikelyPFAS in water-repellent coating
PossibleAzo dyes in synthetic uppers
PossibleHeavy metals in dyes or pigments
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Azo dyes, Formaldehyde-releasing resins in finishing and Antimony in polyester on the La Sportiva and not on the The North Face.
- We flag PFAS in DWR coating, Azo dyes in synthetic uppers, Heavy metals in dyes or pigments and Formaldehyde in waterproof finish on the The North Face and not on the La Sportiva.
- The La Sportiva is synthetic textile with Gore-Tex membrane waterproof layer where the The North Face is Synthetic uppers with waterproof membrane and DWR-treated fabric, 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 waterproof boots: see the full ranking