Better Sweater Gloves Patagonia Women's vs Men's Apex Insulated Etip Gloves: which is safer?
Better Sweater Gloves Patagonia Women's is the clear pick. The North Face Men's Apex Insulated Etip Gloves carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Our pick
Patagonia
Better Sweater Gloves Patagonia Women's
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAzo dyes and heavy metal pigments
PossibleMicroplastic shedding during wash
The North Face
Men's Apex Insulated Etip Gloves
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossiblePFAS in water-repellent coating
PossibleDegradation and microfiber shedding from insulation and shell
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Azo dyes and heavy metal pigments and Microplastic shedding during wash on the Patagonia and not on the The North Face.
- We flag PFAS in DWR coating and Degradation and microfiber shedding from insulation and shell on the The North Face and not on the Patagonia.
- The Patagonia is Polyester fleece (recycled) where the The North Face is Synthetic insulation + polyester ripstop shell with DWR treatment, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 70 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Patagonia is the one to buy.
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 winter gloves: see the full ranking