Better Sweater Gloves Patagonia Women's vs Women's Osito Etip Glove: which is safer?
Better Sweater Gloves Patagonia Women's is the clear pick. The North Face Women's Osito Etip Glove 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
Women's Osito Etip Glove
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
LikelyFluorinated water-repellent coating (PFAS-class compounds)
PossiblePolyester microfiber shedding
PossibleCoating degradation and leaching from heat exposure
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 Fluorinated DWR coating (PFAS-class compounds), Polyester microfiber shedding and Coating degradation and leaching from heat exposure on the The North Face and not on the Patagonia.
- The Patagonia is Polyester fleece (recycled) where the The North Face is Polyester shell with DWR finish; fleece lining, 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.
- We are less certain about the The North Face grade, at 45% confidence against 72%, because it discloses less.
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 →
More waterproof winter gloves, see the full ranking