Men's Insulated Storm Shift Ski/Snowboard Pants vs Men's Powder Town Pants: which is safer?
Patagonia Men's Insulated Storm Shift Ski/Snowboard Pants is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Our pick
Patagonia
Men's Insulated Storm Shift Ski/Snowboard Pants
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 16/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 1
Material
Polyester shell with water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish; insulated lining
Confidence
42%
Possiblewater-repellent coating composition (fluorocarbon vs. fluorocarbon-free)
Patagonia
Men's Powder Town Pants
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 6/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
nylon blend with water-repellent coating water-repellent treatment
Confidence
45%
PossiblePFAS in water-repellent coating
ReportedNylon degradation and microfiber shedding
Where these two actually differ
- We flag DWR coating composition (fluorocarbon vs. fluorocarbon-free) on the Patagonia and not on the Patagonia.
- We flag PFAS in DWR coating and Nylon degradation and microfiber shedding on the Patagonia and not on the Patagonia.
- The Patagonia is Polyester shell with DWR (durable water repellent) finish; insulated lining where the Patagonia is nylon blend with DWR 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: 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 snow pants: see the full ranking