Men's R2 TechFace Hoody vs Men's RS Softshell Jacket: which is safer?
Patagonia Men's R2 TechFace Hoody is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Our pick
Patagonia
Men's R2 TechFace Hoody
PFAS grade
Good 65/100
Overall grade
analysis pending
Verdict
pending
Hazard flags
none flagged
Material
Polyester shell with water-repellent coating treatment
Confidence
78%
Salomon
Men's RS Softshell Jacket
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 2/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 3
Material
Polyamide softshell with unspecified water-repellent coating
Confidence
45%
Reportedwater-repellent coating chemistry (PFAS vs. non-PFAS)
PossiblePolyamide fiber degradation under heat
PossibleVolatile organic compound (VOC) off-gassing from membrane
Where these two actually differ
- We flag DWR coating chemistry (PFAS vs. non-PFAS), Polyamide fiber degradation under heat and Volatile organic compound (VOC) off-gassing from membrane on the Salomon and not on the Patagonia.
- The Patagonia is Polyester shell with DWR treatment where the Salomon is Polyamide softshell with unspecified DWR coating, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 45 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Patagonia is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Salomon grade, at 45% confidence against 78%, because it discloses less.
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 softshell jackets: see the full ranking