Men's R2 TechFace Hoody vs Men's Alta Vista 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
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
Possiblewater-repellent coating treatment chemistry (non-PFAS)
ReportedPolyester microfiber shedding
PossibleHeat sensitivity and thermal decomposition
The North Face
Men's Alta Vista Jacket
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
ReportedPFAS in water-repellent coating finish (covered separately in PFAS grade)
Possiblewater-repellent coating degradation and microplastic shedding
Where these two actually differ
- We flag DWR treatment chemistry (non-PFAS), Polyester microfiber shedding and Heat sensitivity and thermal decomposition on the Patagonia and not on the The North Face.
- We flag PFAS in DWR finish (covered separately in PFAS grade) and DWR coating degradation and microplastic shedding on the The North Face and not on the Patagonia.
- The Patagonia is Polyester shell with DWR treatment where the The North Face is Nylon with DWR water-repellent finish, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 25 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 78%, 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 →
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