Men's R2 Yulex Regulator Front-Zip Full Wetsuit vs Flashbomb Chest Zip Fullsuit Wetsuit: which is safer?
Patagonia Men's R2 Yulex Regulator Front-Zip Full Wetsuit is the clear pick. Rip Curl Flashbomb Chest Zip Fullsuit Wetsuit carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Our pick
Patagonia
Men's R2 Yulex Regulator Front-Zip Full Wetsuit
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleFormaldehyde-releasing resins (glues/seams)
LikelyMicroplastics shedding from outer shell
Rip Curl
Flashbomb Chest Zip Fullsuit Wetsuit
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossiblePFAS in water-repellent coating
PossibleCoating degradation and microparticles
PossibleBacterial or mold growth if improperly stored
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Formaldehyde-releasing resins (glues/seams) and Microplastics shedding from outer shell on the Patagonia and not on the Rip Curl.
- We flag PFAS in durable water-repellent coating, Coating degradation and microparticles and Bacterial or mold growth if improperly stored on the Rip Curl and not on the Patagonia.
- The Patagonia is Yulex (synthetic rubber), neoprene-free base where the Rip Curl is Neoprene/rubber with unspecified water-resistant coating, 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 Rip Curl grade, at 35% 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 →
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