Men's Yulex Regulator Lite Front-Zip Full Wetsuit vs Flashbomb Chest Zip Fullsuit Wetsuit: which is safer?
Patagonia Men's Yulex Regulator Lite Front-Zip Full Wetsuit is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Our pick
Patagonia
Men's Yulex Regulator Lite Front-Zip Full Wetsuit
PFAS grade
Good 65/100
Overall grade
analysis pending
Verdict
pending
Hazard flags
none flagged
Material
Yulex (synthetic rubber, PTMEG-based), neoprene-free
Confidence
72%
Rip Curl
Flashbomb Chest Zip Fullsuit Wetsuit
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 8/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 3
Material
Neoprene/rubber with unspecified water-resistant coating
Confidence
35%
PossiblePFAS in water-repellent coating
PossibleCoating degradation and microparticles
PossibleBacterial or mold growth if improperly stored
Where these two actually differ
- 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, PTMEG-based), neoprene-free 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 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 Rip Curl grade, at 35% confidence against 72%, 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 wetsuits: see the full ranking