Men's Yulex Regulator Lite Front-Zip Full Wetsuit vs Wetsuits Men's IconX Full 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%
Xcel
Wetsuits Men's IconX Full Wetsuit
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 0/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 3
Material
Neoprene/nylon/polyester blend with unspecified waterproof treatment
Confidence
42%
LikelyFluorinated water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) treatment
PossibleNeoprene degradation and off-gassing
PossibleMicroplastic shedding from synthetic fibers
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Fluorinated durable water repellent (DWR) treatment, Neoprene degradation and off-gassing and Microplastic shedding from synthetic fibers on the Xcel and not on the Patagonia.
- The Patagonia is Yulex (synthetic rubber, PTMEG-based), neoprene-free where the Xcel is Neoprene/nylon/polyester blend with unspecified waterproof treatment, 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 Xcel grade, at 42% 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