Women's Untracked Jacket vs Men's Taos Shell Jacket: which is safer?
Patagonia Women's Untracked Jacket is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Our pick
Patagonia
Women's Untracked Jacket
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossiblePFAS in water-repellent coating finish
ReportedMicroplastics shedding from polyester
PossibleCoating degradation and leaching
Spyder
Men's Taos Shell Jacket
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossiblePolyester fiber degradation and microfiber shedding
Possiblewater-repellent coating chemical exposure (non-PFAS alternatives if used)
Where these two actually differ
- We flag PFAS in DWR finish, Microplastics shedding from polyester and Coating degradation and leaching on the Patagonia and not on the Spyder.
- We flag Polyester fiber degradation and microfiber shedding and DWR chemical exposure (non-PFAS alternatives if used) on the Spyder and not on the Patagonia.
- The Patagonia is recycled polyester with DWR treatment where the Spyder is Polyester shell with DWR treatment, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
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 ski & snowboard jackets: see the full ranking