Drybag Versa vs Trailgate Gear Bin Green 140 L: which is safer?

REI Co-op Trailgate Gear Bin Green 140 L is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Exped Drybag Versa

Exped

Drybag Versa

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 6/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Nylon/polyester with water-repellent coating waterproof coating

Confidence

45%

Possiblewater-repellent coating (likely fluorinated, composition undisclosed)

ReportedCoating degradation and leachable breakdown products

Our pick

REI Co-op Trailgate Gear Bin Green 140 L

REI Co-op

Trailgate Gear Bin Green 140 L

PFAS grade

Good 65/100

Overall grade

Good 53/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Polypropylene storage bin, no water-resistant coating mentioned

Confidence

78%

PossibleUV degradation and additive leaching

PossibleMicroplastics from mechanical wear

PossibleOdor and volatile organic compounds from manufacturing

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag DWR coating (likely fluorinated, composition undisclosed) and Coating degradation and leachable breakdown products on the Exped and not on the REI Co-op.
  • We flag UV degradation and additive leaching, Microplastics from mechanical wear and Odor and volatile organic compounds from manufacturing on the REI Co-op and not on the Exped.
  • The Exped is Nylon/polyester with DWR waterproof coating where the REI Co-op is Polypropylene storage bin, no water-resistant coating mentioned, 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 REI Co-op is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the Exped grade, at 45% confidence against 78%, 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 waterproof outdoor gear storage bags: see the full ranking