Trailgate Gear Bin Green 140 L vs Lightweight Dry Bag View: which is safer?

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

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

Sea to Summit Lightweight Dry Bag View

Sea to Summit

Lightweight Dry Bag View

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 2/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

polyurethane-coated nylon with water-repellent coating treatment

Confidence

35%

ReportedPFAS in water-repellent coating treatment (fluorinated water repellent)

PossiblePolyurethane coating degradation and microplastic release

PossibleBacterial or mold growth if not dried properly

Where these two actually differ

  • 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 Sea to Summit.
  • We flag PFAS in DWR treatment (fluorinated water repellent), Polyurethane coating degradation and microplastic release and Bacterial or mold growth if not dried properly on the Sea to Summit and not on the REI Co-op.
  • The REI Co-op is Polypropylene storage bin, no water-resistant coating mentioned where the Sea to Summit is polyurethane-coated nylon with DWR 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 REI Co-op is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the Sea to Summit grade, at 35% 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