Descente · Ski & Snowboard Jackets
Descente Men's Angular Line Jacket
Skip until Descente discloses water-repellent coating chemistry or switches to PFAS-free.
Descente's Angular Line Jacket uses polyester with a water-repellent coating finish typical of performance outerwear. Descente makes no PFAS disclosure.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Polyester with water-repellent coating water-repellent treatment
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
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What Descente Men's Angular Line Jacket is made of, ingredients and materials
This jacket is polyester with a water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish, a standard construction for ski wear. water-repellent coating coatings are typically applied via fluorinated chemistry (PFAS compounds) to shed snow and rain without adding bulk. Polyester itself is inert when intact, but the finishing chemicals and any flame retardants in the fabric are the exposure points during manufacturing, use, and eventually disposal.
What’s concerning
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
PFAS
Water-repellent coating finishes on polyester ski jackets are predominantly fluorinated compounds unless explicitly labeled otherwise. Descente provides no public chemistry disclosure, so PFAS presence is a reasonable working assumption and the primary safety concern.
Source, ATSDR ↗Flame retardants
Many polyester outerwear products incorporate antimony-based or brominated flame retardants in the fiber or finish layers to meet apparel flammability standards. No specific flame retardant chemistry is documented for this Descente line; confirm with the brand or product care tag for treated status.
Source, EPA ↗Formaldehyde / VOCs
Polyester and nylon fabrics sometimes use formaldehyde-containing resins for drying, wrinkle resistance, or color fixing. Descente does not disclose this; off-gassing risk is typically minimal after initial manufacturing and home laundering but warrants awareness.
Source, ATSDR ↗VOC off-gassing during storage and use
New ski jackets often have residual volatile organic compounds from dyes, finishes, and water-repellent coating application. Airing the jacket indoors for 24-48 hours before wearing or packing in a bag will reduce inhalation during cold-weather use when ventilation is limited.
Coating degradation and microplastic shedding
Over years of washing and wear, water-repellent coating and finish layers can degrade and flake. While polyester microplastics from modern ski wear are unlikely to be inhaled significantly, skin contact with degraded coating particles is possible and warrants regular inspection for visible damage.
The full breakdown
The brand's record and disclosure
Descente is a Japanese sportswear manufacturer with strong technical performance credentials but minimal public transparency on chemical composition or sourcing. The brand has not published detailed water-repellent coating chemistry disclosures or PFAS phase-out commitments comparable to competitors like Patagonia or Arc'teryx. This silence on a known industry hazard is a material gap in their safety posture for consumers seeking informed choice.
How it compares in its category
Most mid-range ski jackets use fluorinated water-repellent coating; Descente's approach is category-typical but not differentiated on safety. Premium alternatives (Patagonia, Arc'teryx, Rab) now offer PFAS-free water-repellent coating options or transparent chemistry disclosures. Budget brands rarely disclose at all, so this product sits in a middle zone where disclosure could resolve the concern but does not.
If you buy it
Wash in cool water with minimal detergent to reduce water-repellent coating reapplication cycles, which would re-expose you to fluorinated chemicals. Do not dry-clean; standard home laundering presents lower concern for PFAS exposure. Replace when water beading noticeably declines (typically 3-5 years of regular use), not sooner, to minimize replacement waste. Store dry and avoid prolonged heat (never near radiators), which can accelerate any coating degradation.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 45% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Descente has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
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How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.