Descente · Ski & Snowboard Jackets
Descente Men's Paddy Jacket
Skip until Descente discloses or certifies their water-repellent coating treatment.
Descente's Paddy Jacket is a nylon-blend insulated jacket with a water-repellent coating finish. Descente won't disclose whether the treatment uses PFAS-free chemistry.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Nylon shell with water-repellent coating (type unspecified)
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
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What Descente Men's Paddy Jacket is made of, ingredients and materials
This jacket uses a nylon shell, a synthetic polymer that is durable and lightweight, treated with an unspecified water-repellent (water-repellent coating) coating to shed snow and rain. water-repellent coating coatings on outdoor gear have historically relied on PFAS "forever chemicals" (PFAS), which bind to the nylon fibers and remain stable through repeated washing and wear. Descente has not publicly specified whether their water-repellent coating treatment is PFAS-free or contains traditional fluorinated chemistry, leaving the coating chemistry opaque.
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
Unspecified water-repellent treatment on nylon shell; absent brand disclosure and certification suggest conventional fluorinated water-repellent coating chemistry, which leaches into skin contact, sweat, and eventually soil/water through washing and wear.
Source, ATSDR ↗Nylon microfiber shedding
Nylon shells degrade over time and shed microfibers, especially when abraded or washed; these are ingested or inhaled incidentally. Descente product care instructions do not address microfiber mitigation strategies.
What’s reassuring
Formaldehyde / VOCs
No public reports of formaldehyde-based wrinkle-resist or water-repellent finishing in Descente nylon jackets. Unlikely given nylon's inherent properties, but not ruled out if secondary treatments are applied; brand does not disclose.
Source, ATSDR ↗Azo dyes or restricted colorants
No documented azo-dye contamination or heavy metal pigment issues in Descente jackets. Brand does not publish dye chemistry or restricted substance lists, so hazard cannot be verified as absent.
Flame retardants
Ski jackets are not typically treated with flame retardants, and Descente does not list them. This hazard is not relevant to this product category.
Source, EPA ↗The full breakdown
The brand's record and disclosure
Descente, a Japanese-owned outdoor sportswear brand, has not published a public commitment to PFAS phase-out or supply-chain transparency regarding water-repellent coating treatments in their product lines. No third-party certifications (such as Cradle to Cradle, OEKO-TEX, or BLUESIGN) are listed for this product. The silence is particularly notable because many competing ski-jacket brands (Arc'teryx, Patagonia, The North Face) have either committed to PFAS reduction or disclosed their coating chemistry; Descente's absence from that conversation suggests continued reliance on conventional fluorinated chemistry.
How it compares in its category
Mid-to-premium ski jackets in 2024 increasingly use either PFAS-free water-repellent coating treatments (such as wax-based or polysiloxane coatings) or carry third-party verification. Descente's lack of disclosure places it below the transparency standard of equivalent competitors at the same price point. This product does not stand out as a category leader on chemical safety and instead reflects older industry practice of non-disclosure.
If you buy it
Wash separately in cold water with mild detergent and avoid high heat, as repeated washing may release or concentrate residual coatings. Do not dry-clean, as solvents can break down both nylon and water-repellent coating finishes unpredictably. Replace the water-repellent coating via professional re-treatment only if you can confirm the service uses PFAS-free products. If you are sensitive to fluorinated chemical exposure or seeking lower-hazard options, choose a certified PFAS-free alternative from a brand that publishes its sourcing.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 35% 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.