Eddie Bauer Women's Packable Rainfoil Jacket
Water-repellent finish of unstated chemistry, and no PFAS statement from Eddie Bauer.
This packable raincoat has a water-repellent coating finish, a kind of treatment that has historically often been fluorinated. Eddie Bauer does not state its chemistry and has no PFAS statement on record.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Nylon with water-repellent coating water-resistant coating
Lab data
No public lab test
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What Eddie Bauer Women's Rainfoil Jacket is made of, ingredients and materials
This jacket is nylon (a synthetic polyamide) with a water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish. water-repellent coating coatings are the primary chemical concern, historically, many brands used perfluorinated compounds (PFAS), though some have switched to fluorine-free alternatives. Eddie Bauer does not publicly specify which chemistry they use in this Packable Rainfoil line, making the coating composition a legitimate unknown. Nylon itself is stable under normal wear; the risk lies entirely in the water-repellent coating layer and how it behaves over the product's life.
What’s concerning
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
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.
PFAS
Eddie Bauer does not disclose water-repellent coating chemistry for this jacket. Many nylon rainwear still uses perfluorinated compounds; the absence of a PFAS-free claim suggests older formulations may be in use, though fluorine-free alternatives are now available.
Source, ATSDR ↗water-repellent coating degradation and shedding
As water-repellent coating ages and is washed, the coating sheds into water and may persist in the environment. While the shed particles are not an inhalation risk during wear, the environmental and wastewater pathway for any PFAS or fluorinated compounds remains a real concern over the jacket's lifetime.
Nylon microfiber shedding from abrasion
Nylon fabrics shed microscopic fibers during washing and wear, though the rate is typically low for tightly woven rainwear. This is a known concern for synthetics but not specific to Eddie Bauer or this product; no brand-specific data exists.
What’s reassuring
Formaldehyde / VOCs
No formaldehyde-based wrinkle or flame-retardant resins are reported as standard in nylon rainwear of this type. Nylon and water-repellent coating coatings typically do not require formaldehyde chemistry, making this hazard unlikely for this product.
Source, ATSDR ↗Heavy metals
Eddie Bauer rainwear is typically dyed nylon without reported cadmium or lead contamination in public records. No specific safety alerts or recalls for metal contamination in this product line are documented.
Source, FDA ↗How is this PFAS grade calculated?
The brand's record and disclosure
Eddie Bauer has not published detailed chemical disclosure statements or PFAS phase-out commitments that are widely documented in public sources. The company does not advertise PFAS-free water-repellent coating certifications on this product line. This silence is notable because major competitors (e.g., Patagonia, some Outdoor Research lines) now explicitly label PFAS status. Without a stated commitment or third-party verification, you cannot determine whether Eddie Bauer's water-repellent coating is legacy fluorinated formulations or newer alternatives.
How it compares in its category
Most packable rain jackets in this price segment carry similar water-repellent coating uncertainty unless brands explicitly claim fluorine-free or PFAS-free status. Some direct competitors (Patagonia Houdini, Arc'teryx Zeta) now market PFAS-free water-repellent coating; others remain silent like Eddie Bauer. This product sits in the middle of the transparency spectrum, not the worst offender, but not a leader in chemical disclosure. If water-repellent coating transparency is a priority, products with published PFAS commitments or third-party certifications offer more assurance.
If you buy it
Wear the jacket as-is with minimal laundering; each wash can degrade the water-repellent coating and potentially mobilize coating chemicals into wastewater. Do not dry-clean or use heat-dry cycles, as high temperatures may compromise the nylon and accelerate coating breakdown. Expect the water repellency to fade after 20-30 washes, at which point the water-repellent coating layer has largely shed. If you need frequent re-treatment, ask Eddie Bauer customer service which specific water-repellent coating product they recommend; their answer may reveal whether they use fluorinated or fluorine-free chemistry.
What is not known about PFAS in this product?
- Basis
- Model estimate, 45% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Eddie Bauer has made a specific claim
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
More rain jackets grades
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.