Head · Ski & Snowboard Jackets
Head Men's Supershape Jacket
Skip until Head discloses its water-repellent treatment chemistry.
The Head Men's Supershape Jacket uses a water-repellent coating typical of ski/technical outerwear, but Head provides no public disclosure of the coating chemistry or PFAS status. Without lab testing or brand transparency, the PFAS risk profile cannot be reliably assessed.
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Material
Polyester/nylon with water-repellent coating water-repellent coating (type unspecified)
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What Head Men's Supershape Jacket is made of, ingredients and materials
The Head Supershape Jacket is constructed from polyester and nylon blends with a water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish applied to the outer shell. The specific chemistry of this water-repellent coating is undisclosed by Head, which is the core safety problem, water-repellent coating treatments historically relied on legacy PFAS compounds, though some manufacturers have shifted to PFAS-free alternatives. Polyester and nylon themselves are stable synthetics with low leaching risk during normal wear, but the coating degradation pathway and its composition remain unknown for this model.
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
Head has not disclosed whether this jacket uses fluorinated or non-fluorinated water-repellent coating. Even PFAS-free water-repellent coating alternatives can contain secondary chemicals (e.g., siloxanes, acrylates) whose skin contact and washwater leaching profiles are less studied; risk level cannot be precisely graded without knowing the specific treatment.
Source, ATSDR ↗Formaldehyde / VOCs
Ski jackets may be treated with formaldehyde-releasing resins for wrinkle resistance or water-shedding durability. Head does not explicitly state whether the Supershape avoids these treatments; this is common practice across the category but not confirmed for this specific product.
Source, ATSDR ↗What’s reassuring
Polyester degradation and microplastic shedding
Polyester jackets shed microfibers during wear and washing, but this is inherent to the material class and not specific to Head's manufacturing or coating. No recall or contamination event is on record for this model.
Azo dyes in colored fabrics
Polyester and nylon textiles can be dyed with azo compounds, which break down into aromatic amines under sweat and friction. No specific contamination is documented for Head's Supershape line, and the brand is not flagged in apparel toxicity databases, but standard testing is not always public.
The full breakdown
The brand's record and disclosure
Head Sports has not published detailed water-repellent chemistry disclosures for its apparel line, nor has it issued public commitments to PFAS-free water-repellent coating treatments. The company does not appear in major PFAS-free certification databases (e.g., Bluesign, Cradle to Cradle) for this product category. This silence is notable given that competitors in premium ski apparel (Patagonia, Arc'teryx) have publicly transitioned to or committed to PFAS alternatives, making Head's opaque stance a relative weakness in transparency.
How it compares in its category
Premium ski jackets from this price tier typically vary widely, some brands now explicitly market PFAS-free water-repellent coating (e.g., Patagonia H2No), while others remain silent on coating chemistry like Head. Mid-range competitors often use older fluorinated water-repellent coating unless specified otherwise. The Supershape sits in a middle ground of functionality without corresponding transparency, making it harder to assess risk relative to competitors who disclose their chemistry. If durability and water-shedding are priorities, the unknown coating presents a tradeoff.
If you buy it
Wash infrequently in cool water with mild detergent to minimize water-repellent coating reactivation processes (which can release degradation byproducts). Avoid heat-drying on high; air-dry or use low heat to preserve the coating without accelerating breakdown. Do not dry-clean without checking the care label first, as solvent exposure can degrade water-repellent coating. If you value PFAS avoidance, contact Head's customer service directly asking for water-repellent coating chemistry documentation before purchase; silence at point of sale may indicate reluctance to disclose.
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
- Head has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
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More ski & snowboard 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.