Patagonia Men's Storm Shift Pants
Avoid or ask Patagonia directly, water-repellent coating probably contains PFAS with no clarity offered.
Patagonia's water-repellent coating finish likely uses fluorocarbon compounds historically standard for water-repellency, but the brand makes no public PFAS disclosure for this pant. Lab testing is not available.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Nylon blend with water-repellent coating treatment (likely fluorocarbon-based)
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What’s concerning
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
Water-repellent treatments have historically contained PFAS chemicals.
Category baseline
PFAS exposure happens more often with clothing products.
No PFAS disclosure
The company has not publicly discussed PFAS in this product.
PFAS
Nylon blend with water-repellent coating finish almost certainly contains C6 or C8 fluorocarbon compounds. These leach and shed during use, washing, and degradation; Patagonia does not disclose composition or test results.
Source: ATSDR ↗Nylon microfiber shedding
Synthetic nylon textiles release microfibers during washing and wear. Storm Shift pants will contribute to microplastic pollution in waterways; severity depends on wash frequency and treatment method.
What’s reassuring
Formaldehyde / VOCs
No public record of formaldehyde-based resins used in Patagonia nylon snow pants. Standard nylon dyeing does not typically require formaldehyde, and Patagonia has stricter dye house protocols than many competitors, but this has not been independently verified for this specific product.
Source: ATSDR ↗Heavy metals
Patagonia maintains restricted substance lists that exclude many azo dyes and heavy metal pigments. No known violations or test failures for this product line, though full pigment disclosure is not public.
Source: FDA ↗Antimony in polyester (if blended)
If any elastane or polyester is present in the blend, antimony trioxide may be used as a catalyst. Patagonia does not disclose exact fiber ratios for this product, so exposure cannot be fully assessed.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
Storm Shift Pants are constructed from nylon blended fabric (likely nylon 6 or nylon 6.6) with a water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) treatment applied to the surface. The water-repellent coating finish is almost certainly fluorocarbon-based, which means it contains PFAS "forever chemicals" (PFAS) that do not break down in the environment or your body. Nylon itself is chemically stable and does not leach; the hazard is the fluorinated coating, which can wear off through washing, body heat, and friction, potentially releasing particles and chemicals.
The brand's record and disclosure
Patagonia has a strong environmental reputation but has not publicly committed to eliminating PFAS from its supply chain or disclosed which of its products contain fluorocarbon water-repellent coating treatments. The company does not provide product-level PFAS testing results or offer PFAS-free alternatives for technical snow pants. This silence is notable given Patagonia's otherwise detailed sustainability messaging, suggesting either cost/performance constraints or lack of consumer demand for transparency on this specific hazard.
How it compares in its category
Most commercial snow pants use fluorocarbon water-repellent coating because it outperforms fluorine-free alternatives in durability and water-shedding at high altitudes and in wet snow. Some brands (notably Fjallraven and a few smaller makers) offer wax-based or silicone-based water-repellent coating systems with lower PFAS profiles, but these require more frequent reapplication and may not perform as well in heavy precipitation. Patagonia's Storm Shift sits in the premium, high-performance segment where PFAS-containing water-repellent coating is still the industry standard; you are not choosing between a safe option and a risky one, but between brands with similar fluorocarbon exposure and different transparency levels.
If you buy it
Wash these pants infrequently and in cold water to minimize water-repellent coating wear and chemical shedding. Avoid dry cleaning and high-heat dryers, which can degrade the coating and accelerate PFAS release. Expect the water-repellent coating treatment to degrade after 40 to 60 wash cycles; once water no longer beads on the surface, consider replacing the pants or having them professionally re-treated (which will likely involve PFAS again unless you seek a fluorine-free option). Do not wear them for extended periods indoors or near heat sources, as friction and warmth can increase chemical off-gassing.
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
- Patagonia has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
More snow pants 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.