Rab Men's Khroma Diffuse GORE-TEX Ski Jacket
GORE-TEX gear contains Teflon-type coating or Rab makes no PFAS disclosure or skip if avoiding Teflon-family coating.
This jacket uses GORE-TEX, a microporous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane containing Teflon-family coating chemistry. Rab makes no public statement on PFAS or provides third-party testing.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
GORE-TEX membrane (polytetrafluoroethylene-based) with water-repellent coating treatment
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
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What Rab Men's Khroma Diffuse GORE-TEX Ski is made of, ingredients and materials
The Khroma Diffuse uses a GORE-TEX membrane, which is a microporous polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon-type coating) film bonded to nylon or polyester fabric. Teflon-type coating itself is chemically stable in normal wear, but the water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish applied to the outer shell typically contains fluorinated compounds (PFAS or fluorine-based analogs). The membrane's effectiveness at blocking water while allowing vapor escape comes directly from Teflon-type coating chemistry, making PFAS exposure inherent to the product class, not a flaw.
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.
water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) fluorinated treatment
Standard on GORE-TEX outerwear. Fluorinated water-repellent coating compounds (typically C6 or legacy C8 PFAS) are applied to the outer shell and shed gradually during use and washing. Rab does not specify which water-repellent coating chemistry is used on the Khroma Diffuse.
Nylon/polyester base fabric degradation and microfiber shedding
The outer shell and lining are synthetic polymers that degrade over years of UV and mechanical stress, potentially releasing microfibers. This is a category-wide issue for synthetic outerwear, not specific to Rab, but shedding increases as the jacket ages.
Seam seal degradation over time
Seam sealing tapes on GORE-TEX jackets degrade after repeated flexing, washing, and temperature cycling, compromising waterproofing but not introducing acute toxicity hazards. Replacement or repair is a durability issue, not a safety concern.
What’s reassuring
Teflon-type coating membrane thermal stability during use
GORE-TEX Teflon-type coating does not off-gas at normal body temperature or even during mild outdoor use. Risk is theoretical only if the jacket contacts direct flame or is dry-cleaned at extreme heat, neither a typical wear scenario.
Heavy metals
No recalls or testing data indicate heavy-metal contamination in Rab apparel. Standard synthetic dyes used on polyester ski jackets are not known to leach; ink used for branding on performance outerwear is typically low-migration.
Source, FDA ↗The full breakdown
The brand's record and disclosure
Rab has not made public commitments on PFAS phase-out or replacement, nor does it disclose water-repellent coating chemistry on product pages or sustainability reports available in public records. The company operates at a smaller scale than major outdoor brands (Patagonia, Arc'teryx) that have publicly announced PFAS reduction timelines. No recalls, heavy-metal contamination, or formaldehyde issues are documented for Rab apparel.
How it compares in its category
Most ski jackets in this performance tier (mid-to-premium) use GORE-TEX or equivalent Teflon-type coating membranes with fluorinated water-repellent coating, so the Khroma is typical, not an outlier. Alternatives like eVent or non-fluorinated water-repellent coating systems exist but are less common in insulated ski jackets and often sacrifice durability. Rab's silence on PFAS mirrors many mid-market brands; only a handful (Patagonia, some European makers) have transparent PFAS roadmaps.
If you buy it
Wash infrequently in cool water with minimal detergent to reduce water-repellent coating reapplication need; commercial ski jacket water-repellent coating treatments are fluorinated and should be avoided if possible. Store dry and away from direct heat or sunlight to slow membrane degradation. Inspect seams and zippers annually for wear; the jacket's lifespan is typically 5-10 seasons depending on use intensity. Do not dry-clean or machine-dry, as heat can damage the bond between membrane and outer fabric.
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
- Rab 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.