Spyder · Ski & Snowboard Jackets
Spyder Men's Leader Jacket
Skip until Spyder discloses water-repellent coating chemistry or switches to PFAS-free.
Leader Jacket uses polyester with water-repellent coating typical of performance outerwear. Spyder provides no public disclosure of water-repellent coating chemistry or PFAS status.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Polyester with water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) coating
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What Spyder Men's Leader Jacket is made of, ingredients and materials
The Leader Jacket is polyester with a water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish applied to the exterior. Polyester itself is chemically stable and does not leach BPA, phthalates, or formaldehyde under normal wear. The water-repellent coating is the variable, conventional water-repellent coating treatments historically used long-chain PFAS (forever chemicals) to achieve water shedding, though some manufacturers have moved to formulations not linked to PFAS. Spyder has not publicly disclosed which chemistry they use on 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
Spyder does not disclose whether the water-repellent coating on this jacket uses long-chain PFAS, short-chain PFAS, or PFAS-free chemistry. Standard industry practice has historically favored PFAS; without transparency, exposure cannot be ruled out.
Source, ATSDR ↗Coating degradation and microfiber shedding
As water-repellent coating wears down with washing and wear, polyester microfibers may shed. This is a general concern for all synthetic ski jackets and is not specific to Spyder, but the durability of Spyder's water-repellent coating formulation is unverified.
What’s reassuring
Azo dyes in polyester
No specific azo dye concerns or safety incidents documented for Spyder jackets. Polyester dyes are generally subject to EU and US restrictions, but Spyder does not publish restricted substance lists or dye chemistry.
Formaldehyde / VOCs
No formaldehyde-release hazard reported for Spyder outerwear. Polyester base material does not require formaldehyde curing; water-repellent coating coatings typically do not involve formaldehyde chemistry.
Source, ATSDR ↗Flame retardants
No flame retardant chemistry disclosed or documented in Spyder ski jackets. Outerwear of this type is not typically treated with added flame retardants unless marketed specifically for that purpose.
Source, EPA ↗The full breakdown
The brand's record and disclosure
Spyder is a Colorado-based performance outerwear company with no public stance, commitment, or third-party certification regarding PFAS avoidance or water-repellent coating chemistry disclosure. The brand does not list suppliers, testing data, or chemical inventories on its website. No recalls, safety advisories, or regulatory actions specific to Spyder jackets have been documented. This silence on a material health issue that competitors (Arc'teryx, Patagonia) increasingly address is a transparency red flag.
How it compares in its category
Many ski jacket brands still use conventional PFAS-based water-repellent coating without disclosure. Patagonia, Arc'teryx, and some lines from The North Face now offer PFAS-free water-repellent coating options and disclose their chemistry. Spyder sits in the mid-to-premium price tier without the transparency or certification commitment of leading competitors. If PFAS exposure is a concern, this product offers no assurance relative to alternatives that have committed to phase-out.
If you buy it
Wash according to the care label; most water-repellent coating coatings degrade with heat, so use cool water and avoid fabric softeners, which strip the finish. The water-repellent coating will wear down with repeated washing and use (typically 30-50 washes); you can reapply consumer water-repellent coating products, though many still contain PFAS. Lay flat or hang to dry; do not tumble dry on heat. If PFAS disclosure becomes important to you later, contact Spyder directly to request water-repellent coating chemistry data before recoating.
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
- Spyder 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.