Volcom · Ski & Snowboard Jackets
Volcom Men's L Insulated Gore-Tex Jacket
Higher PFAS risk due to Gore-Tex or brand provides no transparency on fluorochemistry.
Gore-Tex is a microporous Teflon-family coating membrane engineered for waterproofing and historically associated with PFAS concerns. Volcom hasn't disclosed PFAS status or adopted low-PFAS water-repellent coating alternatives.
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Material
Gore-Tex membrane (Teflon-family coating-based waterproofing)
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What Volcom Men's L Insulated Gore-Tex Jacket is made of, ingredients and materials
This jacket uses a Gore-Tex membrane, a Teflon-family coating-based laminate bonded to outer and inner fabric shells. Gore-Tex is engineered to repel water while allowing moisture vapor to escape, but its fluorochemical composition (typically expanded Teflon-type coating with fluorinated additives) introduces PFAS into the garment structure. The outer fabric is likely polyester or nylon with water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish, which historically relied on long-chain PFAS but increasingly uses alternative chemistries depending on manufacturing date and supplier.
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.
Teflon-type coating membrane integrity and fume risk
Gore-Tex itself does not off-gas Teflon-type coating under normal wear conditions below 500F. However, overheating during storage near radiators, in packed car trunks, or during industrial laundering could theoretically trigger degradation. Risk is low in typical use but non-zero for users who expose the jacket to sustained heat.
water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) formulation unknown
Without brand disclosure, the water-repellent coating applied to the outer polyester/nylon shell may be legacy long-chain PFAS (now restricted in many jurisdictions) or newer short-chain alternatives. The uncertainty itself is the hazard. Washing releases some water-repellent coating into wastewater; composition matters for aquatic and human exposure downstream.
What’s reassuring
Polyester or nylon outer shell degradation
Standard polyester and nylon ski jacket shells have no established hazard from primary material composition. Concerns are confined to applied coatings and dyes, for which no specific recalls or warnings exist for Volcom.
Azo dyes in synthetic textiles
No specific safety warnings or recalls documented for Volcom men's jackets related to azo dye content. Regulatory compliance in major markets (EU, North America) typically limits problematic azo compounds, though polyester fabrics may contain borderline colorants in lower-risk tiers.
Formaldehyde / VOCs
No documented issues with Volcom ski jackets. Modern Gore-Tex lamination and water-repellent coating application generally do not employ formaldehyde-releasing chemistry, though this depends on specific supplier and production batch.
Source, ATSDR ↗The full breakdown
The brand's record and disclosure
Volcom does not publicly disclose fluorochemical composition, PFAS reduction timelines, or verification testing for this product line. The brand has not published a commitment to phasing out legacy PFAS in Gore-Tex products or communicating which water-repellent coating chemistry is used on outer shells. This silence contrasts with competitors like Patagonia and The North Face, which have published transparency reports on PFAS phase-out progress in waterproof gear.
How it compares in its category
Gore-Tex remains the industry standard for high-performance ski jackets and carries inherent PFAS exposure compared to non-membrane waterproof alternatives (hard-shell laminates using polyurethane or newer non-fluorinated water-repellent coating). Most mainstream ski jacket brands still use Gore-Tex; differentiation occurs at the water-repellent coating layer. Volcom's lack of transparency puts it behind brands that offer detailed fluorochemical sourcing or have committed to PFAS-reduced membrane suppliers.
If you buy it
Wash only in cool water with mild detergent; hot water and solvents can degrade the Gore-Tex membrane and potentially increase leaching of any surface treatments. Avoid dry cleaning and industrial washing. Store in a cool, dry place away from prolonged heat or UV exposure. Replace the jacket if seam sealing delaminates or membrane develops punctures, as repairs are difficult and compromised waterproofing may drive re-treatment with additional chemicals.
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
- Volcom 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.