REI Co-op Men's First Chair GTX Jacket vs The North Face Men's All Terrain Gore-Tex Waterproof Jacket: which is safer?

REI Co-op Men's First Chair GTX Jacket is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Our pick

Gore-Tex

REI Co-op Men's First Chair GTX Jacket

PFAS grade

F 10/100

Overall grade

F 0/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

GORE-TEX membrane (ePTFE-based Teflon-family coating) with water-repellent coating treatment

Confidence

72%

PossibleTeflon-type coating fume risk (ePTFE membrane)

ReportedFluorinated water-repellent coating finish degradation and leaching

PossibleMicroplastic shedding from synthetic fabrics

Why this grade

Gore-Tex

The North Face Men's All Terrain Gore-Tex Waterproof Jacket

PFAS grade

F 5/100

Overall grade

F 0/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

GORE-TEX membrane (Teflon-type coating-based Teflon-family coating) with water-repellent coating finish

Confidence

72%

LikelyPFAS in water-repellent coating finish and manufacturing

PossibleSynthetic microfiber shedding from outer shell

ReportedMembrane degradation and coating failure over time

Why this grade

Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →

More rain jackets: see the full ranking