PFAS score
Fourth Element · Wetsuits
Fourth Element Proteus II Wet Suit
Wet suit with unknown water-repellent coating, lower PFAS risk than legacy water-repellent coating but no transparency.
Fourth Element's Proteus II is a technical dive suit likely treated with a water-repellent coating, a category historically associated with PFAS. The brand does not disclose water-repellent coating chemistry or PFAS status.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Neoprene or neoprene-blend with laminate/coating
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
Why this grade
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
Category baseline
clothing is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement about PFAS in this product.
What we don’t know
This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 45% confidence. It is not a lab result.
No independent PFAS lab test is on record for this exact product. A lab test could move the score in either direction.
The brand has not made a specific, verifiable PFAS-free statement, so part of this score reflects that missing disclosure rather than a confirmed material.
Formulations and coatings change between production runs. Always check the current label before buying.
Safer alternatives in Wetsuits
Patagonia
Men's Yulex Regulator Lite Front-Zip Full Wetsuit
Yulex (synthetic rubber, PTMEG-based), neoprene-free
Lower concern; Yulex rubber base avoids traditional neoprene, but Patagonia's silence on water-repellent coating/coatings limits confidence.
⚠Risky category by default
Patagonia
Men's Yulex Regulator Lite Long John Wetsuit
Yulex (synthetic rubber), neoprene-free alternative
Lower concern, Yulex is PFAS-free by design, but Patagonia offers no explicit confirmation.
⚠Risky category by default
Patagonia
Men's R2 Yulex Regulator Front-Zip Full Wetsuit
Yulex (synthetic rubber), neoprene-free base
Lower concern; Yulex is a synthetic rubber alternative to neoprene without known PFAS use, but Patagonia does not disclose wetsuit water-repellent coating treatments.
⚠Risky category by default
More wetsuits 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.