PFAS score
Helly Hansen · Rain Pants
Helly Hanson | Manchester Waterproof Shell Rain Pants 4XL
Skip unless Helly Hansen discloses water-repellent coating chemistry, waterproof apparel carries inherent PFAS risk.
Helly Hansen's Manchester rain pants use a waterproof treatment, but the brand provides no public disclosure of whether it contains PFAS-based water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) coatings. Industry standard for waterproof technical apparel historically relied on fluorinated chemistry.
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Material
Nylon shell with unspecified waterproof/water-repellent finish
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 35% 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 Rain Pants
Cotopaxi
Men's Salto Ripstop Pants
nylon ripstop fabric, no water-resistant coating mentioned
Lower-concern choice; ripstop nylon without explicit water-repellent coating treatment minimizes PFAS risk, but Cotopaxi's silence on materials leaves room for doubt.
⚠Risky category by default
Cotopaxi
Women's Subo Pants
Nylon ripstop (water-repellent coating-treated)
Lower-concern baseline; no waterproofing language confirms likely no intentional PFAS water-repellent coating, but brand is silent on chemicals.
⚠Risky category by default
Cotopaxi
Ambato Wide Leg Pant Women's
Nylon blend (primary), standard weave construction
Lower concern; standard apparel with no documented PFAS-prone features, but brand offers no transparency.
⚠Risky category by default
More rain pants 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.