PFAS score
Xcel · Wetsuits
Xcel Men's Axis Back Zip Full Wetsuit
Skip unless Xcel provides water-repellent coating treatment transparency, wetsuits typically use fluorinated coatings.
Xcel wetsuits use water-repellent (water-repellent coating) treatments standard in the industry, but the brand does not publicly disclose the chemistry of its coatings or confirm PFAS-free status. Neoprene wetsuits commonly rely on PFAS-based durable water repellents.
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Material
neoprene/nylon with water-repellent coating water-repellent 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.