The clothing and equipment choices we make for British countryside adventures matter beyond just performance. Our selections can affect both our health and the environment. Good news comes from sustainable outdoor brands. Fjällräven has eliminated PFAS from all materials except zippers in 2023. Patagonia plans to use only PFAS-free waterproof membranes and finishes by spring 2025. The outdoor industry’s move toward ethical clothing continues to grow stronger. 35 U.S. states will introduce PFAS bans in 2024, and the European Chemicals Agency has proposed similar restrictions.
This piece will help you identify, buy, and care for PFAS-free gear. You’ll also learn about the brands that lead this vital change in the outdoor industry.
What Are PFAS and Why Should Hikers Care?
Image Source: The Guardian
The outdoor industry has heavily relied on synthetic compounds called PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) since the 1940s. These “forever chemicals” are the foundations of water-repellent technology in most hiking gear.
Understanding PFAS in outdoor gear
PFAS make up a group of nearly 15,000 synthetic chemicals with carbon-fluorine bonds—some of the strongest in organic chemistry. Their unique structure helps them repel water, oil, and dirt effectively. This explains why you’ll see them in waterproof jackets, hiking boots, and tents. You’ll also find them in two key parts of waterproof clothing: the membrane (like Gore-Tex) and the durable water-repellent (DWR) coating that makes water bead up instead of soaking through.
These chemicals boost outdoor equipment in many ways. They make fabrics last longer, resist stains better, reduce friction in ski wax, and help climbing ropes withstand wear. Yet their widespread use raises serious environmental and health concerns.
Health and environmental risks of PFAS
These chemicals pose problems because they can take over 1,000 years to degrade. They build up in soil, water, wildlife, and human bodies. Scientists have found PFAS in rivers throughout England, on Mount Everest’s slopes, and in more than 600 wildlife species from polar bears to dolphins.
The health risks paint an alarming picture. Research links PFAS exposure to several serious conditions:
- Higher risk of certain cancers including kidney and testicular
- Liver damage and altered metabolism
- Weaker immune function
- Fertility problems and developmental delays in children
- Thyroid disease and high cholesterol
While wearing gear might not expose you directly, PFAS from manufacturing plants create environmental “hotspots” with dangerous concentrations. Europe alone has at least 23,000 known contamination sites, with 2,000 posing health risks.
These risks have pushed California and New York to ban PFAS in most textiles and apparel by 2025. Outdoor brands now must develop alternatives. As nature lovers, we need to know what’s in our gear—both for our health and the environments we love.
How to Identify PFAS-Free Outdoor Gear
Image Source: Moral Fibres
Getting outdoor gear without harmful PFAS chemicals takes some detective work. There are thousands of these substances out there and no standard way to label them. You just need to pay attention to specific details to find truly safe equipment.
Look for clear PFAS-free labelling
Several outdoor brands have stepped up their game with transparency. I look for items that clearly say “PFAS-free” or “without PFAS” on their tags or descriptions. Many companies now make public commitments to get rid of these chemicals. Alpkit, Finisterre, Fjällräven, and Lowe-Alpine are prominent examples that have gone completely PFAS-free.
The Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Roadmap to Zero Programme has attracted many brands that ban all PFAS from their clothing and footwear. These brands go through yearly assessments of their progress, which adds a layer of accountability.
Certifications that matter: Bluesign®, Oeko-Tex®, Green Shape
Third-party certifications are the best way to verify PFAS-free outdoor gear:
- Bluesign®: Starting July 2024, fabrics with PFAS won’t get Bluesign certification. This system takes an integrated approach by checking the entire production process against five principles: resource productivity, consumer safety, air emissions, water emissions, and occupational health.
- Oeko-Tex® Standard 100: This certification shows textiles are safe for human health through detailed lab testing of the final product.
- Green Shape: VAUDE’s sustainability label requires products made under eco-friendly conditions, including PFAS-free materials.
Common misleading terms to avoid
Some terms can trick you despite good intentions. Claims like “PFOA-free” or “PFOS-free” might sound safe, but the product could have other types of PFAS. There are approximately 12,000 known types of PFAS chemicals.
The phrase “PFCec-free DWR” (meaning free of PFCs of environmental concern) doesn’t guarantee zero PFAS. Some brands talk about PFAS-free DWR coatings but don’t mention their waterproof membrane, which might still contain these chemicals.
My time learning about sustainable outdoor clothing brands has taught me that “no intentionally added PFAS” is becoming common language. This shows manufacturers are trying their best, though trace amounts might still show up.
Top PFAS-Free and Sustainable Outdoor Clothing Brands in the UK
Image Source: National Geographic
British hikers now have better ethical choices thanks to several groundbreaking outdoor brands that create PFAS-free outdoor gear.
Patagonia and its ePE membrane
Patagonia started its fight against PFAS in 2006. The company will achieve 99% PFAS-free fabric by weight with water-repellent treatments by Fall 2024. Their collaboration with GORE-TEX led to an innovative expanded polyethylene (ePE) membrane. This breakthrough alternative replaces traditional ePTFE membranes containing perfluorinated chemicals. The company launched ePE technology in their Fall 2022 Storm Change collection. Many technical pieces now use this technology, including the Triolet Jacket and Pants, Untracked Jacket and Bibs, and Alpine Suit. The company’s steadfast dedication aims to make all membranes and water-repellent finishes PFAS-free by 2025.
Fjällräven’s long-standing PFAS-free commitment
Fjällräven stands out because they rejected PFAS early. This Swedish brand started eliminating these chemicals in 2009 after their leadership saw the environmental effects. The company analyzed every product component methodically. They achieved PFAS-free textiles for tents by 2015 and PFAS-free zippers by 2021. Today, only a few small trims remain, and random checks ensure strict compliance. Their Eco-Shell technology, introduced in 2012, gives excellent water-repellency without PFAS.
VAUDE and the Green Shape label
VAUDE pioneers sustainable outdoor clothing brands with its strict Green Shape standard. The company removed PFAS from waterproof membranes in 2010. They banned these chemicals from water-repellent clothing (2015), sleeping bags (2016), waterproof clothing (2018), and finally footwear and backpacks (2020). The company achieved completely PFC-free apparel fabrics by 2021. VAUDE uses eco-friendly membranes made of PE (polyester) or PU (polyurethane). Their Eco Finish treatment makes water roll off without harmful fluorocarbons.
British brands like Paramo and Alpkit
Páramo, Britain’s PFAS pioneer, works with Nikwax to develop alternatives that mimic animal fur by pushing water outwards. Their testing methodology checks each fabric batch for fluorine with a threshold limit of 0.007% by mass. Every Páramo garment has been PFAS-free since 2016. Greenpeace scientists even wear their clothing when collecting samples in extreme environments. Alpkit has also achieved PFC-free status, showing that British brands can compete effectively in creating high-performance, non-toxic equipment.
Caring for and Transitioning to PFAS-Free Gear
Image Source: Montane
The switch to pfas free outdoor gear creates new challenges for maintenance, especially when you have eco-friendly alternatives that handle dirt and oil differently than their chemical-laden predecessors. Your knowledge of proper care will ensure these items last longer and perform better.
How to maintain PFAS-free waterproofs
PFAS-free waterproof gear needs more frequent cleaning than traditional waterproofs. These PFAS-free DWR coatings repel water well when clean but have trouble with oil and dirt. Patagonia and other brands recommend washing PFAS-free gear almost twice as often as PFAS-treated equipment. This represents our new reality as we move toward safer alternatives.
To get the best results:
- Wash after every 3-5 heavy uses (a full day outdoors counts as one heavy use)
- Regular detergent leaves residue and blocks water repellency, so avoid it
- Low heat during drying helps reactivate the DWR coating
Waterproof garments become waterlogged or “wet out” and breathability drops substantially. This leads to internal condensation and discomfort. Good maintenance prevents these issues and keeps your ethical outdoor clothing protective.
When to replace old gear and when to keep it
Of course, keeping your existing PFAS-containing equipment makes the most environmental sense. These chemicals already exist in circulation, and keeping functional items prevents more waste in landfills. Discarded PFAS items can also leak chemicals into groundwater used for drinking and irrigation from landfills.
You have several options:
- Make your current gear last with PFAS-free reproofing products
- Save PFAS-treated items for times that need maximum protection
- Look for manufacturer takeback programs when retiring items
Using PFAS-free reproofing products
Several brands that are decades old offer great PFAS-free waterproofing options. Nikwax has avoided PFAS since 1977. Their products like Tech Wash and TX.Direct clean and restore water repellency without harmful chemicals. Grangers also makes fluorocarbon-free, water-based formulas that maintain performance while staying environmentally responsible.
These products come as wash-in treatments for machine washing or spray-on versions for spot treatment. Both methods restore water-repellent properties of sustainable outdoor clothing brands’ gear and preserve their eco-credentials effectively.
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