PFAS-Free Technology Explained
In brief: PFAS-free means a fabric, membrane or water-repellent finish made without per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the so-called forever chemicals that persist in the environment and the body. The outdoor industry is moving rapidly to PFAS-free materials, driven by tightening law and consumer pressure, and the latest finishes repel water nearly as well as the chemistry they replace.
What PFAS are
PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a large family of synthetic chemicals built around very strong carbon-fluorine bonds. Those bonds are what made them so useful in clothing: they repelled water and oil brilliantly and lasted well. The same bonds are why they are called forever chemicals. They do not readily break down, so they accumulate in soil, water and living tissue over time.
In waterproof clothing PFAS turned up in two places: in some membranes and coatings, and very commonly in the Durable Water Repellent finish on the outer fabric. The membrane and the finish are different things, which is why a brand can switch its repellent to PFAS-free while the membrane technology evolves separately.
Why the industry is changing
Two forces are pushing the change. The first is regulation. Several jurisdictions are restricting PFAS in consumer goods. The European Union has restricted certain PFAS such as PFOA and is moving on others including PFHxA, and individual countries including France and Denmark have brought in their own measures on PFAS in textiles. In the United States, California has acted on PFAS in apparel. The exact dates and scope vary by jurisdiction and continue to move, so the direction of travel matters more than any single deadline.
The second force is the market. Outdoor brands and their customers increasingly want gear that does not leave a forever-chemical footprint, and many have committed publicly to phasing PFAS out.
How good is PFAS-free now
For water, modern PFAS-free DWR finishes perform very well; rain beads and rolls off much as it always did. The honest trade-off is oil and stain resistance. Fluorocarbon chemistry repelled oils as well as water, and oils have a lower surface tension, so the new finishes are generally a little easier to contaminate with body oils, sunscreen and food. In practice this means PFAS-free finishes can need reviving and reproofing slightly more often. For most wearers that is a fair exchange.
What it means for membranes
Membrane technology is moving too. Gore's expanded polyethylene (ePE) membrane, for example, is a PFAS-free direction for the Gore-Tex family, and other makers have their own PFAS-free or reduced-PFAS approaches. The picture is genuinely shifting year on year, so the useful question to ask of any jacket is simple: is the repellent finish PFAS-free, and is the membrane too.
Caring for PFAS-free gear
The care routine is the same as any technical shell: wash clean with a technical wash, revive the finish with gentle heat, and reproof with a PFAS-free product such as those from Nikwax or Grangers when beading slows. Because the new finishes contaminate a touch more easily, keeping the fabric clean is the single biggest favour you can do it.
PFAS-Free Technology at OD's Designer Clothing
The brands we carry are part of this transition, moving their repellents and, increasingly, their membranes to PFAS-free chemistry. We think that is the right direction, and we are happy to talk through how to keep PFAS-free gear performing with the right wash and reproof.