Will PFAS bans make rain jackets worse? The biggest cost is breathability. PFAS bans don't stop at the DWR coating on the outside of a rain jacket. Most of the waterproof breathable membranes that set the benchmark for breathability are made with PFAS chemistry too, and those membranes fall under the same state laws. Brands are being pushed to replace the membrane itself, not just the coating. Waterproofing without PFAS is solved. Matching the breathability of today's best membranes without PFAS isn't, at least not yet. So far, every PFAS-free membrane we've tested breathes noticeably worse than the laminations in our current Tushar Rain Jacket.
Key Takeaways
- PFAS bans cover the whole jacket, not just the DWR. The laws define PFAS broadly enough to include the fluoropolymers used in many waterproof breathable membranes.
- Rain gear built for severe wet conditions got a temporary exemption in several states. In California, New York, Colorado, and Connecticut, that exemption ends January 1, 2028.
- PFAS-free waterproofing works. The harder problem is breathability: independent testing shows PFAS-free membranes moving noticeably less moisture vapor than the best fluoropolymer-based membranes.
- PFAS-free DWR isn't uniformly worse. The best finishes hold up well. Cheaper ones wear off faster and still can't match PFAS on oil and dirt repellency.
- The current Tushar Rain Jacket is made with PFAS, and we say so on its features page. We are still testing and developing a PFAS-free jacket that will perform and breath as good as possible before 2028.
We break down waterproof breathable membranes, hydrostatic head ratings, and what PFAS bans change about how rain jackets are built, using the Tushar Rain Jacket as the working example.
In This Article
Why are PFAS bans reaching rain jackets now?
State laws are phasing PFAS out of apparel, and the temporary exemption for serious rain gear ends in 2028 in several states.
PFAS, short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, is a large family of fluorinated chemicals. They're durable and effective, and that durability is exactly what regulators are targeting. PFAS breaks down slowly in the environment, and some compounds in the group are linked to health concerns.
California and New York's bans on intentionally added PFAS in apparel took effect in January 2025. Maine and Vermont followed in January 2026, and Washington's apparel ban takes effect in January 2027.
Rain gear got a short runway. California, New York, Colorado, and Connecticut gave "outdoor apparel for severe wet conditions" an exemption that ends January 1, 2028. Until then, several of those states require that gear to carry a "Made with PFAS chemicals" disclosure. That's why you'll see a note like that on technical rain shells, including ours.
None of this is specific to Outdoor Vitals or the Tushar. Every brand selling technical rain gear in the U.S. is on the same clock.
Where does PFAS show up in a rain jacket?
In two places that matter: the DWR coating on the outside, and in many jackets, the waterproof breathable membrane itself.
The DWR (durable water repellent) is the coating on the face fabric that makes water bead up and roll off. PFAS chemistry has been the standard for it for decades because it repels water, oil, and dirt and holds up longer than anything else.
The membrane is the layer laminated behind the face fabric that does the actual waterproofing. Many of the most breathable membranes on the market are built from fluoropolymers like ePTFE, an expanded form of PTFE. PTFE is a PFAS. California's law, for example, defines PFAS as any fluorinated organic chemical with at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom, which covers fluoropolymers along with the coatings.
That's why the bans reach the membrane. A brand can't meet these laws by swapping the DWR and leaving the membrane alone if the membrane is made with PFAS. The industry is having to source entirely different membrane materials, and that's a much bigger change than reformulating a coating.
Do PFAS-free DWR coatings perform worse?
Some do and some don't. It depends on which alternative a brand uses.
Hyperbranched dendritic polyurethane finishes, one of the newer PFAS-free options, hold up for well over 20 wash cycles in testing and rate close to PFAS-based coatings on initial water repellency. That's a real, workable alternative.
The cheaper and more common alternatives are where the gap shows up. Polyacrylate finishes are more economical but wear down faster through washing. Wax-based finishes repel water well when fresh but fade quickly without added crosslinking chemistry. And across every PFAS-free option, oil and dirt repellency is still an unsolved problem.
So some PFAS-free DWR is pretty good, and some is a real step down, and the hang tag won't tell you which one you're getting. But the DWR is the easier half of the problem. A DWR wears off and gets reapplied. The membrane is built into the jacket for its whole life, and that's where PFAS-free options give up the most.
Do PFAS-free membranes breathe as well?
Not yet, in most cases. PFAS-free membranes keep water out, but the ones available today generally move less sweat vapor out than the best fluoropolymer membranes.
Waterproof isn't the hard part. Plenty of PFAS-free membranes hold back rain just fine. The hard part is breathability: how fast the jacket lets the moisture you're producing escape while you climb.
Most high-breathability fluoropolymer membranes are microporous. They're full of pores small enough to block liquid water but large enough to let water vapor pass straight through. Many PFAS-free membranes are solid (monolithic) polyurethane instead. They move vapor by absorbing it on the inside and passing it through the material, which usually works slower under real use.
Independent testing backs that up. Backpacking Light reports that solid hydrophilic polyurethane membranes typically move roughly 25 to 50 percent as much moisture vapor as a leading microporous membrane. Even Gore's PFAS-free ePE membrane, the most visible industry replacement, measured 14 to 37 percent lower breathability than the older Gore-Tex jackets it was compared against in that same testing.
Our own sourcing has matched that. Every PFAS-free membrane we've evaluated so far has come in well short of the breathability of the laminations in the current Tushar.
That tradeoff matters most in the mountains. On a long climb with a pack on, a jacket that can't move sweat out fast enough gets wet from the inside. You stay dry from the rain and still end up damp, then cold the minute you stop at the pass.
What does this mean for the Tushar and your next rain jacket?
The current Tushar is built on PFAS-based membranes that breathe better than any PFAS-free option we've found so far. Future rain jackets from every brand will be built around a breathability tradeoff until that changes.
The Tushar uses two membranes mapped to where you need them. A hydrophobic lamination, rated 28,500mm hydrostatic head and 20,000g breathability, sits over the shoulders and back where pack straps create constant pressure. A hydrophilic lamination, rated 15,500mm hydrostatic head and 28,900g breathability, sits where you run hot and venting matters more than raw pressure resistance.
That mapping was a deliberate tradeoff: more protection where water gets forced through, more breathability where sweat builds up. It's also the design that's hardest to rebuild with today's PFAS-free materials.
We're still testing alternatives, and we'll keep testing. When the Tushar changes, we'll tell you what changed and what it means on the trail, including if it breathes less.
If you're shopping now, here's the honest read. Waterproofing won't get worse under these laws. Breathability on hard, sweaty climbs is where the difference will show up first. And nothing in these laws affects gear you already own. They regulate what can be sold, not what's in your pack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do PFAS bans only affect a rain jacket's DWR coating?
No. The laws define PFAS broadly enough to include the fluoropolymers used in many waterproof breathable membranes, not just the DWR coating on the outside. Brands are having to replace membrane materials as well as coatings.
Q: Does the Outdoor Vitals Tushar Rain Jacket contain PFAS?
Yes. The current Tushar is made with PFAS chemicals, and we disclose it on its features and technology page. That's standard for most technical rain shells sold today.
Q: Which states have banned PFAS in rain jackets?
California and New York banned intentionally added PFAS in apparel in January 2025, Maine and Vermont in January 2026, and Washington's ban takes effect in January 2027. Rain gear built for severe wet conditions has a temporary exemption in California, New York, Colorado, and Connecticut that ends January 1, 2028. More states are expected to follow.
Q: Are PFAS-free rain jackets less breathable?
Generally, yes, for now. Many PFAS-free membranes are solid polyurethane, which moves moisture vapor slower than the best microporous fluoropolymer membranes. Independent testing has shown even premium PFAS-free membranes breathing noticeably less than the jackets they replaced.
Q: Will PFAS-free rain jackets still be waterproof?
Yes. Waterproofing without PFAS is well established. The tradeoffs show up in breathability and in how long a PFAS-free DWR keeps water beading on the surface.
Q: How can I make my rain jacket's DWR last longer regardless of chemistry?
Wash it in a machine without an agitator on a cold, delicate cycle with a technical cleaner rather than standard detergent, then air dry. Avoid contact with DEET-based bug spray and oils, which break down the coating faster. A worn DWR coating can typically be reactivated with a wash-in or spray-on treatment. We cover the full process in our rain jacket care guide.
Related reading
- What Actually Keeps a Rain Jacket Dry After the DWR Wears Off?
- Before You Buy a Rain Jacket, Read This
- Can the Tushar Rain Jacket Keep You Dry Through All-Day Mountain Storms?
- 3 Things You Didn't Know About Your Ultralight Rain Jacket
About the Author
Derek Rasmussen
Marketing Director, Outdoor Vitals
Derek Rasmussen is the marketing director at Outdoor Vitals and a dedicated long-distance backpacker based in southern Utah. He has logged thousands of trail miles across the American West, from multi-day sections of the Colorado Trail to routes through the Tushar Mountains where Outdoor Vitals gear is field-tested. Every piece he writes is grounded in firsthand experience with the gear, not specs pulled from a box.
Learn more about the Outdoor Vitals team | Follow founder Tayson Whittaker at taysonwhittaker.com
References
- Outdoor Vitals: Tushar Rain Jacket product page
- Outdoor Vitals: Tushar Features & Technology (PFAS disclosure)
- Morgan Lewis: State Regulation of PFAS in Consumer Products Continues to Gain Momentum in 2026
- Morgan Lewis: New York and California Bans on PFAS in Textiles and Apparel Begin January 1, 2025
- bluesign: PFAS in Clothing: 2026 Bans, Health Risks, and Safer Alternatives
- Backpacking Light: The WPB Jacket Breathability Gap
- Outdoors Magic: Gore-Tex ePE, All You Need to Know About Gore's New Fabric
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