But PFAS are only the starting point. Performance apparel often relies on chemical systems for functions far beyond waterproofing, including stain repellents, wicking agents, flame retardants, anti-pilling coatings, anti-fungal treatments and solvent-heavy laminates.
Odor-control finishes are a prime example, frequently touted as a benefit of gorpcore clothes. These antimicrobial treatments are marketed as maintaining freshness, but experts note that while some formulations work under certain conditions, many others show limited or inconsistent efficacy. “In backcountry or high-sweat technical use, antimicrobial coatings are sometimes added with the intention of slowing odor build-up,” Fuoco explains. Some “release metals and biocides into wastewater and expose workers to chemicals linked to skin and breathing problems, reproductive harms, microbiome disruption and more”, she adds.
Beyond the wearer, these chemicals move through the garment’s entire lifecycle, released during production, washing and disposal. Wastewater treatment plants cannot fully filter PFAS or many antimicrobial agents, meaning they accumulate in rivers, soil, agricultural systems and even drinking water. Once released, many persist for decades. And then there’s abrasion. Everyday use — backpacks rubbing against jackets, sleeves brushing café tables, pants scraping along bike saddles — erodes technical coatings and sheds microplastics and chemical-laced dust into the environment. High-performance fabrics, designed to last through storms, paradoxically shed more when worn casually and washed frequently in everyday life.
A path forward
Some brands are demonstrating what high performance without PFAS can look like.
Páramo, long considered an outlier in the outdoor sector, has built its waterproofing system around a PFAS-free approach from the start. Its Analogy waterproofing system, developed in collaboration with PFAS-free waterproofing specialist Nikwax, “provides ultra-breathable performance without laminates, membranes or taped seams”, says Samantha Theron, Páramo’s head of marketing and communications.
The system uses a two-layer construction. The first layer is an outer, closely woven synthetic microfiber — typically nylon or polyester — finished with a durable, water-repellent (DWR) finish. This DWR is a water-based, non-fluorinated (meaning it contains no PFAS, or other “forever chemicals”) polymer designed to bond to the fibers and help the surface shed rain. Then, there’s an inner “pump liner”, also made from synthetic fibers, designed to transport liquid water (sweat or condensation) outward, mimicking how fur works in wet conditions.
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