Raincoat roundup

Here in Seattle, the rainy season is slowly but surely inching closer, and with a very active baby boy on the cusp of toddlerhood, I'm refusing to let the weather keep me inside this year. That same active baby boy puts every single item that we own into his mouth and tries (and sometimes succeeds) to take a huge bite, so I want to make sure that the rain gear we will be living in for the next several months is nontoxic. Many raincoats are made with PVC (the shower curtain liner culprit) and phthalates (some of the most problematic plasticizers, most commonly found in PVC), but with just a little research, it's possible to find fun, functional, and affordable rain gear that meets my safety threshold. Conveniently enough, the Center for Health, Environment & Justice has done the research for us and calls out six major rain gear brands that skip the PVC:

• H&M - If you need one more reason to love H&M, here it is! This company has a pretty strong chemical policy (we adore their hip and affordable organic baby clothes) and promises that all of their items are PVC-free. No H&M near you? Not to worry - Online shopping is now available in the US market! Check out their great kids outerwear here (they also have women's and men's outerwear, though no true raincoats). The starry girls raincoat pictured above is $24.99. 
• L. L. Bean - This classic company offers a wide variety of raincoats for the whole family, along with some pretty intense rain pants. The prices are higher than H&M ($39.95 for a girls coat) but their coats are built to last. Take a look at all their rain gear here. 
• Land's End - Another classic company, Land's End outerwear collection includes fantastic kids raincoats at reasonable prices ($29), a good selection of men's coats, and a meager offering for women. See all their rain gear here. 
• Puddlegear - If you want to make an investment in rain gear that is free of not only PVC but a full list of 100 harmful chemicals, check out Puddlegear. I especially love the classic look of the Albin kids jacket (pictured above in four colors), which costs a hefty $70. 
• Hatley - This company offers fantastic kids rain gear plus a couple of coats for women. I'm a sucker for all things dinosaur and/or space exploration, and Hatley has a way of making kid-friendly design look aesthetically appealing to adults as well, for a price of $52 (girls coats ~$6 cheaper in the Harmless Home shop rain gear section). Take a look at their boys coats, girls coats, and women's coats. 
• iPlay - This is one of my favorite nontoxic children's brands! Their simplest little rain coats, like the yellow one pictured, are just under $12 on Amazon (and here in the Harmless Home shop!), a great budget option for kids who may outgrow their coat in a single season. Check out all of iPlay's adorable rain gear here.

That concludes the official CHEJ list. I was left wondering about some of the more popular brands that I see here in the Pacific Northwest, so I made a few phone calls and have happy news to report - Patagonia, The North Face, and Sierra Designs (my personal favorite) all confirmed that their rain gear is PVC-free! Columbia Sportswear, on the other hand, only carries one line that is PVC-free, the Omni-Tech jackets. It makes me optimistic to see that major brands are starting to create PVC-free products, but it still pays to double check - There are other big companies like Carhartt and even my beloved Target that do produce and carry rain gear made with PVC, so I'd call and ask about each specific product if you're looking at rain gear from any company that isn't listed here as being PVC-free.

You'll notice that most of these same brands offer PVC-free rain boots as well - It's also good to know that rain boots made of natural rubber do not contain PVC, so your rain boots may already be nontoxic! If you're wondering about the chemicals used in your current rain gear, don't hesitate to call companies and ask about their materials - It is your right to know, and I believe it is in everyone's best interest for companies to know that we care about the materials they use.

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*In this post, I've linked to products in the Harmless Home Amazon Shop, an Amazon.com storefront curated by me, filled with products that I use and love. I'll always let you know if there is a cheaper place to find any of the products I recommend. When you add items to your cart and check out via the Harmless Home shop, you'll be taken back to the main Amazon.com site and will make your purchase there, but a portion of the proceeds from your sale will support this blog. You pay Amazon.com prices, Amazon manages your order, and Harmless Home gets a little love - It's a win-win :) For free 2-day shipping, sign up for a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime here.