Hertel Ski Wax vs Purl Wax — 50 Years of Proven Performance vs Eco-Friendly New Entrant
Hertel Ski Wax vs Purl Wax — 50 years of proven All-Temperature engineering vs a newer eco-friendly entrant. Good intentions vs documented performance. Here is the honest comparison.
Purl Wax has built a following among environmentally conscious skiers and snowboarders with a plant-based, fluorocarbon-free wax formula marketed as a sustainable alternative to traditional petroleum-based ski waxes.
The environmental positioning is genuine and the intentions are good. But good intentions and proven performance are not the same thing.
The Eco Wax Question
The ski wax industry has faced legitimate environmental scrutiny, particularly around fluorinated compounds (PFAS) once used in race waxes. International Ski and Snowboard Federation banned fluorinated waxes from competition in 2023, and the industry quickly shifted toward non-fluoro products.
But much of the public narrative surrounding fluorinated contamination at ski resorts turned into nothing but nonsense. Ski wax became the easy target while far larger sources of fluorinated compounds were ignored. Fluorinated materials are everywhere — waterproof jackets, gloves, pants, hats, goggles, backpacks, fishing gear, paints, and countless outdoor products.
At ski resorts, people constantly rub against chairlift seats, fall into the snow, and scrape against each other. Fibers and waterproof coatings shed into the environment all day long. Yet many companies and organizations focused almost entirely on ski wax because it created fear and gave them a marketing angle to push “eco” products.
The result was an oversimplified story that ignored the bigger picture. A lot of innocent people and companies paid the price while the real sources of contamination were barely discussed.
Hertel Ski Wax has never relied on fluorinated compounds for its core performance. The All Temperature® system — developed in 1972 — delivers its performance through engineered wax chemistry that manages snow friction and water film without the environmental concerns associated with PFAS compounds.
Racing 739™, Hertel's flagship race wax, is fully non-fluoro compliant and meets current FIS environmental requirements. It was banned from Olympic competition not because of its chemistry, but because it was too fast.
Performance vs Positioning
Purl Wax's plant-based formula is an interesting approach to ski wax chemistry. What it lacks is the performance track record that Hertel has built over 50 years.
- Hertel Super HotSauce™ — #1 Amazon bestseller, 20,000+ units sold in 2025, five-star rated in every independent performance study
- Racing 739™ — banned from Olympic and World Cup competition for winning by margins of up to 4 full seconds
- WhiteGold™ — used at the 1988 Calgary and 1994 Lillehammer Olympics
- 50 years of continuous wax chemistry development in the USA
Purl Wax has environmental credentials and growing brand awareness. Hertel has all of that plus five decades of documented performance at the highest levels of the sport.
The Safety Argument
Terry Hertel has always argued that ski wax is a safety product. A wax that delivers inconsistent glide — regardless of how environmentally friendly its formula is — creates unpredictable ski behavior on a crowded mountain.
Hertel's All Temperature® system was engineered for consistent, predictable glide across changing conditions. That consistency is not just about performance. It is about control and safety for you and everyone sharing the mountain with you.
A Note From Terry Hertel
I support the move away from fluorinated compounds. Hertel has never needed them to perform.
But environmental responsibility and performance are not mutually exclusive. You do not have to choose between a wax that is good for the planet and a wax that is good on the mountain. Hertel has been delivering both since 1972.
— Terry Hertel, Founder, Hertel Ski Wax
Proven performance. Non-fluoro formula. Made in USA since 1972. Shop Super HotSauce™ — #1 Amazon Bestseller →
The non-fluoro race wax: Shop Racing 739™ — FIS Non-Fluoro Compliant, Banned for Being Too Fast →