The Best Non-Toxic Fishing Gear & Equipment of 2026

We scored 15 fishing gear & equipment for PFAS forever chemicals and other hazards, then ranked them safest first. The top pick is Penn Penn Senator Combo at 95/100. Every score below links to the full breakdown of what earned it.

How to read these scores. PFAS Authority is a scoring system, not a laboratory. We do not test products ourselves. Each grade is a model-based assessment built from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, brand disclosures, recalls and third-party lab results where they exist. Read the full rubric to see exactly what adds and removes points.
0% of the 15 fishing gear & equipment we scored fail our PFAS and toxin screen.
PFAS Authority, September 2026. Free to cite with a link. See the full dataset.

The safest PFAS-free fishing gear & equipment we have scored

  1. 1
    Penn Senator Combo

    Penn

    Senator Combo

    Fiberglass rod, conventional reel components

    PFAS Grade95Excellent
    Overall Grade91Excellent
    ⏳

    Plastic reel handle or seat degradation

    Limited concern

    70

    Fishing rod combo with no typical PFAS concern, but no disclosure.

    ✓Bare metal or glass, no coating at all

    Why this gradeBuy
  2. 2
    Penn Spinfisher VII Spinning Reel

    Penn

    Spinfisher VII Spinning Reel

    aluminum spool, stainless steel, graphite composite body

    PFAS Grade85Excellent
    Overall Grade81Excellent
    ⚠️

    Bearing lubricant composition

    Limited concern

    70

    Fishing reel with no disclosed PFAS risk and typical for its category.

    ⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS

    Why this gradeBuy
  3. 3
    Penn Pursuit V Spinning Travel Combo

    Penn

    Pursuit V Spinning Travel Combo

    Fiberglass rod, graphite composite, aluminum reel spool

    PFAS Grade85Excellent
    Overall Grade77Excellent
    🔩

    Aluminum corrosion and leaching

    Limited concern

    70
    🫧

    Fiberglass fiber shedding

    Limited concern

    70

    Fishing rod with no known PFAS risk, representing a lower concern purchase.

    ⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS

    Why this gradeBuy
  4. 4
    Penn Fierce IV Spinning Combo

    Penn

    Fierce IV Spinning Combo

    Graphite composite reel, aluminum bail, fiberglass rod blank

    PFAS Grade85Excellent
    Overall Grade71Good
    ⚠️

    Fiberglass particulate (rod blank)

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Mechanical injury (pinch points, line breakage)

    Moderate concern

    45

    Fishing reel with no known PFAS exposure pathways and lower concern.

    ⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS

    Why this gradeBuy
  5. 5
    Penn Fierce IV Live Liner Spinning Combo

    Penn

    Fierce IV Live Liner Spinning Combo

    Graphite composite rod, aluminum reel spool, stainless steel components

    PFAS Grade85Excellent
    Overall Grade81Excellent
    🔩

    Aluminum corrosion and oxidation

    Limited concern

    70

    Fishing rod combo with lower concern and no known PFAS-prone materials.

    ⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS

    Why this gradeBuy
  6. 6
    PENN Battle IV LE Spinning Combo

    Penn

    Battle IV LE Spinning Combo

    Aluminum spool, graphite composite rod, stainless steel guides

    PFAS Grade85Excellent
    Overall Grade81Excellent
    🔩

    Aluminum corrosion and leaching

    Limited concern

    70

    Fishing combo with lower PFAS concern and no known high-risk coatings.

    ⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS

    Why this gradeBuy
  7. 7
    Penn Fathom Lever Drag 2-Speed Reel

    Penn

    Fathom Lever Drag 2-Speed Reel

    Aluminum spool, stainless steel frame, plastic handle

    PFAS Grade85Excellent
    Overall Grade77Excellent
    🫧

    Coating degradation and microparticle release

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Bacterial biofilm in drag and bearing seals

    Limited concern

    70

    Fishing reel with lower concern for PFAS exposure.

    ⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS

    Why this gradeBuy
  8. 8
    Penn Spinfisher VII Live Liner Spinning Combo

    Penn

    Spinfisher VII Live Liner Spinning Combo

    Graphite composite rod, anodized aluminum spool, fiberglass reinforced nylon housing

    PFAS Grade85Excellent
    Overall Grade77Excellent
    🔩

    Anodized aluminum coating degradation

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Nylon housing stress cracking

    Limited concern

    70

    Fishing equipment with inherent materials and no known PFAS risk.

    ⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS

    Why this gradeBuy

Every fishing gear & equipment that passes, side by side

Sorted by score. Higher is safer. Scored against 3 hazards that apply to this category.

#Fishing Gear & EquipmentScoreRatingMade of
1Penn Penn Senator Combo95ExcellentFiberglass rod, conventional reel components
2Penn Penn Spinfisher VII Spinning Reel85Excellentaluminum spool, stainless steel, graphite composite body
3Penn Penn Pursuit V Spinning Travel Combo85ExcellentFiberglass rod, graphite composite, aluminum reel spool
4Penn Penn Fierce IV Spinning Combo85ExcellentGraphite composite reel, aluminum bail, fiberglass rod blank
5Penn Penn Fierce IV Live Liner Spinning Combo85ExcellentGraphite composite rod, aluminum reel spool, stainless steel components
6Penn PENN Battle IV LE Spinning Combo85ExcellentAluminum spool, graphite composite rod, stainless steel guides
7Penn Penn Fathom Lever Drag 2-Speed Reel85ExcellentAluminum spool, stainless steel frame, plastic handle
8Penn Penn Spinfisher VII Live Liner Spinning Combo85ExcellentGraphite composite rod, anodized aluminum spool, fiberglass reinforced nylon housing

The fishing gear & equipment we would skip

Lowest scoring in this category, worst first.

Penn Spinfisher VII Spinning Reel

Penn

Spinfisher VII Spinning Reel

aluminum spool, stainless steel, graphite composite body

PFAS Grade85Excellent
Overall Grade81Excellent
⚠️

Bearing lubricant composition

Limited concern

70

Fishing reel with no disclosed PFAS risk and typical for its category.

⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS

Why this gradeBuy
Penn Pursuit V Spinning Travel Combo

Penn

Pursuit V Spinning Travel Combo

Fiberglass rod, graphite composite, aluminum reel spool

PFAS Grade85Excellent
Overall Grade77Excellent
🔩

Aluminum corrosion and leaching

Limited concern

70
🫧

Fiberglass fiber shedding

Limited concern

70

Fishing rod with no known PFAS risk, representing a lower concern purchase.

⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS

Why this gradeBuy
Penn Fierce IV Spinning Combo

Penn

Fierce IV Spinning Combo

Graphite composite reel, aluminum bail, fiberglass rod blank

PFAS Grade85Excellent
Overall Grade71Good
⚠️

Fiberglass particulate (rod blank)

Limited concern

70
⚠️

Mechanical injury (pinch points, line breakage)

Moderate concern

45

Fishing reel with no known PFAS exposure pathways and lower concern.

⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS

Why this gradeBuy

What we check on fishing gear & equipment

  • Mercury. A neurotoxic metal that concentrates in some fish and seafood. FDA/EPA
  • Heavy metals. Lead, cadmium, arsenic and others that accumulate in the body. FDA
  • Microplastics. Tiny plastic particles that shed from products into food and water. EPA

Full point-by-point rubric on the methodology page.

The fishing gear & equipment brands that will not say

3 of the brands here publish nothing about PFAS at all. Silence is not evidence of harm, but it is why none of them score well on disclosure.

Penn, Pflueger, Zebco.

Common questions about PFAS-free fishing gear & equipment

Is fishing gear & equipment PFAS free?

Mostly not. Of the 15 fishing gear & equipment we have scored, 0% fail our PFAS and toxin screen, which leaves 15 that pass. The highest scoring is Penn Penn Senator Combo at 95 out of 100. The lowest is Penn Penn Spinfisher VII Spinning Reel at 85.

What is the safest fishing gear & equipment you have scored?

Penn Penn Senator Combo, at 95 out of 100, which we band as Excellent. It is fiberglass rod, conventional reel components. The runner up is Penn Penn Spinfisher VII Spinning Reel at 85.

Which fishing gear & equipment should I avoid?

The three lowest scoring we hold are Penn Penn Spinfisher VII Spinning Reel at 85, Penn Penn Pursuit V Spinning Travel Combo at 85, Penn Penn Fierce IV Spinning Combo at 85. The problem with the first is that made from ceramic, mineral, or natural fiber with no PFAS risk.

How can you tell if fishing gear & equipment contain PFAS?

In this category we check for mercury, heavy metals, microplastics. A neurotoxic metal that concentrates in some fish and seafood. Language like stain resistant, water repellent or easy release usually means fluorinated chemistry even when PFAS is never printed on the box.

Which fishing gear & equipment brands will not say whether they use PFAS?

3 of the brands we scored in this category publish nothing about PFAS at all, including Penn, Pflueger, Zebco. Silence is not evidence of harm, but it is the reason those brands cannot score well on disclosure.

Do you lab test fishing gear & equipment?

No. We score from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, disclosures and third party lab results where they exist. Where a product has been independently tested we use that result and say so.

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Does a particular brand of fishing gear & equipment have PFAS?

Want to filter the whole category yourself? Browse all 15 fishing gear & equipment.