The Best Non-Toxic Fishing Gear of 2026

The verdict
All 15 fishing gear products PFAS Authority has graded reach its 70 point pass mark for PFAS and other toxins, as of October 2026. The highest graded is Penn Senator Combo at 95 out of 100.
Free to quote with attribution to PFAS Authority and a link to pfasauthority.com/best/fishing-gear-equipment. Grades are model-based estimates from published materials and disclosures, not lab tests. The rubric.

Every grade below is built from published materials, ingredient lists, certifications and brand disclosures, scored on one public rubric and ranked best-graded first. Each score links to the full breakdown of what earned it, and the numbers across the whole dataset are published too.

Narrow it downStainless Steel Fishing Gear

Is fishing gear non-toxic?

15 of the 15 fishing gear products we graded clear our screen and 0 do not. Non-toxic is not a defined or regulated term, so what we can tell you is what our graders recorded. Beyond PFAS, the hazards found or left unruled-out on fishing gear products in this category are aluminium leaching, microplastics, VOCs and off-gassing, heavy metals. The highest graded here is Penn Senator Combo at 95 out of 100.

Quick picks

Penn Senator Combo

Best overall

Penn Senator Combo

Highest PFAS grade in the category

95 Excellent

Pflueger President Spinning Combo

A second brand to consider

Pflueger President Spinning Combo

The best grade here from a brand other than the winner

85 Excellent

Why Penn Senator Combo wins, and what it beats

Every grade on this page is one sum. A category starts from a baseline, each disclosed material or coating adds risk points, and each thing the brand or a third party has published takes them away. Below is that sum for the winner, then for 1 product it beats, so you can see exactly where the 10 points between the top and the bottom of this fishing gear ranking come from.

The winner

Penn Senator Combo
95Excellent
Penn Senator Combo

Made of Fiberglass rod, conventional reel components.

  • +15No PFAS disclosure. No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
  • +10Category baseline. The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
  • -20Bare uncoated material. Recorded as a bare, uncoated material with no surface coating or treatment.

5risk points in total, which is a grade of 95

What the grade does not fix. It still carries one risk factor, No PFAS disclosure. See the full breakdown.

Check priceFull breakdown

What it beats, and why

Pflueger President Spinning Combo
85Excellent10 points behind the winner
Pflueger President Spinning Combo

What puts it behind. The winner earns -20 points for Bare uncoated material. We found nothing comparable published for this product.

Made of Graphite composite rod, aluminum reel body.

  • +15No PFAS disclosure
  • +10Category baseline
  • -10Base material not linked to PFAS. The main material recorded for this product is not one associated with PFAS.

15risk points, a grade of 85

No product on this page was physically tested by us. Every number above comes from published materials, ingredient and coating disclosures, certifications and brand statements, scored on one public rubric. Formulations change without notice, so check the current product listing before buying.

What to watch for in fishing gear

Beyond the PFAS grade, these are the things our graders recorded on the 15 fishing gear products in this category. We assess from materials, brand statements and published research. We do not lab-test.

  • Aluminium leaching

    Aluminium migrating out of cookware, bakeware or an antiperspirant into food or skin.

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 6 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. ATSDR

  • Microplastics

    Plastic fragments small enough to shed from a product into food, water or air without anyone seeing it.

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 3 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. EPA

  • VOCs and off-gassing

    Volatile compounds that evaporate out of a material at room temperature, which is what a new product smell is.

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 1 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. EPA

  • Heavy metals

    Metals such as antimony, nickel and chromium migrating from a material into what touches it.

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 1 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. ATSDR

The safest fishing gear we graded, lowest PFAS risk first

  1. 1

    Highest grade here

    Penn Senator Combo

    Penn

    Senator Combo

    95ExcellentPFAS grade
    • Fiberglass rod, conventional reel components
    • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
    • Plastic reel handle or seat degradation
    Full breakdownBuy
  2. 2
    Penn Fierce IV Live Liner Spinning Combo

    Penn

    Fierce IV Live Liner Spinning Combo

    85ExcellentPFAS grade
    • Graphite composite rod, aluminum reel spool, stainless steel components
    • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
    • Aluminum corrosion and oxidation
    Full breakdownBuy
  3. 3
    Pflueger President Spinning Combo

    Pflueger

    President Spinning Combo

    85ExcellentPFAS grade
    • Graphite composite rod, aluminum reel body
    • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
    • Aluminum corrosion and oxidation byproducts
    Full breakdownBuy
  4. 4
    PENN Battle IV LE Spinning Combo

    Penn

    Battle IV LE Spinning Combo

    85ExcellentPFAS grade
    • Aluminum spool, graphite composite rod, stainless steel guides
    • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
    • Aluminum corrosion and leaching
    Full breakdownBuy
  5. 5
    Penn Fathom Lever Drag 2-Speed Reel

    Penn

    Fathom Lever Drag 2-Speed Reel

    85ExcellentPFAS grade
    • Aluminum spool, stainless steel frame, plastic handle
    • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
    • Coating degradation and microparticle release

    2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.

    Full breakdownBuy
  6. 6
    Penn Fierce IV Spinning Combo

    Penn

    Fierce IV Spinning Combo

    85ExcellentPFAS grade
    • Graphite composite reel, aluminum bail, fiberglass rod blank
    • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
    • Fiberglass particulate (rod blank)

    2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.

    Full breakdownBuy
  7. 7
    Penn Pursuit V Spinning Travel Combo

    Penn

    Pursuit V Spinning Travel Combo

    85ExcellentPFAS grade
    • Fiberglass rod, graphite composite, aluminum reel spool
    • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
    • Aluminum corrosion and leaching

    2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.

    Full breakdownBuy
  8. 8
    Penn Spinfisher VII Live Liner Spinning Combo

    Penn

    Spinfisher VII Live Liner Spinning Combo

    85ExcellentPFAS grade
    • Graphite composite rod, anodized aluminum spool, fiberglass reinforced nylon housing
    • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
    • Anodized aluminum coating degradation

    2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.

    Full breakdownBuy

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Aqua Pure

3M Aqua-Pure AP802B Whole House Filter Housing

95ExcellentPFAS grade
  • polypropylene filter housing, carbon/sediment cartridge
  • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
  • Bacterial growth in spent cartridges

3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.

Full breakdownBuy
AQUASURE Premier Series 75 GPD Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System

Aquasure

Premier Series 75 GPD Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System

100ExcellentPFAS grade
  • RO membrane, carbon filters, stainless steel housing
  • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
  • Bacterial and microbial growth in housing and filters

4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.

Full breakdownBuy
Avocado Vegan Mattress

Avocado

Vegan Mattress

100ExcellentPFAS grade
✓ MADE SAFE Certified✓ Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
  • organic cotton, natural latex, coconut coir, recycled steel coils
  • The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
  • Heavy metals

2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.

Full breakdownBuy

Every fishing gear that passes, side by side

Sorted by score. A higher score means lower PFAS risk. Scored against 3 hazards that apply to this category.

#Fishing GearScoreRatingMade ofKey concern
1Penn Senator Combo95ExcellentFiberglass rod, conventional reel componentsPlastic reel handle or seat degradation
2Penn Fierce IV Live Liner Spinning Combo85ExcellentGraphite composite rod, aluminum reel spool, stainless steel componentsAluminum corrosion and oxidation
3Pflueger President Spinning Combo85ExcellentGraphite composite rod, aluminum reel bodyAluminum corrosion and oxidation byproducts
4PENN Battle IV LE Spinning Combo85ExcellentAluminum spool, graphite composite rod, stainless steel guidesAluminum corrosion and leaching
5Penn Fathom Lever Drag 2-Speed Reel85ExcellentAluminum spool, stainless steel frame, plastic handleCoating degradation and microparticle release
6Penn Fierce IV Spinning Combo85ExcellentGraphite composite reel, aluminum bail, fiberglass rod blankFiberglass particulate (rod blank)
7Penn Pursuit V Spinning Travel Combo85ExcellentFiberglass rod, graphite composite, aluminum reel spoolAluminum corrosion and leaching
8Penn Spinfisher VII Live Liner Spinning Combo85ExcellentGraphite composite rod, anodized aluminum spool, fiberglass reinforced nylon housingAnodized aluminum coating degradation

The verdict on fishing gear

Penn Senator Combo grades 95 out of 100, the highest here. It is fiberglass rod, conventional reel components. We found no PFAS statement from the brand, so the grade rests on materials alone.

Choose Penn Fierce IV Live Liner Spinning Combo instead if you want a second option at 85 out of 100, graphite composite rod, aluminum reel spool, stainless steel components.

We hold no price data, so nothing here is a budget recommendation. Grades are model-based assessments from published materials and disclosures, not laboratory tests.

The fishing gear we would skip

Lowest scoring in this category, worst first, with the reason.

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.

What we check on fishing gear

  • 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 brands we found no PFAS statement from

We found no PFAS statement from 3 of the brands here. That is our research, not proof a brand has never said anything, and it is not evidence of harm. It is why none of them score well on disclosure.

Penn, Pflueger, Zebco.

The brands that have published something, and what each of them actually said, are in our record of what every brand has said about PFAS.

Common questions about PFAS in fishing gear

Is fishing gear PFAS free?

All 15 fishing gear products PFAS Authority has graded reach its 70 point pass mark for PFAS and other toxins, as of October 2026. The highest graded is Penn Senator Combo at 95 out of 100. The lowest graded is Penn Fierce IV Live Liner Spinning Combo at 85 out of 100.

Is fishing gear non-toxic?

15 of the 15 fishing gear products we graded clear our screen and 0 do not. Non-toxic is not a defined or regulated term, so what we can tell you is what our graders recorded. Beyond PFAS, the hazards found or left unruled-out on fishing gear products in this category are aluminium leaching, microplastics, VOCs and off-gassing, heavy metals. The highest graded here is Penn Senator Combo at 95 out of 100.

What is the safest fishing gear to buy?

On our grades, Penn Senator Combo at 95 out of 100, which we band as Excellent. Then Penn Fierce IV Live Liner Spinning Combo at 85. These are model-based assessments from published materials, ingredient lists, certifications and disclosures, not laboratory tests, so treat them as the lowest risk we can evidence rather than a safety guarantee.

Which fishing gear grades best for PFAS?

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 Fierce IV Live Liner Spinning Combo at 85.

Which fishing gear should I avoid?

The three lowest scoring we hold are Penn Fierce IV Live Liner Spinning Combo at 85, Pflueger President Spinning Combo at 85, PENN Battle IV LE Spinning Combo at 85. The problem with the first is that the main material recorded for this product is not one associated with PFAS.

How can you tell if fishing gear contains 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 brands have not published a PFAS statement?

We found no PFAS statement from 3 of the brands we scored in this category, including Penn, Pflueger, Zebco. That is what our research turned up, not proof a brand has never said anything, and a missing statement is not evidence of harm. It is the reason those brands cannot score well on disclosure.

Do you lab test fishing gear?

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.

More clothing and outdoor categories we have graded

Same rubric, same scale. These are the categories closest to fishing gear.

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Does a particular brand of fishing gear have PFAS?

We also wrote this up at length. PFAS in Fishing Gear and Equipment, Which Brands Grade Best and Worst

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