All 15 sports bras we scored fail our PFAS screen

The verdict
All 15 sports bras PFAS Authority has graded score below its 70 point pass mark for PFAS and other toxins, as of October 2026.
Free to quote with attribution to PFAS Authority and a link to pfasauthority.com/best/sports-bras. 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.

Are sports bras non-toxic?

None of the 15 sports bras we graded clear our screen. 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 sports bras in this category are microplastics, artificial dyes, formaldehyde, undisclosed fragrance, heavy metals.

Why Allbirds Anytime Bralette Light Grey Xs grades highest here, and why that is not a pass

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 45 points between the top and the bottom of this sports bras ranking come from. Nothing in this category reaches our 70 point pass mark, so this is the shape of the field rather than a recommendation.

Top graded, and still below our pass mark

Allbirds Anytime Bralette Light Grey Xs
65Good
Allbirds Anytime Bralette Light Grey Xs

Made of Organic cotton blend with TENCEL lyocell.

  • +30Category baseline. The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
  • +15No PFAS disclosure. No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
  • -10Base material not linked to PFAS. The main material recorded for this product is not one associated with PFAS.

35risk points in total, which is a grade of 65

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

Full breakdown

What it still grades above, and why

Nike Women's Dri-FIT Padded Sports Bra
20Bad45 points behind the winner
Nike Women's Dri-FIT Padded Sports Bra

What puts it behind. Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment, +35 points. Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS. The top-graded product carries no such factor.

Made of nylon/polyester blend with Dri-FIT moisture-wicking treatment.

  • +35Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
  • +30Category baseline
  • +15No PFAS disclosure

80risk points, a grade of 20

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 sports bras

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

  • Microplastics

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

    Found on 2 of these sports bras. Plausible but unconfirmed on 11 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. EPA

  • Artificial dyes

    Synthetic colours added to food, cosmetics and textiles, most of them petroleum derived.

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 13 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. FDA

  • Formaldehyde

    A preservative and resin ingredient that is also released slowly by a group of chemicals used in its place.

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 5 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. NCI

  • Undisclosed fragrance

    A single word on a label that can stand for dozens of undeclared ingredients, protected as trade secret.

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

  • Heavy metals

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

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 2 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. ATSDR

The safest sports bras we graded, lowest PFAS risk first

Nothing in this category clears our buy threshold yet. That is the finding, not a gap.

See PFAS-free sports bras on Amazon

The sports bras 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 sports bras

  • Confirmed PFAS, PTFE or fluoropolymer content, which is the heaviest penalty we apply.
  • Stain, water or grease resistant treatments, which usually mean fluorinated chemistry.
  • Whether the brand discloses what is in the product, or stays silent behind a “clean” claim.
  • Independent lab results and certifications where they exist.

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

The sports bras brands we found no PFAS statement from

We found no PFAS statement from 2 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.

Allbirds, Athleta.

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 sports bras

Are sports bras PFAS free?

All 15 sports bras PFAS Authority has graded score below its 70 point pass mark for PFAS and other toxins, as of October 2026. The lowest graded is Nike Women's Dri-FIT Padded Sports Bra at 20 out of 100.

Are sports bras non-toxic?

None of the 15 sports bras we graded clear our screen. 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 sports bras in this category are microplastics, artificial dyes, formaldehyde, undisclosed fragrance, heavy metals.

Which sports bras should I avoid?

The three lowest scoring we hold are Nike Women's Dri-FIT Padded Sports Bra at 20, Allbirds Anytime Bralette Light Grey Xs at 65, Allbirds Women's Intimates & Sleepwear Allbirds Trino Bralette at 65. The problem with the first is that avoid until Nike reveals DWR chemistry, Dri-FIT's water-repellent finish often relies on PFAS.

Which sports bras brands have not published a PFAS statement?

We found no PFAS statement from 2 of the brands we scored in this category, including Allbirds, Athleta. 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 sports bras?

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 everyday goods categories we have graded

Same rubric, same scale. These are the categories closest to sports bras.

Get the graded list, free.

The products we score each week, and the best-graded alternative in every category.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Does a particular brand of sports bras have PFAS?

We also wrote this up at length. PFAS in Sports Bras, and the One Feature That Costs 45 Points

Want to filter the whole category yourself? Browse all 15 sports bras.