All 15 quick-dry shorts we scored fail our PFAS screen

The verdict
All 15 quick-dry shorts 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/waterproof-sports-gear. 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 quick-dry shorts non-toxic?

None of the 15 quick-dry shorts 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 quick-dry shorts in this category are microplastics, heavy metals, artificial dyes, formaldehyde, VOCs and off-gassing.

Why adidas Men's Workout Essentials Base Woven 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 2 products it beats, so you can see exactly where the 45 points between the top and the bottom of this quick-dry shorts 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

adidas Men's Workout Essentials Base Woven Shorts
65Good
adidas Men's Workout Essentials Base Woven Shorts

Made of Woven polyester/nylon blend, no waterproof or stain-resistant treatment specified.

  • +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, and our graders recorded 3 other hazards on it. See the full breakdown.

Full breakdown

What it still grades above, and why

Patagonia Men's Home Waters Hybrid Shorts
45Poor20 points behind the winner
Patagonia Men's Home Waters Hybrid Shorts

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 Polyester blend with PFAS-free water-repellent coating finish.

  • +35Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
  • +30Category baseline
  • -10Brand-stated PFAS-free. The brand states this product is PFAS-free. We have not verified the claim.

55risk points, a grade of 45

Quiksilver Men's Union Heather Amphibian Hybrid Shorts
20Bad45 points behind the winner
Quiksilver Men's Union Heather Amphibian Hybrid Shorts

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 Polyester blend with water-resistant 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 quick-dry shorts

Beyond the PFAS grade, these are the things our graders recorded on the 15 quick-dry shorts 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 5 of these quick-dry shorts. Plausible but unconfirmed on 7 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 7 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. ATSDR

  • Artificial dyes

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

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 4 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 3 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. NCI

  • 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 2 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. EPA

The safest quick-dry shorts 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 quick-dry shorts on Amazon

The quick-dry shorts 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 quick-dry shorts

  • 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.

Common questions about PFAS in quick-dry shorts

Are quick-dry shorts PFAS free?

All 15 quick-dry shorts PFAS Authority has graded score below its 70 point pass mark for PFAS and other toxins, as of October 2026. The lowest graded is Quiksilver Men's Union Heather Amphibian Hybrid Shorts at 20 out of 100.

Are quick-dry shorts non-toxic?

None of the 15 quick-dry shorts 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 quick-dry shorts in this category are microplastics, heavy metals, artificial dyes, formaldehyde, VOCs and off-gassing.

Which quick-dry shorts should I avoid?

The three lowest scoring we hold are Quiksilver Men's Union Heather Amphibian Hybrid Shorts at 20, adidas Skateboarding Water Shorts at 20, Quiksilver Men's Legion Cargo 20" Amphibian Hybrid Shorts at 20. The problem with the first is that hybrid shorts likely water-treated; PFAS risk unconfirmed by brand.

Do you lab test quick-dry shorts?

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 food and water categories we have graded

Same rubric, same scale. These are the categories closest to quick-dry shorts.

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