New Balance Review, Is New Balance Non-Toxic?
New Balance averages 43 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 18 New Balance products graded as of October 2026, and none of them reach its 70 point pass mark.
New Balance grades Poor on our four-band scale. On disclosure, the brand says nothing publicly about PFAS. See what every brand has published about PFAS for how that compares.
PFAS Authority is a scoring system, not a laboratory. We do not test products ourselves. Grades are model-based, built from published ingredients, materials, certifications, brand disclosures and third-party lab results where they exist. See the rubric.
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Top-graded picks in the categories readers replace first, every one scored on the same rubric.
- 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.
Aquasure
Premier Series 75 GPD Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System
- 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.
Avocado
Vegan Mattress
- 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.
Does New Balance have PFAS, by category
Which New Balance products contain PFAS? Poor and Bad, we’d swap these
- polyester and elastane blend
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Microplastic shedding (polyester fiber fragmentation). Polyester textiles consistently release microfibers…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Mesh polyester, elastane blend
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Azo dyes (allergenic colorants). Black or dark mesh briefs may use azo dyes; these are banned in some…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Mesh polyester/nylon blend
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Azo dyes and color fastness. Polyester mesh boxers are typically dyed with synthetic azo or reactive dyes.…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- polyester/nylon blend with moisture-wicking finish
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Heavy metals. The black, navy, or colored variants may use azo dyes or pigments that could contain trace…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- nylon mesh and polyester liner, no waterproofing treatment
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Azo dyes. Polyester liners are typically dyed with azo colorants, which can release carcinogenic amines under…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- nylon and elastane blend
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Azo dyes (carcinogenic dye intermediates). Azo dyes are restricted in EU/OEKO-TEX but not banned globally.…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Nylon/polyester athletic brief, no water-repellent coating specified
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Azo dyes and dye allergens. New Balance does not publish dye supplier or chemical restrictions for basic…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Mesh upper, Fresh Foam midsole, rubber outsole
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Azo dyes and color-based toxins. Colored mesh and foam components may use azo dyes, which can break down into…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Knit textile upper, foam midsole, rubber outsole
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Azo dyes and textile colorants. Knit yarn may contain residual azo dyes or heavy-metal mordants used in…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Textile with Gore-Tex waterproof membrane
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Azo dyes in textile colorants. Polyester and nylon uppers may be dyed with azo dyes, some of which are…
5 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Mesh/textile upper with GTX waterproof membrane
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- PFAS. Gore-Tex is a Teflon-family coating matrix; PFAS compounds are chemically inherent to the technology.…
5 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Textile upper with GORE-TEX membrane waterproofing
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- PFAS, GORE-TEX is manufactured from fluorocarbon polymers (Teflon-type coating) that inherently contain PFAS.…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- polyester with water-repellent finish (water-repellent coating treatment unspecified)
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- PFAS. Polyester cycling jackets almost universally require water-repellent treatment. Without brand…
5 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- polyester mesh with moisture-wicking finish
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Azo dyes in polyester fabric. Polyester apparel is routinely dyed with azo colorants; while EU and many…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Textile upper with Gore-Tex waterproof membrane
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- PFAS. Gore-Tex waterproofing relies on Teflon-type coating and fluorochemical processing; manufacturing data…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Gore-Tex membrane with textile upper
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- PFAS. Gore-Tex waterproof membrane is made of expanded Teflon-type coating and is treated with…
5 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Synthetic textile with water-repellent coating water-repellent finish
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- PFAS. Synthetic jackets with water-repellent coating finishes typically use PFAS-based chemistry unless…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Synthetic shell with water-repellent coating, lining unspecified
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- PFAS. The jacket carries a 'Bad' PFAS grade (20/100). Synthetic water-repellent coating finishes commonly use…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on AmazonNew Balance and PFAS, common questions
- Does New Balance have PFAS?
- New Balance averages 43 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 18 New Balance products graded as of October 2026, and none of them reach its 70 point pass mark. Grades are model-based estimates built from published materials, ingredients and disclosures, not lab tests.
- Is New Balance non-toxic?
- No New Balance product we graded reaches Good. The best of them is New Balance Men's Premium Performance 3" Trunk Underwear 2-Pack at 65/100.
- Which New Balance products should I avoid?
- The lowest-graded New Balance products we have scored are New Balance Men's Fast Days Jacket, New Balance Women's RC Jacket, New Balance Women's Fresh Foam X Hierro Mid Gore-Tex. Each one links to the evidence behind its grade.
Every grade uses the same public rubric. How grades work →