Old Navy Review, Is Old Navy Non-Toxic?
Across 15 graded products, Old Navy averages Good (56/100). On disclosure, the brand says nothing publicly about PFAS. None of its products grade Good or better yet. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab results.
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.
Does Old Navy have PFAS, by category
Graded and flagged Poor and Bad, we’d swap these
Old Navy
Women's High-Waisted Boot-Cut Pants
cotton blend or polyester, no stated coating
Azo dyes and colorant allergies
Cotton-polyester blends in mass-market apparel may use azo dyes, which can cause contact…
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Cotton-blend garments may retain trace formaldehyde from durable-press or…
Microfiber shedding from polyester content
Polyester-cotton blends release microfibers with each wash, a well-documented phenomenon.…
Lower concern because this standard pant has no water or stain treatment.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
Old Navy
Women's High-Waisted Pixie Pants
cotton-blend woven twill
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Cotton-blend twill may receive wrinkle-resistant or sizing finishes during manufacturing…
Microplastic shedding
The 12% polyester component will shed some synthetic fibers during washing, as all…
Lower concern because this bare cotton-blend pant has no stain treatment.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
Old Navy
Women's Extra High-Waisted Taylor Wide-Leg Pants
cotton/polyester blend woven textile
Microfiber shedding from polyester component
Polyester-blend garments shed microplastics during washing, though this occurs with all…
Lower concern unless water-repellent coating treatment was applied; check your fabric tag.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
Old Navy
Men's Straight Rotation Chino Pants
cotton/cotton blend twill, no stated finish
Azo dyes (aromatic amines)
Standard dyeing of cotton twill typically uses azo colorants, some of which can cleave…
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Even untreated twill may contain trace formaldehyde from dye carriers, mordants, or…
Pesticide residue
Conventional cotton is often grown with synthetic pesticides; residues may persist in…
Antimony in polyester (if blended)
If the blend includes polyester (common for wrinkle resistance and durability in chinos)…
Lower concern because this bare cotton chino has no reported treatments.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
Old Navy
Women's Stevie Straight Pants
cotton blend, standard weave
Azo dyes
Old Navy does not disclose dye sourcing or restricted substance screening. If the Stevie…
Antimony in polyester/spandex elastane
Spandex (elastane) can contain antimony as a catalyst residue from synthesis. The 2%…
Lower concern. Standard pants unlikely to contain PFAS.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
Old Navy
Women's High-Waisted Billie Straight Ankle Trouser - Blue - Petite Size L
cotton-polyester blend, no apparent finishing treatment
Azo dyes and residual dye allergens
Blue dyed cotton-polyester blends may contain azo dyes or traces of heavy metals (e.g.…
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Standard textile sizing and wrinkle-resistance treatments on polyester blends may include…
Microplastic shedding during laundering
Polyester-blend trousers shed microfibers with each wash, particularly in synthetic…
Lower concern. Basic trouser with no waterproofing or stain treatment claimed.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
Old Navy
Women's High-Waisted Tapered Straight Chino Pants
cotton-blend chino textile
Azo dyes and dye residues
Cotton-blend chinos are typically piece-dyed with acid or reactive dyes; azo dyes…
Antimony in polyester
The spandex or polyester content (typically 2-5%) uses antimony as a catalyst; dermal…
Formaldehyde / VOCs
New chinos may contain formaldehyde-based sizing agents used to set the weave during…
Spandex degradation and microfiber shedding
Spandex content (usually 2-5%) degrades with heat, light, and chlorine exposure…
Lower concern unless dyed or finished with water-resistant treatment.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
Old Navy
Men's Go-Dry Cool Performance Boxer Briefs
polyester/nylon blend performance fabric
Azo dyes and synthetic colorants
Polyester fabrics in budget activewear typically use azo dyes; Old Navy does not disclose…
Antimicrobial finishes (unspecified)
Go-Dry moisture-wicking claims suggest antimicrobial treatment, but Old Navy does not…
Microplastic shedding
Polyester-nylon blends are documented to shed microfibers during washing. Old Navy…
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Polyester wrinkle-resistance and durable-press finishes sometimes use formaldehyde…
Lower concern; no water repellency treatment claimed or disclosed.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
Old Navy
Kids' School Uniform Jersey Polo Shirt
Cotton jersey knit, untreated
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Untreated cotton polos may still undergo wrinkle-resist or sizing processes during…
Azo dyes (color fastness)
The specific dyes used in the polo are not disclosed. Azo dyes are common in mass-market…
Microfiber shedding
Jersey knit sheds more microfibers than woven cotton, particularly after repeated…
Dye migration or bleeding
Dark-colored untreated cotton polos may bleed dye in the first 2-3 washes, especially if…
Lower concern. Plain cotton polo, no water-resistant treatment disclosed.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
Old Navy
Kids' School Uniform Pique Polo Shirt
cotton pique knit
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Many cotton school uniforms are treated with formaldehyde-based resins to reduce wrinkles…
Azo dyes and synthetic colorants
School uniform polos are typically dyed with reactive or vat dyes; azo dyes are common…
Lower concern baseline, but Old Navy has not disclosed PFAS policy.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
Old Navy
Kids' School Uniform Polo Shirt 3-Pack
cotton blend knit polo shirt, no stated water or stain treatment
Azo dyes and excess dye residue
Cotton-blend polos use synthetic azo dyes for color fastness. Excess unfixed dyes can…
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Polyester-cotton blends may be treated with formaldehyde-releasing resins for wrinkle…
Microfiber shedding from polyester component
The 40% polyester blend will shed microfibers during washing, as with all synthetic…
Lower concern. Plain cotton blend with no performance coating disclosed.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
Old Navy
Kids' School Uniform Jersey-Knit Polo Shirt for
Jersey-knit cotton blend, untreated
Azo dyes and reactive dyes
Jersey-knit polos are typically dyed with common acid or reactive dyes; while regulated…
Antimony in polyester fibers
If the cotton blend contains polyester (common for durability), polyester fiber…
Residual fiber degradation and microfiber shedding
Jersey knit, especially cotton blends with lower thread count, may shed microfibers with…
Lower concern. Basic jersey-knit polo unlikely to contain PFAS.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
Old Navy
Women's High-Waisted Sleektech Trouser Pants
Polyester blend with Sleektech water-repellent coating finish
PFAS
Sleektech water-repellent coating finish is not disclosed as PFAS-free; fluorinated…
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Some water-repellent coating and wrinkle-resistant finishes contain formaldehyde-based…
Microplastics
Degradation of water-repellent coating coatings during laundering can release polymer…
water-repellent coating finish likely contains PFAS because Old Navy won't disclose.
⚠Waterproof or stain-proof treatment
Old Navy
Men's Go-Dry Cool Performance Boxer- Brief Underwear 3-Pack
Nylon/polyester blend with moisture-wicking treatment
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Moisture-wicking treatments sometimes rely on formaldehyde-based cross-linking resins to…
Antimony in polyester
Polyester is synthesized using antimony trioxide as a catalyst; residual antimony may…
Microfiber shedding during laundering
Synthetic blends like nylon/polyester shed microfibers during every wash cycle…
Skin sensitization from undisclosed chemical treatments
Without disclosure of the moisture-wicking treatment agents, potential skin contact with…
Performance underwear likely uses water-repellent coating; Gap discloses nothing about PFAS.
⚠Waterproof or stain-proof treatment
Old Navy
Women's Strapless Belted One-Piece Swimsuit
polyester/nylon blend with water-repellent coating finish
PFAS
water-repellent coating finishes on synthetic swimwear commonly use PFAS chemistry; Gap…
Azo dyes
Synthetic swimwear dyes are often azo-based. If non-compliant dyes are used, certain azo…
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Some polyester and nylon finishes (including certain water-repellent coating systems and…
Microplastics
Polyester/nylon swimwear can shed microfibers during washing, particularly if the surface…
Typical swimwear with likely water-repellent coating treatment; no public disclosure available.
⚠Waterproof or stain-proof treatment
Old Navy and PFAS, common questions
- Does Old Navy have PFAS?
- We graded 15 Old Navy products, averaging Good (56/100). None grade Good or better. Grades are model-based estimates built from published materials, ingredients and disclosures, not lab tests.
- Is Old Navy non-toxic?
- No Old Navy product we graded reaches Good. The best of them is Old Navy Women's High-Waisted Boot-Cut Pants at 65/100.
- Which Old Navy products should I avoid?
- The lowest-graded Old Navy products we have scored are Old Navy Women's Strapless Belted One-Piece Swimsuit, Old Navy Men's Go-Dry Cool Performance Boxer- Brief Underwear 3-Pack, Old Navy Women's High-Waisted Sleektech Trouser Pants. Each one links to the evidence behind its grade.
Every grade uses the same public rubric. How grades work →