Playtex Review, Is Playtex Non-Toxic?
Playtex averages 63 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 18 Playtex products graded as of October 2026, and 15 of them reach its 70 point pass mark.
Playtex grades Good on our four-band scale.
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.
What Playtex says and does about PFAS
We found no PFAS statement from Playtex or its maker Edgewell. Mamavation's lab found 19 ppm organic fluorine in Playtex Sport tampons and non-detect in Playtex Simply Gentle Glide tampons. A federal class action alleging PFAS in Playtex Gentle Glide and o.b. Organic tampons was dismissed in January 2024.
- Independent testMamavation's EPA-certified lab found 19 ppm organic fluorine, a PFAS marker, in Playtex Sport Regular and Super tampons. Mamavation ↗
- Independent testThe same test found non-detect organic fluorine in Playtex Simply Gentle Glide Ultra Absorbency tampons with plastic applicator. Mamavation ↗
- Legal caseLowe v. Edgewell alleged o.b. Organic and Playtex Gentle Glide tampons contained PFAS. A California federal court dismissed the suits in January 2024 because the testing allegations were insufficient. These were allegations, not findings. Inside Class Actions ↗
Sources checked September 29, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.
Playtex is one of the brands we researched by hand for our record of what every brand has published about PFAS, where the same question is answered for each of them in one line.
You may also be interested in
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 Playtex have PFAS, by category
Which Playtex products are PFAS-free? Good or better, best-graded first
- Rayon (viscose) core; cotton-blend outer layer
- Dioxin residues (bleaching byproduct). Rayon production historically involved chlorine bleaching, which can…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Rayon/viscose core, cotton blend, cardboard applicator
- Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) risk. All tampons carry a documented but rare risk of TSS when left in place too…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- rayon/viscose core, cotton blend, plastic applicator
- Allergen or irritant from undisclosed dyes or additives. Playtex Simply Gentle Glide does not list fragrance…
- Rayon/viscose core, cotton outer layer
- Microbial contamination / sterility loss. Open-box tampons from the 1980s cannot guarantee sterility after…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon
- rayon/viscose, cotton, and cardboard applicator
- Bleach residues and chlorine byproducts. Rayon and cotton tampons are typically bleached to white for…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Rayon/viscose core, cotton blend outer
- Pesticide residue. The outer cotton blend may contain residual pesticides if sourced from conventional…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Rayon/viscose (core), plastic applicator
- Chlorine residues in rayon bleaching. Rayon manufacture typically involves bleaching; conventional…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- rayon/cotton blend with cotton/plastic applicator
- Bleach residue and dioxins from rayon processing. Rayon is bleached during manufacturing; trace dioxin and…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Rayon/viscose core, plastic applicator (polystyrene or similar)
- Microplastic shedding from applicator. Plastic applicators may shed microscopic particles with repeated use…
- rayon/viscose, cotton blend core; absorbent gelling polymer
- Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) risk. All high-absorbency tampons carry inherent TSS risk if left in place too…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- rayon/viscose core, cotton outer, plastic applicator
- Dioxin residues in rayon/viscose. Viscose production historically involved bleaching that could leave trace…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Rayon/viscose core, polyethylene wrapper
- Chlorine/dioxin residues from bleaching. Conventional tampons including Playtex are typically bleached with…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Rayon/cellulose absorbent core, plastic applicator
- Allergens and irritants in rayon or cellulose additives. Rayon itself is hypoallergenic, but finishing…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- rayon/cotton core, plastic applicator
- Rayon bleaching residues (dioxins/furans). Rayon production involves bleaching with chlorine, which can leave…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- rayon/viscose core, cotton-blend cover
- Dioxin and dioxin-like compounds (from rayon bleaching). Rayon production may involve chlorine bleaching…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Which Playtex products contain PFAS? Poor and Bad, we’d swap these
- Cotton/rayon core, plastic backing with moisture-barrier coating
- Undisclosed moisture-barrier coating (likely fluorochemical). Plastic backing requires water-repellent…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon
- cellulose/rayon core with waterproof coating
- PFAS. Waterproof backing almost certainly contains fluorinated compounds; Playtex's silence on this is the…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon
- Cotton, absorbent core, waterproof backing (unspecified polymer)
- PFAS. The unspecified synthetic waterproof backing may contain PFAS (fluorochemicals) commonly used in…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on AmazonWhat to buy instead Good or better, in the categories Playtex sells
- 100% organic cotton
- A third party reports verifying it as PFAS-free
- Heavy metals
Natracare
Organic Super Plus Tampons, 3 x 20 ct
- organic cotton, cardboard applicator
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Dioxins from bleaching
Natracare
Organic Cotton Super Plus Tampons
- organic cotton, no added fluorochemicals
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Verified PFAS-free by a third party
- organic cotton, wood pulp
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Fragrance allergen content
- cellulose, cotton blend, absorbent core
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bleach residues and processing chemicals in cellulose
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Cotton, wood pulp absorbent core, plastic backing
- Pesticide residue
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Playtex and PFAS, common questions
- Does Playtex have PFAS?
- Playtex averages 63 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 18 Playtex products graded as of October 2026, and 15 of them reach its 70 point pass mark. Grades are model-based estimates built from published materials, ingredients and disclosures, not lab tests. We found no PFAS statement from Playtex. Mamavation detected 19 ppm organic fluorine in Playtex Sport tampons but none in Gentle Glide, and a PFAS class action over Gentle Glide was dismissed in 2024.
- Is Playtex non-toxic?
- Playtex Sport Tampons is the highest-graded Playtex product we have scored, at 70/100. It depends on the product line rather than the brand, so check the grade of the exact item you are buying.
- Which Playtex products are lower concern for PFAS?
- The highest-graded Playtex products we have scored are Playtex Sport Tampons, Playtex Gentle Glide Box 8 Tampons Non-deodorant Super Absorb, Playtex Simply Gentle Glide Tampons 16s. That is our model-based estimate from materials and public disclosure, not a lab test.
- Which Playtex products should I avoid?
- The lowest-graded Playtex products we have scored are Playtex Clean Comfort 16 Pads Regular, Playtex Sport Ultra Thin Regular Qwik Dry 72 Total Pads, Playtex Sport Ultra Thin Pads. Each one links to the evidence behind its grade.
Every grade uses the same public rubric. How grades work →