Start Review, Is Start Non-Toxic?
Across 12 graded products, Start averages Excellent (81/100). On disclosure, the brand says nothing publicly about PFAS. 11 of its products grade Good or better. 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 Start have PFAS, by category
Worth buying from Start Good or better, best-graded first
Start
Glide SG Liquid Glider
Unknown liquid glider formulation (likely silicone or wax-based)
Volatile organic compounds (VOC) / solvent off-gassing
Liquid gliders, particularly hydrocarbon or silicone-based formulations, may contain…
Skin or eye contact sensitization (silicone or proprietary additives)
If the product contains silicone oils or undisclosed surfactants or UV stabilizers…
Product degradation and microbial contamination over time
Liquid formulations can degrade under heat or light or develop bacterial and fungal…
Ingestion hazard (accidental or in children)
Ski wax and glider products are not food-grade and pose a risk if swallowed, particularly…
Skip, no public transparency on formulation or PFAS content.
⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS
Start
RG Race Glider
Plastic racing glider toy
Heavy metals
Toys manufactured in some regions may contain trace lead or cadmium in pigments or as…
Adhesive or solvent residue
Small toys may use solvent-based adhesives during assembly. Residual volatile organic…
Lower concern; simple plastic toy unlikely to contain Teflon-family coating.
⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS
Start
Kick Wax Synthetic
Synthetic hydrocarbon wax blend
Skin contact sensitization or irritation
Hydrocarbon wax blends are generally low-irritant, but individual sensitivity to refined…
Microplastics
Ski waxes (all types) produce particles during application, removal, and abrasion on…
Lack of ingredient transparency
Start does not disclose the complete formulation or presence of minor additives…
Lower concern; synthetic ski wax lacks typical PFAS applications.
⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS
Start
Basewax
Wax-based product (beeswax, plant waxes, or mineral wax blend)
Volatile organic compounds (VOC) from heating
Heating hydrocarbon wax to application temperature releases aliphatic hydrocarbon vapors…
Skin irritation or allergic sensitization
Beeswax or plant-wax blends may contain minor allergens or residual botanical compounds…
Lower concern; wax-based products typically don't require PFAS.
⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS
Start
RG Ultra Glider
Ski/snowboard glide wax or base treatment
Inhalation exposure during application
Wax dust and thermal fumes from iron-on application can irritate airways if applied…
PFAS
Many ski waxes contain short-chain fluorocarbons or fluorine coatings; Start's silence on…
Skin sensitization from hydrocarbon residue
Prolonged skin contact with paraffin or microcrystalline wax can cause minor irritation…
Coating delamination and base damage over time
Poor application technique or incompatibility with certain base materials can cause wax…
Insufficient public data; contact Start directly for PFAS disclosure.
⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS
Start
Base Wax Extra
Natural wax blend, paraffin and/or plant-based waxes
Paraffin vapor inhalation (thermal)
Heating paraffin wax above 100°C for application generates vapors that can irritate…
Oxidation and rancidity over time
Plant-based wax blends are more prone to oxidative degradation than pure paraffin…
Material as recorded is not linked to PFAS in available public information.
⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS
Start
Glide BW Base Wax
paraffin and hydrocarbon wax blend
Thermal decomposition and fume inhalation
Paraffin wax heated above 150-160°C can release minor volatile organic compounds; risk is…
Hydrocarbon additive composition and toxicity
Start does not disclose the specific hydrocarbon additives in the BW formulation; these…
Paraffin and hydrocarbon wax blend with no PFAS disclosure on record.
⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS
Start
SG4 Red 90g Wax
Paraffin wax blend
Thermal decomposition / inhalation during application
Heating paraffin wax above ~100-120°C can release low-level organic vapors. Ski wax…
Contamination or mold growth during storage
If stored in damp conditions or near moisture sources, paraffin wax blocks can develop…
Low risk. Paraffin wax rarely contains PFAS.
⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS
Start
SG8 Glider Block
Ski base wax, hydrocarbon/paraffin composition
Inhalation of wax dust and friction byproducts
Applying paraffin wax to heated ski bases generates fine aerosol particles; prolonged…
Mineral additive identity and trace contaminants
Glider blocks often contain graphite or silica; if poorly purified, silica could present…
Thermal decomposition products (at ski base temperatures)
Paraffin waxes are stable at typical ski base iron temperatures (100-160 C), but…
Low risk hydrocarbon ski wax product.
⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS
Start
SG10 Glider Wax 180g Green
Hydrocarbon wax blend (Nordic ski glider wax)
Inhalation of wax dust during application
Ironing or scraping hydrocarbon ski wax generates fine particle aerosol. While the wax…
Skin contact irritation
Hot melted wax can cause thermal burns if applied directly to skin. Solid wax may cause…
Minor volatile organic compound (VOC) release during heating
Hydrocarbon waxes release low levels of aliphatic hydrocarbons when heated above ~60°C…
Accidental ingestion risk (children/pets)
Hydrocarbon wax is not designed for ingestion; small amounts are not acutely toxic but…
Low risk. Traditional hydrocarbon wax with no PFAS.
⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS
Start
Tar Kick Wax
Wax-based formulation
Volatile organic compounds (VOC) from heating
Melting or ironing wax may release minor hydrocarbon vapors; no specific test data for…
Wax products typically lower PFAS risk, but verify full ingredient list.
⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS
Graded and flagged Poor and Bad, we’d swap these
Start
LF10 Ski Wax Race Room Skis 180g
Hydrocarbon wax blend with fluorinated surfactants (typical for performance ski wax)
PFAS
Iron-application of fluorinated ski wax generates aerosol and vapor. Start does not…
Hydrocarbon irritation and aspiration hazard
Hydrocarbon wax itself poses minimal hazard during normal use but presents low-level…
Thermal decomposition by-products
Overheating hydrocarbon wax above typical ironing temperature can generate volatile…
Skip or verify directly with Start, race wax typically contains PFAS, no disclosure.
⚠Waterproof or stain-proof treatment
Start and PFAS, common questions
- Does Start have PFAS?
- We graded 12 Start products, averaging Excellent (81/100). 11 grade Good or better. Grades are model-based estimates built from published materials, ingredients and disclosures, not lab tests.
- Is Start non-toxic?
- Start Glide SG Liquid Glider is the highest-graded Start product we have scored, at 85/100. It depends on the product line rather than the brand, so check the grade of the exact item you are buying.
- Which Start products are lower concern for PFAS?
- The highest-graded Start products we have scored are Start Glide SG Liquid Glider, Start RG Race Glider, Start Kick Wax Synthetic. That is our model-based estimate from materials and public disclosure, not a lab test.
- Which Start products should I avoid?
- The lowest-graded Start products we have scored are Start LF10 Ski Wax Race Room Skis 180g. Each one links to the evidence behind its grade.
Every grade uses the same public rubric. How grades work →