Paper Straws vs Giant Striped Unwrapped Paper Straw: which is safer?

Aardvark Paper Straws is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Our pick

Aardvark Paper Straws

Aardvark

Paper Straws

PFAS grade

Good 70/100

Overall grade

Good 62/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

paper (uncoated or standard coating)

Confidence

72%

PossibleMold or microbial growth from moisture

PossiblePaper fragmentation ingestion

Yocup Giant Striped Unwrapped Paper Straw

Yocup

Giant Striped Unwrapped Paper Straw

PFAS grade

Good 70/100

Overall grade

Good 58/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Paper (unwrapped, uncoated)

Confidence

82%

PossibleInk migration from printed stripes

PossiblePulp degradation and fiber shedding

PossibleMold or bacterial growth if stored improperly

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Mold or microbial growth from moisture and Paper fragmentation ingestion on the Aardvark and not on the Yocup.
  • We flag Ink migration from printed stripes, Pulp degradation and fiber shedding and Mold or bacterial growth if stored improperly on the Yocup and not on the Aardvark.
  • The Aardvark is paper (uncoated or standard coating) where the Yocup is Paper (unwrapped, uncoated), which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • These two are level, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.

Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →

More paper straws: see the full ranking