Men's Workout Essentials Base Woven Shorts vs Men's Athlete Speed Shorts: which is safer?
Reebok Men's Athlete Speed Shorts is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Adidas
Men's Workout Essentials Base Woven Shorts
PFAS grade
Good 65/100
Overall grade
Poor 45/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 5
Material
Woven polyester/nylon blend, no waterproof or stain-resistant treatment specified
Confidence
72%
PossibleAzo dyes in synthetic textiles
PossibleFormaldehyde resins in synthetic fabrics
PossibleAntimony in polyester fiber
Our pick
Reebok
Men's Athlete Speed Shorts
PFAS grade
Good 65/100
Overall grade
Poor 47/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 3
Material
Polyester mesh and nylon blend, standard athletic construction
Confidence
72%
PossibleFormaldehyde resins in finishing
PossibleAntimony in polyester
ReportedMicroplastic shedding
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Azo dyes in synthetic textiles, Formaldehyde resins in synthetic fabrics, Antimony in polyester fiber and Microplastic shedding during washing on the Adidas and not on the Reebok.
- We flag Formaldehyde resins in finishing, Antimony in polyester and Microplastic shedding on the Reebok and not on the Adidas.
- The Adidas is Woven polyester/nylon blend, no waterproof or stain-resistant treatment specified where the Reebok is Polyester mesh and nylon blend, standard athletic construction, 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 waterproof sports gear: see the full ranking