RUNNING COMFY CREW Socks vs 4-Pack Everyday Athletic Crew Socks: which is safer?
These two grade almost identically. Pick on price and preference; neither has a PFAS edge.
Adidas
RUNNING COMFY CREW Socks
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAzo dyes (carcinogenic breakdown products)
PossibleMicroplastic shedding (synthetic fiber loss)
PossibleElastane degradation and off-gassing (heat/UV exposure)
Smartwool
4-Pack Everyday Athletic Crew Socks
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAzo dyes (aniline-derived synthetic colorants)
PossibleElastane (spandex) degradation and skin contact
PossibleDurable-water-repellent (water-repellent coating) coating composition
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Azo dyes (carcinogenic breakdown products), Microplastic shedding (synthetic fiber loss) and Elastane degradation and off-gassing (heat/UV exposure) on the Adidas and not on the Smartwool.
- We flag Azo dyes (aniline-derived synthetic colorants), Elastane (spandex) degradation and skin contact and Durable-water-repellent (DWR) coating composition on the Smartwool and not on the Adidas.
- The Adidas is Cotton and synthetic blend (polyester/elastane) where the Smartwool is merino wool blend (primary fiber), 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 →
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