Womens Aqualuxe Plunge One Piece vs Women's Bottom Turn Racerback Bikini Top: which is safer?
Patagonia Women's Bottom Turn Racerback Bikini Top is the clear pick. Athleta Womens Aqualuxe Plunge One Piece carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Athleta
Womens Aqualuxe Plunge One Piece
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
LikelyPFAS in water-repellent coating
PossibleFormaldehyde resins in finish
PossibleMicrofiber shedding
Our pick
Patagonia
Women's Bottom Turn Racerback Bikini Top
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleElastane (spandex) degradation under heat or chlorine
Where these two actually differ
- We flag PFAS in DWR coating, Formaldehyde resins in finish, Microfiber shedding and Coating degradation and chemical release on the Athleta and not on the Patagonia.
- We flag Elastane (spandex) degradation under heat or chlorine on the Patagonia and not on the Athleta.
- The Athleta is Nylon blend with DWR water-repellent finish where the Patagonia is Nylon/polyester blend with elastane (standard swimwear), which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 70 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Patagonia is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Athleta grade, at 35% confidence against 72%, because it discloses less.
Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers 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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