StormSock Midweight Knee vs Men's Hiker Encounter 2-Pack: which is safer?
Darn Tough Men's Hiker Encounter 2-Pack is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Bridgedale
StormSock Midweight Knee
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 16/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 1
Material
Wool blend with water-repellent coating finish
Confidence
62%
Possiblewater-repellent coating degradation and leachables
Our pick
Darn Tough
Men's Hiker Encounter 2-Pack
PFAS grade
Good 65/100
Overall grade
Good 57/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
Merino wool blend, no water-repellent treatment applied
Confidence
78%
PossibleAntimony in synthetic fibers (nylon reinforcement)
PossibleMicrofiber shedding (synthetic blend durability)
Where these two actually differ
- We flag DWR coating degradation and leachables on the Bridgedale and not on the Darn Tough.
- We flag Antimony in synthetic fibers (nylon reinforcement) and Microfiber shedding (synthetic blend durability) on the Darn Tough and not on the Bridgedale.
- The Bridgedale is Wool blend with DWR finish where the Darn Tough is Merino wool blend, no water-repellent treatment applied, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 45 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Darn Tough is the one to buy.
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 →
More waterproof hiking socks, see the full ranking