Brothers Men's 3-Pack Cotton Boxers vs Women's Quarter Crew Socks (6 Pairs): which is safer?
Brooks Brothers Men's 3-Pack Cotton Boxers is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Our pick
Brooks
Brothers Men's 3-Pack Cotton Boxers
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAzo dyes and residual dye chemicals
PossibleHeavy metals in dyes (cadmium, lead)
PossibleSkin irritation from residual processing chemicals
Puma
Women's Quarter Crew Socks (6 Pairs)
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAzo dyes
PossibleFormaldehyde resins (finishing agents)
ReportedMicroplastic shedding
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Azo dyes and residual dye chemicals, Heavy metals in dyes (cadmium, lead) and Skin irritation from residual processing chemicals on the Brooks and not on the Puma.
- We flag Azo dyes, Formaldehyde resins (finishing agents) and Microplastic shedding on the Puma and not on the Brooks.
- The Brooks is 100% cotton where the Puma is Cotton/polyester blend socks, no waterproofing, 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, 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 sports performance undergarments, see the full ranking