Men's Atmosphere Short Sleeve vs Men's Force Relaxed Fit Short-Sleeve Pocket T-Shirt: which is safer?

Carhartt Men's Force Relaxed Fit Short-Sleeve Pocket T-Shirt is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Brooks Men's Atmosphere Short Sleeve

Brooks

Men's Atmosphere Short Sleeve

PFAS grade

Good 65/100

Overall grade

Poor 43/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 4

Material

Polyester athletic knit, no specified water-repellent coating treatment

Confidence

72%

PossibleAzo dyes and colorant toxicity

PossibleFormaldehyde in finishing resins

PossibleHeavy metals in dyes and pigments

Our pick

Carhartt Men's Force Relaxed Fit Short-Sleeve Pocket T-Shirt

Carhartt

Men's Force Relaxed Fit Short-Sleeve Pocket T-Shirt

PFAS grade

Good 65/100

Overall grade

Good 57/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

100% cotton jersey knit, untreated

Confidence

78%

PossibleAzo dyes

PossibleMicrofiber shedding

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Azo dyes and colorant toxicity, Formaldehyde in finishing resins, Heavy metals in dyes and pigments and Microplastic shedding during use and wash on the Brooks and not on the Carhartt.
  • We flag Azo dyes and Microfiber shedding on the Carhartt and not on the Brooks.
  • The Brooks is Polyester athletic knit, no specified DWR treatment where the Carhartt is 100% cotton jersey knit, untreated, 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 undergarments: see the full ranking