Men's Light Weight Quick Dry Moisture Wicking Top with 40+ UPF Protection 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.

Calvin Klein Men's Light Weight Quick Dry Moisture Wicking Top with 40+ UPF Protection

Calvin Klein

Men's Light Weight Quick Dry Moisture Wicking Top with 40+ UPF Protection

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 8/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Synthetic blend with moisture-wicking and UPF treatment

Confidence

45%

PossibleUndisclosed water-repellent coating chemistry (likely PFAS or fluorinated alternatives)

PossibleFormaldehyde or formaldehyde-releasing finishes (wrinkle/shrink resistance)

PossibleVolatile organic compound (VOC) off-gassing from synthetic blend and treatments

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 Undisclosed DWR coating chemistry (likely PFAS or fluorinated alternatives), Formaldehyde or formaldehyde-releasing finishes (wrinkle/shrink resistance) and Volatile organic compound (VOC) off-gassing from synthetic blend and treatments on the Calvin Klein and not on the Carhartt.
  • We flag Azo dyes and Microfiber shedding on the Carhartt and not on the Calvin Klein.
  • The Calvin Klein is Synthetic blend with moisture-wicking and UPF treatment where the Carhartt is 100% cotton jersey knit, untreated, 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 Carhartt is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the Calvin Klein grade, at 45% confidence against 78%, because it discloses less.

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