Men's Force Relaxed Fit Short-Sleeve Pocket T-Shirt vs Men's Runshield Tight: 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.
Our pick
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
Saucony
Men's Runshield Tight
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 12/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
Polyester blend with water-repellent coating treatment
Confidence
45%
PossiblePFAS in water-repellent coating
PossibleMicroplastic shedding
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Azo dyes and Microfiber shedding on the Carhartt and not on the Saucony.
- We flag PFAS in DWR coating and Microplastic shedding on the Saucony and not on the Carhartt.
- The Carhartt is 100% cotton jersey knit, untreated where the Saucony is Polyester blend with DWR treatment, 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 Saucony 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