Men's Force Relaxed Fit Short-Sleeve Pocket T-Shirt vs Men's Regular Fit Tommy Wicking Polo: 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

Carhartt

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

PFAS grade

Good 65/100

Overall grade

Good 57/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

100% cotton jersey knit, untreated

Confidence

78%

PossibleAzo dyes

PossibleMicrofiber shedding

Tommy Hilfiger Men's Regular Fit Tommy Wicking Polo

Tommy Hilfiger

Men's Regular Fit Tommy Wicking Polo

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 8/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

cotton blend with moisture-wicking finish

Confidence

45%

PossibleAzo dyes (synthetic color)

PossibleFormaldehyde resins (finish cure agents)

PossiblePolyester fiber degradation and microfiber shedding

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Azo dyes and Microfiber shedding on the Carhartt and not on the Tommy Hilfiger.
  • We flag Azo dyes (synthetic color), Formaldehyde resins (finish cure agents) and Polyester fiber degradation and microfiber shedding on the Tommy Hilfiger and not on the Carhartt.
  • The Carhartt is 100% cotton jersey knit, untreated where the Tommy Hilfiger is cotton blend with moisture-wicking finish, 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 Tommy Hilfiger 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