Acoustic Guitar Strings XS 80/20 Bronze Coated vs Coated Electric Slinky Guitar Strings: which is safer?
D'Addario Acoustic Guitar Strings XS 80/20 Bronze Coated is the clear pick. Ernie Ball Coated Electric Slinky Guitar Strings carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Our pick
D'Addario
Acoustic Guitar Strings XS 80/20 Bronze Coated
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleCoating degradation and particulate release
PossibleAllergic contact dermatitis (copper sensitivity)
Ernie Ball
Coated Electric Slinky Guitar Strings
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleTeflon-type coating / Teflon-family coating in proprietary coating
PossibleNickel skin contact sensitization
PossibleCoating degradation and particle shedding
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Coating degradation and particulate release and Allergic contact dermatitis (copper sensitivity) on the D'Addario and not on the Ernie Ball.
- We flag PTFE / fluoropolymer in proprietary coating, Nickel skin contact sensitization and Coating degradation and particle shedding on the Ernie Ball and not on the D'Addario.
- The D'Addario is 80/20 Bronze (copper-tin alloy) with phosphor-bronze coating where the Ernie Ball is Nickel-plated steel core with proprietary polymer coating, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 35 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the D'Addario is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Ernie Ball grade, at 35% confidence against 82%, because it discloses less.
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 guitar strings, see the full ranking