Men's Hiker Encounter 2-Pack vs Moab Hiking Quarter Socks: which is safer?
Darn Tough Men's Hiker Encounter 2-Pack is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Our pick
Darn Tough
Men's Hiker Encounter 2-Pack
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAntimony in synthetic fibers (nylon reinforcement)
PossibleMicrofiber shedding (synthetic blend durability)
Merrell
Moab Hiking Quarter Socks
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleFluorocarbon-based water-repellent coating (PFAS compounds)
PossibleSynthetic fiber shedding (microfibers)
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Antimony in synthetic fibers (nylon reinforcement) and Microfiber shedding (synthetic blend durability) on the Darn Tough and not on the Merrell.
- We flag Fluorocarbon-based DWR (PFAS compounds) and Synthetic fiber shedding (microfibers) on the Merrell and not on the Darn Tough.
- The Darn Tough is Merino wool blend, no water-repellent treatment applied where the Merrell is merino wool blend with DWR treatment (likely fluorocarbon-based), 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 Darn Tough is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Merrell grade, at 35% confidence against 78%, 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 waterproof hiking socks, see the full ranking