Men's Hiker Encounter 2-Pack vs Hiking Crew 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)
The North Face
Hiking Crew Socks
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleFormaldehyde finishing resins on polyester-nylon blend
PossibleMicroplastics shedding from polyester-nylon blend
PossibleSkin sensitization to residual dyes or lanolin (wool component)
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 The North Face.
- We flag Formaldehyde finishing resins on polyester-nylon blend, Microplastics shedding from polyester-nylon blend and Skin sensitization to residual dyes or lanolin (wool component) on the The North Face and not on the Darn Tough.
- The Darn Tough is Merino wool blend, no water-repellent treatment applied where the The North Face is Merino wool blend / synthetic fibers (polyester, nylon), which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- These two are level, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.
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