Boys Classic Fit Flat Front Pant vs Uniform Stretch Twill Shorts Boys 8-20: which is safer?

Nautica Uniform Stretch Twill Shorts Boys 8-20 is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Dickies Boys Classic Fit Flat Front Pant

Dickies

Boys Classic Fit Flat Front Pant

PFAS grade

Good 65/100

Overall grade

Poor 49/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 4

Material

cotton/polyester blend, no special coatings

Confidence

78%

PossibleAzo dyes and colorants

PossibleAntimony in polyester

PossibleHeavy metals in dyes and pigments

Our pick

Nautica Uniform Stretch Twill Shorts Boys 8-20

Nautica

Uniform Stretch Twill Shorts Boys 8-20

PFAS grade

Good 65/100

Overall grade

Good 53/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

cotton/polyester twill, stretch blend

Confidence

68%

PossibleAzo dyes and colorfast potential

PossibleAntimony in polyester

PossibleLoose synthetic fibers and microfiber shedding

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Azo dyes and colorants, Heavy metals in dyes and pigments and Residual solvents or sizing agents on the Dickies and not on the Nautica.
  • We flag Azo dyes and colorfast potential and Loose synthetic fibers and microfiber shedding on the Nautica and not on the Dickies.
  • Both carry a flag for Antimony in polyester, so neither choice avoids it.
  • The Dickies is cotton/polyester blend, no special coatings where the Nautica is cotton/polyester twill, stretch blend, 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 school uniforms, see the full ranking