Men's Quick Dry & Moisture Wicking 360 Stretch Performance Boxer Briefs vs Women's Quarter Crew Socks (6 Pairs): which is safer?

PUMA Women's Quarter Crew Socks (6 Pairs) is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Fruit of the Loom Men's Quick Dry & Moisture Wicking 360 Stretch Performance Boxer Briefs

Fruit of the Loom

Men's Quick Dry & Moisture Wicking 360 Stretch Performance Boxer Briefs

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 0/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Polyester/nylon blend with moisture-wicking treatment

Confidence

52%

PossiblePFAS in moisture-wicking finish

LikelyMicroplastic shedding from synthetic fibers

Our pick

PUMA Women's Quarter Crew Socks (6 Pairs)

Puma

Women's Quarter Crew Socks (6 Pairs)

PFAS grade

Good 65/100

Overall grade

Poor 47/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Cotton/polyester blend socks, no waterproofing

Confidence

82%

PossibleAzo dyes

PossibleFormaldehyde resins (finishing agents)

ReportedMicroplastic shedding

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag PFAS in moisture-wicking finish and Microplastic shedding from synthetic fibers on the Fruit of the Loom and not on the Puma.
  • We flag Azo dyes, Formaldehyde resins (finishing agents) and Microplastic shedding on the Puma and not on the Fruit of the Loom.
  • The Fruit of the Loom is Polyester/nylon blend with moisture-wicking treatment where the Puma is Cotton/polyester blend socks, no waterproofing, 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 Puma is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the Fruit of the Loom grade, at 52% 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 sports performance undergarments, see the full ranking