Women's Breathe Hipster Underwear 3-Pack vs Women's Quarter Crew Socks (6 Pairs): which is safer?

These two grade almost identically. Pick on price and preference; neither has a PFAS edge.

Gap Women's Breathe Hipster Underwear 3-Pack

Gap

Women's Breathe Hipster Underwear 3-Pack

PFAS grade

Good 65/100

Overall grade

Poor 47/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

cotton, elastane blend, uncoated fabric

Confidence

78%

PossibleAzo dyes and formaldehyde-releasing resins

ReportedMicrofiber shedding from elastane

PossibleAllergenic finishes and residual manufacturing chemicals

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 Azo dyes and formaldehyde-releasing resins, Microfiber shedding from elastane and Allergenic finishes and residual manufacturing chemicals on the Gap and not on the Puma.
  • We flag Azo dyes, Formaldehyde resins (finishing agents) and Microplastic shedding on the Puma and not on the Gap.
  • The Gap is cotton, elastane blend, uncoated fabric where the Puma is Cotton/polyester blend socks, no waterproofing, 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: 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