Women's Breathe Hipster vs Women's Quarter Crew Socks (6 Pairs): which is safer?
Gap Women's Breathe Hipster is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Our pick
Gap
Women's Breathe Hipster
PFAS grade
Good 65/100
Overall grade
Poor 49/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 4
Material
Cotton blend hipster underwear, no reported treatment
Confidence
72%
PossibleAzo dyes and colorant allergies
PossibleAntimony residue in polyester component
PossibleElastane (spandex) degradation and fiber shedding
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 colorant allergies, Antimony residue in polyester component, Elastane (spandex) degradation and fiber shedding and Residual dyes and heavy metals in pigments 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 blend hipster underwear, no reported treatment 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