Men's 502 Taper Jeans vs Men's Straight Fit Jeans: which is safer?
Patagonia Men's Straight Fit Jeans is the clear pick. Levi's Men's 502 Taper Jeans carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Levi's
Men's 502 Taper Jeans
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAzo dyes and residual dye metals (chromium, copper, nickel)
ReportedDye stability and color bleeding
PossibleVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) from dye solvents and processing
Our pick
Patagonia
Men's Straight Fit Jeans
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleFormaldehyde-based finishing resins
PossibleDye bleed and skin contact allergens
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Azo dyes and residual dye metals (chromium, copper, nickel), Dye stability and color bleeding and Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from dye solvents and processing on the Levi's and not on the Patagonia.
- We flag Formaldehyde-based finishing resins and Dye bleed and skin contact allergens on the Patagonia and not on the Levi's.
- The Levi's is 100% cotton denim where the Patagonia is cotton denim, no durable water repellent (DWR) coating, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 25 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Patagonia is the one to buy.
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 stain-resistant jeans, see the full ranking