Men's 511 Slim Jeans Performance Cool vs Men's Straight Fit Jeans: which is safer?
Patagonia Men's Straight Fit Jeans is the clear pick. Levi's Men's 511 Slim Jeans Performance Cool carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Levi's
Men's 511 Slim Jeans Performance Cool
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossiblePFAS in water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish
PossibleFormaldehyde resins in fabric finishing
LikelyCoating degradation and microplastic shedding
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 PFAS in DWR (durable water repellent) finish, Formaldehyde resins in fabric finishing and Coating degradation and microplastic shedding 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 cotton/polyester blend with moisture-wicking treatment 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 70 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Patagonia is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Levi's grade, at 45% 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 stain-resistant jeans, see the full ranking