Soft Stretch Active Boxer Brief 7" 3 Pack vs Women's Quarter Crew Socks (6 Pairs): which is safer?

lululemon Soft Stretch Active Boxer Brief 7" 3 Pack is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Our pick

lululemon Soft Stretch Active Boxer Brief 7" 3 Pack

Lululemon

Soft Stretch Active Boxer Brief 7" 3 Pack

PFAS grade

Good 65/100

Overall grade

Good 59/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 1

Material

nylon and spandex blend

Confidence

72%

PossibleElastane degradation and microfiber shedding

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

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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 Elastane degradation and microfiber shedding on the Lululemon and not on the Puma.
  • We flag Azo dyes, Formaldehyde resins (finishing agents) and Microplastic shedding on the Puma and not on the Lululemon.
  • The Lululemon is nylon and spandex blend 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