Moab Hiking Quarter Socks vs Men's Mountaineer Classic Edition Maximum Cushion Crew Socks: which is safer?
Smartwool Men's Mountaineer Classic Edition Maximum Cushion Crew Socks is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Merrell
Moab Hiking Quarter Socks
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 12/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
merino wool blend with water-repellent coating treatment (likely fluorocarbon-based)
Confidence
35%
PossibleFluorocarbon-based water-repellent coating (PFAS compounds)
PossibleSynthetic fiber shedding (microfibers)
Our pick
Smartwool
Men's Mountaineer Classic Edition Maximum Cushion Crew Socks
PFAS grade
Good 65/100
Overall grade
analysis pending
Verdict
pending
Hazard flags
none flagged
Material
Merino wool blend (primary natural fiber)
Confidence
72%
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Fluorocarbon-based DWR (PFAS compounds) and Synthetic fiber shedding (microfibers) on the Merrell and not on the Smartwool.
- The Merrell is merino wool blend with DWR treatment (likely fluorocarbon-based) where the Smartwool is Merino wool blend (primary natural fiber), which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 45 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Smartwool is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Merrell grade, at 35% confidence against 72%, because it discloses less.
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 waterproof hiking socks: see the full ranking