Premium Wool Trail Crew Socks vs Men's Mountaineer Classic Edition Maximum Cushion Crew Socks: which is safer?
These two grade almost identically. Pick on price and preference; neither has a PFAS edge.
Merrell
Premium Wool Trail Crew Socks
PFAS grade
Good 65/100
Overall grade
analysis pending
Verdict
pending
Hazard flags
none flagged
Material
Merino/premium wool blend, no water-resistant coating mentioned
Confidence
78%
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
- Neither product has a hazard flagged against it, which is uncommon and is why both grade as well as they do.
- The Merrell is Merino/premium wool blend, no water-resistant coating mentioned where the Smartwool is Merino wool blend (primary natural fiber), 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 waterproof hiking socks: see the full ranking