Women's Athletics Brief v3 vs Women's Quarter Crew Socks (6 Pairs): which is safer?
PUMA Women's Quarter Crew Socks (6 Pairs) is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
New Balance
Women's Athletics Brief v3
PFAS grade
Good 65/100
Overall grade
Poor 43/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 4
Material
Nylon/polyester athletic brief, no water-repellent coating specified
Confidence
72%
PossibleAzo dyes and dye allergens
ReportedMicrofiber shedding (polyester)
PossibleAntimony in polyester
Our pick
Puma
Women's Quarter Crew Socks (6 Pairs)
PFAS grade
Good 65/100
Overall grade
Poor 47/100
Verdict
Skip
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 Azo dyes and dye allergens, Microfiber shedding (polyester), Antimony in polyester and Elastic degradation and leaching on the New Balance and not on the Puma.
- We flag Azo dyes, Formaldehyde resins (finishing agents) and Microplastic shedding on the Puma and not on the New Balance.
- The New Balance is Nylon/polyester athletic brief, no DWR coating specified 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