Men's Back Step Shirt vs Men's Farrier's Work Shirt: which is safer?

Patagonia Men's Farrier's Work Shirt is the clear pick. Patagonia Men's Back Step Shirt carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

Patagonia Men's Back Step Shirt

Patagonia

Men's Back Step Shirt

PFAS grade

Poor 45/100

Overall grade

Bad 23/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 4

Material

Recycled polyester with water-repellent coating finish

Confidence

45%

PossibleAzo dyes and color fugacity

PossibleFormaldehyde-based finishing resins

Reportedwater-repellent coating finish composition (unverified)

Our pick

Patagonia Men's Farrier's Work Shirt

Patagonia

Men's Farrier's Work Shirt

PFAS grade

Excellent 90/100

Overall grade

Excellent 82/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Organic cotton, standard construction

Confidence

72%

PossibleFormaldehyde releasers in durable-press resins

PossibleChemical off-gassing or skin irritation from finish residues

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Azo dyes and color fugacity, Formaldehyde-based finishing resins, DWR finish composition (unverified) and Microplastic shedding on the Patagonia and not on the Patagonia.
  • We flag Formaldehyde releasers in durable-press resins and Chemical off-gassing or skin irritation from finish residues on the Patagonia and not on the Patagonia.
  • The Patagonia is Recycled polyester with DWR finish where the Patagonia is Organic cotton, standard construction, 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 Patagonia is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the Patagonia grade, at 45% confidence against 72%, 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 wrinkle-free dress shirts, see the full ranking