Men's Straight Fit Jeans vs Relaxed Fit Jeans: which is safer?
Patagonia Men's Straight Fit Jeans is the clear pick. Wrangler Relaxed Fit Jeans carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Our pick
Patagonia
Men's Straight Fit Jeans
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleFormaldehyde-based finishing resins
PossibleDye bleed and skin contact allergens
Wrangler
Relaxed Fit Jeans
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAzo dyes in indigo
PossibleFormaldehyde resins in stain-resistant finish
PossibleResidual dye bleed and skin irritation
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Formaldehyde-based finishing resins and Dye bleed and skin contact allergens on the Patagonia and not on the Wrangler.
- We flag Azo dyes in indigo, Formaldehyde resins in stain-resistant finish and Residual dye bleed and skin irritation on the Wrangler and not on the Patagonia.
- The Patagonia is cotton denim, no durable water repellent (DWR) coating where the Wrangler is 100% cotton denim, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 25 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Patagonia is the one to buy.
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 stain-resistant jeans, see the full ranking