Women's Quarter Crew Socks (6 Pairs) vs Men's 3-Units Boxer Brief: which is safer?
PUMA Women's Quarter Crew Socks (6 Pairs) is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Our pick
Puma
Women's Quarter Crew Socks (6 Pairs)
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAzo dyes
PossibleFormaldehyde resins (finishing agents)
ReportedMicroplastic shedding
Under Armour
Men's 3-Units Boxer Brief
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleFormaldehyde-resin finishing (durable-press/wrinkle-resistant treatments)
PossibleAntimony in polyester (heavy metal catalytic residue)
ReportedElastane (spandex) degradation from heat and chlorine
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Azo dyes, Formaldehyde resins (finishing agents) and Microplastic shedding on the Puma and not on the Under Armour.
- We flag Formaldehyde-resin finishing (durable-press/wrinkle-resistant treatments), Antimony in polyester (heavy metal catalytic residue), Elastane (spandex) degradation from heat and chlorine and Microfiber shedding during wash on the Under Armour and not on the Puma.
- The Puma is Cotton/polyester blend socks, no waterproofing where the Under Armour is polyester/nylon blend with elastane, 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