Women's Quarter Crew Socks (6 Pairs) vs Men's Tech: 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 Tech
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossiblePFAS in water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) coating
PossibleVolatile organic compound (VOC) off-gassing from coating
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 PFAS in DWR (durable water-repellent) coating and Volatile organic compound (VOC) off-gassing from coating on the Under Armour and not on the Puma.
- The Puma is Cotton/polyester blend socks, no waterproofing where the Under Armour is polyester blend with moisture-wicking treatment, 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 Puma is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Under Armour grade, at 45% confidence against 82%, because it discloses less.
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