Men's Taxer Amphibian Hybrid Shorts vs Men's Athlete Speed Shorts: which is safer?

Reebok Men's Athlete Speed Shorts is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Quiksilver Men's Taxer Amphibian Hybrid Shorts

Quiksilver

Men's Taxer Amphibian Hybrid Shorts

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 0/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

polyester/nylon blend with water-repellent coating water-repellent finish

Confidence

45%

PossibleAntimony in polyester

Likelywater-repellent coating degradation and residue

PossibleMicroplastics from shedding

Our pick

Reebok Men's Athlete Speed Shorts

Reebok

Men's Athlete Speed Shorts

PFAS grade

Good 65/100

Overall grade

Poor 47/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Polyester mesh and nylon blend, standard athletic construction

Confidence

72%

PossibleFormaldehyde resins in finishing

PossibleAntimony in polyester

ReportedMicroplastic shedding

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag DWR coating degradation and residue and Microplastics from shedding on the Quiksilver and not on the Reebok.
  • We flag Formaldehyde resins in finishing and Microplastic shedding on the Reebok and not on the Quiksilver.
  • Both carry a flag for Antimony in polyester, so neither choice avoids it.
  • The Quiksilver is polyester/nylon blend with DWR water-repellent finish where the Reebok is Polyester mesh and nylon blend, standard athletic 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 Reebok is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the Quiksilver grade, at 45% confidence against 72%, 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 waterproof sports gear: see the full ranking