Men's Waterman Strands Regular-Fit 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 Waterman Strands Regular-Fit Shorts
PFAS grade
Bad 20/100
Overall grade
Bad 16/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 1
Material
Polyester blend with water-repellent coating treatment
Confidence
42%
PossiblePFAS in water-repellent coating treatment
Our pick
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 PFAS in DWR treatment on the Quiksilver and not on the Reebok.
- We flag Formaldehyde resins in finishing, Antimony in polyester and Microplastic shedding on the Reebok and not on the Quiksilver.
- The Quiksilver is Polyester blend with DWR treatment 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 42% 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