Non-Toxic Guitar Strings, ranked by PFAS grade
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Top-graded picks in the categories readers replace first, every one scored on the same rubric.
- polypropylene filter housing, carbon/sediment cartridge
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial growth in spent cartridges
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Aquasure
Premier Series 75 GPD Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System
- RO membrane, carbon filters, stainless steel housing
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial and microbial growth in housing and filters
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Avocado
Vegan Mattress
- organic cotton, natural latex, coconut coir, recycled steel coils
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Heavy metals
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
8 of the 16 guitar strings PFAS Authority has graded score below its 70 point pass mark for PFAS and other toxins, 50% of the category, as of October 2026, leaving 8 that pass. The highest graded is D'Addario Acoustic Guitar Strings XS 80/20 Bronze Coated at 85 out of 100.
The full ranking is below, best-graded first, with every score linking to the evidence behind it.
Are guitar strings safe?
8 of the 16 guitar strings we graded come back low-concern on our screen and 8 do not. Our grades are model-based assessments built from published materials, ingredient lists, certifications and brand disclosures, not laboratory tests, so they say what we can evidence rather than that anything is safe.
Best graded guitar strings here
- 1D'Addario Acoustic Guitar Strings XS 80/20 Bronze Coated 85 out of 100
- 2D'Addario Electric Guitar Strings Nickel 85 out of 100
- 3Ernie Ball Beefy Slinky Electric Guitar Strings 85 out of 100
Start here
The best non-toxic guitar strings, ranked by grade
Buyer’s guide
What to look for in guitar strings, and which brands grade best and worst
Guitar Strings, ranked.
The quickest read, what to skip and the top-graded picks worth buying instead.
Elixir
Nanoweb Acoustic Guitar Strings
Avoid until coating composition is disclosed; Elixir's proprietary nanoweb raises PFAS questions.
D'Addario
Acoustic Guitar Strings XS 80/20 Bronze Coated
Lower concern; acoustic guitar strings composed of well-established metals with no known PFAS use.
Why D'Addario Acoustic Guitar Strings XS 80/20 wins, and what it beats
Every grade on this page is one sum. A category starts from a baseline, each disclosed material or coating adds risk points, and each thing the brand or a third party has published takes them away. Below is that sum for the winner, then for 2 products it beats, so you can see exactly where the 45 points between the top and the bottom of this guitar strings ranking come from.
The winner
Made of 80/20 Bronze (copper-tin alloy) with phosphor-bronze coating.
- +15No PFAS disclosure. No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
- +10Category baseline. The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
- -10Base material not linked to PFAS. The main material recorded for this product is not one associated with PFAS.
15risk points in total, which is a grade of 85
What the grade does not fix. It still carries one risk factor, No PFAS disclosure, and our graders recorded 2 other hazards on it. See the full breakdown.
What it beats, and why
What puts it behind. Unknown / proprietary coating, +25 points. A coating is recorded with no disclosed chemistry. The winner carries no such factor.
Made of 80/20 bronze wound strings with proprietary light coating.
- +25Unknown / proprietary coating
- +15No PFAS disclosure
- +10Category baseline
50risk points, a grade of 50
What puts it behind. Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment, +35 points. Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS. The winner carries no such factor.
Made of Steel wound with bronze or nickel-silver wrap; proprietary polymer coating.
- +35Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
- +15No PFAS disclosure
- +10Category baseline
60risk points, a grade of 40
No product on this page was physically tested by us. Every number above comes from published materials, ingredient and coating disclosures, certifications and brand statements, scored on one public rubric. Formulations change without notice, so check the current product listing before buying.
Which guitar strings are PFAS-free? Good or Excellent, best-graded first
- 80/20 Bronze (copper-tin alloy) with phosphor-bronze coating
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Coating degradation and particulate release
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Nickel-plated steel core with nickel-brass wound exterior
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Nickel skin contact sensitivity
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Nickel-plated steel wound around hexagonal steel core
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Nickel contact dermatitis
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Steel wound on steel core, nylon/polymer windings
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Degradation or microparticle shedding of coating
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- nickel-plated steel wound core with bronze/phosphor bronze wrap
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Nickel skin contact and sensitization
- Phosphor bronze wound over steel hex core
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Manufacturing residue or contaminants (oils, lubricants, solder flux)
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Steel core with nickel-plated wound strings
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Nickel skin contact / allergy
- Steel wire core, nickel-plated wrap
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Nickel contact sensitization
Which guitar strings contain PFAS? Poor and Bad, we’d swap these
- 80/20 bronze wound strings with proprietary light coating
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Steel core oxidation and rust
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Phosphor bronze wound steel strings with proprietary Elixir coating
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Proprietary polymer coating composition unknown
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Nickel-plated steel core with proprietary polymer coating
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Nickel contact dermatitis
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Nickel-plated steel core with proprietary polymer coating
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Teflon-type coating / Teflon-family coating in proprietary coating
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Steel/nickel-plated core; coating composition unspecified
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Nickel contact dermatitis
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon
- Hexagonal wire core with unspecified coating
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Coating composition opacity
- Steel wound with bronze or nickel-silver wrap; proprietary polymer coating
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Undisclosed polymer coating composition
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- Polymer-coated steel strings with proprietary nanoweb coating
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Polymer coating composition (unknown)
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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