PFAS in Artificial Turf, Which Brands Grade Best and Worst

Artificial turf sits on a spectrum of PFAS-related concern, and based on available materials and data, the widest gap is not between "natural-looking" and "obviously synthetic" products, it is between manufacturers who disclose backing and coating chemistry and those who do not. Our model-based review of publicly available disclosures puts Wave 82oz Contractor from Mohawk and several other lines, including the SportMaster Artificial Landscaping Turf, at the top of the field with an Excellent grade of 75 out of 100 for lower concern. That score is a model-based estimate from materials and public disclosure, not a lab test, and it should not be read as a claim that any of these products are PFAS-free or "safe."

At the other end FieldTurf Artificial Sports Field Turf Sof Step 200 Artificial Grass Turf Roll TrafficMaster Emerald Green Precut Turf, and Xtreme Play Turf Colors all land in Poor territory at 30 out of 100, reflecting weaker public disclosure and construction choices that our model associates with higher PFAS-related concern in synthetic turf backings and coatings. If you are choosing turf for a yard, play area, or sports surface, the products graded Excellent are the more defensible starting point for further due diligence, though none of this constitutes a guarantee of PFAS absence. For a broader look at synthetic flooring materials, see our carpets and rugs category guide, since turf backing chemistry overlaps heavily with indoor carpet construction.

Summary comparison

Product	PFAS grade (model estimate)	Verdict
Wave 82oz Contractor	Excellent, 75/100	Lower concern based on disclosed materials
SportMaster Landscaping Turf	Excellent, 75/100	Lower concern, solid for yards and gardens
RealGrass Standard 15 ft.	Excellent, 75/100	Lower concern, cut-to-length flexibility
RealGrass Classic 5x10	Excellent, 75/100	Lower concern, small-project option
AstroTurf SeeGreen 5x7	Excellent, 75/100	Lower concern, polypropylene face yarn
Ridgewood	Excellent, 75/100	Lower concern, residential grade
Multi Sport Turf	Excellent, 75/100	Lower concern, multi-use athletic surface
FloorEXP Event Synthetic Grass	Excellent, 75/100	Lower concern, temporary event use
Green Valley Pro 105	Excellent, 75/100	Lower concern, landscaping grade
AstroTurf SeeGreen 5ft W x 7ft L	Excellent, 75/100	Lower concern, near-identical to above SeeGreen SKU
LITA ECO Ultra Thick	Excellent, 75/100	Lower concern, thicker pile for comfort
34 Oz Padded Gym Turf	Excellent, 75/100	Lower concern, padded gym application
Sof Step 200	Poor, 30/100	Higher concern, weak disclosure
FieldTurf Artificial Sports Field Turf	Poor, 30/100	Higher concern, avoid if alternatives exist
TrafficMaster Emerald Green Precut Turf	Poor, 30/100	Higher concern, limited disclosure
Xtreme Play Turf Colors	Poor, 30/100	Higher concern, avoid if alternatives exist

How we grade, and what the numbers actually mean

Every grade in this guide is a model-based estimate built from publicly available materials disclosures, manufacturer specification sheets, and third-party reporting where it exists. A 75/100 "Excellent" score reflects lower concern relative to peers in the same category, not confirmation that a product is free of PFAS or that it has passed independent laboratory testing. A 30/100 "Poor" score reflects weaker disclosure, older backing formulations, or construction methods our model associates with higher likelihood of PFAS use, again based on available materials and data rather than a direct lab result. Where a brand makes a stated claim (for example, "PFAS-free backing"), we label it explicitly as brand-stated unless we can point to independent verification. None of the grades below should be treated as medical or legal guarantees. Use the PFAS Authority product finder to search additional turf and flooring products beyond this list.

Products graded Excellent, lower concern

Wave 82oz Contractor

The Wave 82oz Contractor turf from Mohawk is a heavier-weight product aimed at contractor installs. Materials disclosure available to our model points to a polyethylene face yarn construction, which tends to correlate with lower PFAS-related concern than some older fluoropolymer-treated fibers.

• Pros, Higher weight for durability, contractor-grade backing, Excellent grade based on disclosed materials.
• Cons, No independent lab certification of PFAS absence is cited in available sources; heavier turf can be pricier to install.

SportMaster Artificial Landscaping Turf

SportMaster's landscaping turf is a 15-foot-wide roll designed for yards, gardens, and general fields. It shares the Excellent grade with several other SportMaster and Mohawk products in this guide.

• Pros, Wide roll reduces seams, general-purpose landscaping application, lower concern grade.
• Cons, Brand claims about chemical composition are not always paired with third-party test data in public sources.

RealGrass Standard and RealGrass Classic

Both the RealGrass Standard 15 ft. roll and the smaller RealGrass Classic 5x10 panel earn Excellent grades. These are consumer-facing products sold in cut-to-length or pre-sized formats, useful for smaller residential jobs.

• Pros, Flexible sizing, accessible for DIY installs, consistent Excellent grading across the product line.
• Cons, As with most turf, backing adhesives and infill are separate purchase decisions that can reintroduce PFAS-adjacent concerns if not chosen carefully.

AstroTurf SeeGreen (both SKUs) and LITA ECO Ultra Thick

AstroTurf's SeeGreen 5x7 and the nearly identical SeeGreen 5ft W x 7ft L are polypropylene-based small mats, often used for patios or display purposes. The LITA ECO Ultra Thick cut-to-length option targets a plusher feel. All three carry the Excellent grade.

• Pros, Polypropylene face yarn is generally associated with lower PFAS-related concern than some treated synthetic fibers; compact sizing suits small spaces.
• Cons, Small-format mats are not built for heavy sports use; "eco" naming in the LITA line is a brand-stated descriptor, not an independently verified certification.

Ridgewood and Multi Sport Turf

Ridgewood is Mohawk's residential-grade entry, while Multi Sport Turf from SportMaster is built for mixed athletic use. Both grade Excellent under our model.

• Pros, Reasonable versatility across yard and light athletic settings, consistent disclosure quality.
• Cons, Multi-purpose turf can involve trade-offs in pile height and cushioning versus dedicated sport-specific products.

FloorEXP Event Synthetic Grass Roll and 34 Oz Padded Gym Turf

Domo Sports Grass supplies both the FloorEXP Event Synthetic Grass Roll, meant for temporary event flooring, and the 34 Oz Padded Gym Artificial Turf, designed for indoor gym use with padding. Both earn the Excellent grade.

• Pros, Purpose-built for their settings, Excellent grade suggests comparatively lower concern materials for indoor or event exposure.
• Cons, Padded gym turf involves an additional foam layer whose chemistry is not always fully disclosed alongside the face yarn.

Green Valley Pro 105

The Green Valley Pro 105 from Artificial Grass Liquidators rounds out the Excellent tier, aimed at general landscaping applications.

• Pros, Landscaping-grade construction, Excellent grade consistent with the rest of this list.
• Cons, As a liquidator-sold product, batch consistency and sourcing transparency can vary more than with a single vertically integrated brand.

Products graded Poor, higher concern

FieldTurf Artificial Sports Field Turf

FieldTurf's Artificial Sports Field Turf is one of the more widely installed sports turf products in schools and municipal fields, which makes its Poor grade notable. Based on available materials and data, disclosure around backing chemistry and coatings has been weaker than in the Excellent-tier products above.

• Pros, Extensive installation track record, widely available replacement parts and service.
• Cons, Poor grade (30/100) reflects our model's assessment of higher PFAS-related concern; brand-stated safety claims in marketing materials are not matched with independent lab verification in sources we reviewed.

Sof Step 200 Artificial Grass Turf Roll

SIS Pitches' Sof Step 200 is another Poor-graded roll product, often used in sports and recreational settings.

• Pros, Designed for higher-traffic sport use.
• Cons, Limited public disclosure of backing and coating materials contributes to the 30/100 grade; buyers should treat any PFAS-free marketing language here as an unverified brand claim.

TrafficMaster Emerald Green Precut Turf Artificial Grass Rug

Sold under the FieldTurf umbrella, the TrafficMaster Emerald Green Precut Turf is a big-box retail staple for small yard and patio projects, which is exactly why its Poor grade matters to everyday shoppers.

• Pros, Widely available, precut convenience for small spaces.
• Cons, Poor grade suggests higher PFAS-related concern relative to the Excellent-tier alternatives above; precut rugs of this type are common in homes with children and pets, which raises the stakes of the disclosure gap.

Xtreme Play Turf Colors

Domo Sports Grass's Xtreme Play Turf Colors line, aimed at colorful recreational and play surfaces, also grades Poor at 30/100.

• Pros, Color variety suits playgrounds and recreational branding.
• Cons, Play surfaces intended for children warrant extra scrutiny, and this product's disclosure profile is weaker than the Excellent-tier options; association between PFAS exposure and health effects reported in some studies is not the same as proof of causation, but the disclosure gap itself is a reasonable basis for caution.

What to avoid

• Turf with no public backing or coating disclosure. If a listing does not describe what the backing layer and infill are made of, treat that silence as a yellow flag rather than assuming absence of PFAS.
• Unverified "PFAS-free" marketing claims. Several brands across this category use PFAS-free language in marketing copy without citing an independent lab report. That is a brand-stated claim, not a third-party verified one, and the two should not be treated as equivalent.
• Old-stock sports turf. Sports-grade turf installed years ago, especially product lines similar to FieldTurf Artificial Sports Field Turf, may predate more recent shifts in backing chemistry at some manufacturers.
• Bundled infill and adhesives without their own disclosure. Even a turf face yarn graded Excellent can be installed with infill or seam adhesive that has its own separate, undisclosed chemistry.
• Assuming any grade equals a lab guarantee. Every grade in this guide, Excellent or Poor, is a model-based estimate from materials and public disclosure, not a certified laboratory result.

Our pick

Based on available materials and data, the strongest starting points in this guide are the products carrying the Excellent grade, including Wave 82oz Contractor SportMaster's Landscaping Turf, and the RealGrass Standard 15 ft. roll. These earn a 75/100 lower-concern rating in our model, reflecting more transparent materials disclosure relative to the Poor-graded products in this guide. That said, this is not a claim that any of these products are PFAS-free or medically safe, it is a comparative assessment. If you are shopping for a yard, patio, or light athletic surface, these Excellent-tier products are a reasonable place to start further research, and pairing that research with a look at our broader carpets and rugs guide can help you compare backing chemistry across synthetic flooring categories generally. For sports fields or high-traffic installations, the Poor-graded products, especially FieldTurf Artificial Sports Field Turf and Xtreme Play Turf Colors, deserve a harder second look given their weaker disclosure profile.

Frequently asked questions

Does a high PFAS grade mean the turf is completely free of PFAS?

No. A high grade, such as the 75/100 Excellent rating carried by products like Ridgewood or the LITA ECO Ultra Thick, reflects a model-based estimate built from publicly available materials and disclosure data. It indicates comparatively lower concern relative to other products in the same category, not a laboratory-confirmed absence of PFAS.

Why do FieldTurf products appear in the Poor category if the brand is well known?

Brand recognition and installation volume are not the same as materials disclosure quality. FieldTurf's Artificial Sports Field Turf and the related TrafficMaster Emerald Green Precut Turf both received a Poor grade of 30/100 in our model based on available materials and data, largely reflecting weaker public disclosure of backing and coating chemistry compared to the Excellent-tier products in this guide.

Is there a health risk from PFAS in artificial turf?

Some studies have reported associations between certain PFAS compounds and adverse health outcomes, but association is not the same as causation, and exposure pathways from installed turf vary widely by product and use setting. We do not make medical claims in this guide. If you have specific health concerns, consult a medical professional, and use tools like our product finder to compare materials disclosure across turf options before purchasing.