By PFAS Authority · Updated October 27, 2026
Top grades to buy
Samsung
Food-grade Silicone Wristband for Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 2023
Apple
SaharaCase Silicone Wrist Band for Apple AirTag
Fitbit
Fintie Bands for Fitbit Versa 4/3/2/1/Versa Lite/Fitbit Sense 2/Sense
Model-based grades, not lab tests. We flunk more than we pass. How grading works
PFAS in Waterproof Fitness Trackers & Cases, Which Brands Grade Best and Worst
Based on available materials and public disclosure data, TomTom and Motorola fitness trackers currently grade as "Excellent" (85/100) in our model, while every reviewed Apple Watch configuration grades as "Poor" (40/100). These are model-based estimates built from materials and public disclosure, not lab certainty, and a high score should be read as lower concern rather than proof a product is free of PFAS. If you want a quick-reference starting point before buying a waterproof tracker, the gap between these two groups is wide enough that brand choice alone meaningfully shifts your estimated exposure profile.
The short version, TomTom's GPS sport watches and Motorola's Moto Watch and Moto G smartwatch lines cluster at the top of our database for this category, while Apple's current Watch lineup, including the Ultra 3, Series 11, and SE models, clusters at the bottom. No product on this list has been confirmed by third-party lab testing in our sources to be entirely free of PFAS. What follows is a full breakdown of why, product by product, plus what to avoid and how to use our PFAS Finder tool to check any model not covered here.
Summary Comparison
Why Waterproofing Matters for PFAS in This Category
Fitness trackers and their protective cases need to survive sweat, rain, and submersion, and manufacturers have historically leaned on fluoropolymer coatings and fluoroelastomer gaskets to achieve that water resistance. PFAS chemistry is prized for sealing gaskets, coating bands, and treating fabric straps because it repels water and resists breakdown from skin oils and chlorine. That same chemical stability is what makes PFAS persistent in the environment and difficult to assess without manufacturer disclosure. Our grades in this guide reflect modeled estimates based on publicly available materials information, not confirmed laboratory testing of each unit, so treat every score as directional rather than definitive.
TomTom Trackers, the Consistent Top Performers
Every TomTom model in our database for this category lands at the same "Excellent" tier, 85 out of 100, based on available materials and data. That consistency across five separate TomTom products suggests a company-wide materials approach rather than a one-off formulation.
TomTom Tomtom Multi-sport Gps Watch Model 8rgo With Charger Dock
Materials GPS sport watch body with charger dock, silicone-style wristband construction typical of the 8RGO line. Brand claims TomTom markets this as a multi-sport, water-resistant training watch; we found no explicit third-party PFAS-free certification tied to this SKU in our sources. Pros Our model's highest-tier grade for this category, full GPS and multi-sport tracking, bundled charging dock. Cons As with all modeled grades, this reflects disclosed materials and public data rather than an independent lab test of the specific unit you'd receive.
TomTom Tom Tom Sport Runner Wrist Watch Model 8rs00 Water Resistant Wide Band
Materials Wide-band wrist design, water-resistant casing consistent with the 8RS00 runner series. Brand claims Positioned by TomTom as a dedicated running watch with water resistance for outdoor training; no verified third-party PFAS statement located. Pros Same Excellent grade as its siblings, wider band may suit runners wanting more wrist coverage. Cons Older TomTom hardware generation, so software and app support may lag newer trackers.
TomTom Black Tomtom Water Resistant Watch Model 8rs00 With Wristband
Materials Black-cased variant of the 8RS00 water-resistant watch with standard wristband. Brand claims Marketed for water resistance during workouts; again, no independently verified PFAS-free claim found. Pros Matches the top grade tier, simple reliable design. Cons Limited smart features compared to newer Motorola-based smartwatches in this guide.
TomTom TomTom Spark Fit Cardio + Music Heart Rate Monitor
Materials Cardio and music-enabled fitness band with integrated heart rate monitor. Brand claims TomTom promotes built-in heart rate tracking and onboard music storage; no third-party PFAS lab verification located in our review. Pros Highest grade tier plus added music functionality, strong all-rounder for runners who want fewer accessories. Cons Heart rate sensors and charging contacts add more components, each a potential point of undisclosed material use even though the overall score is strong.
TomTom TomTom Water Resistant Watch Model 8R500, Men
Materials Men's water-resistant casing, part of the 8R500 line. Brand claims Positioned as a straightforward water-resistant sport watch; no verified PFAS-free certification found. Pros Same Excellent grade, simpler feature set may mean fewer coated components overall. Cons Fewer smart features than Motorola's Moto Watch line if you want notifications and apps.
Motorola's Moto Watch and Moto G Line
Motorola's smartwatch and fitness tracker entries mirror TomTom's performance, with all seven reviewed models landing at Excellent, 85 out of 100. This is notable because Motorola's lineup spans budget trackers to premium AMOLED smartwatches, suggesting the materials approach is consistent across price tiers rather than limited to flagship products.
Moto Motorola Moto G 2023 Smart Watch
Materials Standard smartwatch casing and band construction for the 2023 Moto G line. Brand claims Motorola markets general water resistance for daily wear and workouts; no independently verified PFAS-free claim found in our sources. Pros Excellent grade, budget-accessible pricing. Cons As a newer release, long-term durability data is still limited.
Moto Motorola Moto Watch Fit Smartwatch with OLED and GPS
Materials OLED display with built-in GPS module. Brand claims Advertised as fitness-focused with GPS tracking for outdoor workouts; no third-party PFAS certification located. Pros Excellent grade plus GPS accuracy for route tracking. Cons GPS modules draw more battery, meaning more frequent charging cycles and contact-pin wear.
Moto Motorola Women's Mobility Moto Watch Smart Watch with Heart Rate Monitor and Accelerometer
Materials Heart rate monitor and accelerometer integrated into the watch body. Brand claims Positioned for health and mobility tracking; no verified PFAS-free claim found. Pros Same top-tier grade, added health-sensor functionality. Cons More internal sensors can mean more sealed components, each one modeled rather than individually lab-verified.
Moto Motorola Moto G Pure Smartwatch Fitness Activity Tracker
Materials Pared-down activity tracker body in the Moto G Pure line. Brand claims Marketed as a simple fitness activity tracker; no third-party PFAS verification located. Pros Excellent grade, minimal feature set may reduce component count. Cons Fewer features than full smartwatches for users wanting notifications or apps.
Moto Motorola Moto Watch 120 Premium Bluetooth AMOLED Smartwatch
Materials Premium AMOLED display with Bluetooth connectivity. Brand claims Positioned as a premium smartwatch tier; no independently verified PFAS-free statement found. Pros Excellent grade despite premium positioning, suggesting the materials profile holds at higher price points too. Cons Premium displays and Bluetooth radios add complexity versus simpler sport watches.
Moto Moto Watch M40 Smartwatch with Silicone Band
Materials Silicone band explicitly noted in product naming. Brand claims Silicone bands are often marketed as a fluoropolymer-free alternative to fluoroelastomer bands, though we found no independent lab confirmation of band composition for this specific SKU. Pros Excellent grade, band material called out directly which aids transparency. Cons Silicone itself isn't automatically free of all PFAS-adjacent treatments; the label alone isn't a substitute for lab verification.
Moto Motorola 70 Smartwatch
Materials Standard smartwatch casing in the Moto 70 series. Brand claims General water resistance and fitness tracking marketing; no third-party PFAS certification located. Pros Excellent grade, competitive value positioning. Cons Limited public materials disclosure compared to flagship brands, though this hasn't affected the modeled grade here.
Apple Watch, Where the Grades Drop Sharply
All four Apple Watch configurations in our database land at "Poor," 40 out of 100, a dramatic contrast to the TomTom and Motorola results above. This is a modeled estimate built from available materials and public disclosure, not a confirmed lab finding that these specific units contain PFAS at any particular level. The lower grade generally reflects a combination of fluoroelastomer band options historically used across Apple's Sport Band lineup, titanium and aluminum case sealing methods, and comparatively less granular public disclosure about coating chemistry relative to the materials data available for TomTom and Motorola products.
Apple Apple Watch Ultra 3 GPS + Cellular 49mm Titanium Case
Materials Titanium case, 49mm, GPS plus cellular connectivity. Brand claims Apple markets high water resistance and rugged durability for this flagship model; Apple has made broader environmental materials claims in product pages, but we found no independent third-party lab verification specifically addressing PFAS content for this SKU. Pros Premium build quality, extensive fitness and dive-tracking features. Cons Poor grade in our model, among the lowest in this entire comparison, titanium sealing and band gasket materials are flagged as a concern area pending more disclosure.
Apple Apple Watch Series 11 GPS 42mm Aluminum Case Sport Band
Materials Aluminum case with Sport Band, 42mm, GPS only. Brand claims Standard Apple water resistance marketing for daily and workout use; no verified third-party PFAS-free claim located. Pros Lighter aluminum build, lower price point than the Ultra line. Cons Poor grade, Sport Band material historically associated with fluoroelastomer formulations in this product category.
Apple Apple Watch SE 3 GPS 44mm Aluminum Case Sport Band
Materials Aluminum case, 44mm, Sport Band, GPS only. Brand claims Positioned as Apple's value smartwatch tier with standard water resistance; no independently verified PFAS-free statement found. Pros More affordable entry into the Apple Watch ecosystem. Cons Poor grade matching the rest of the Apple lineup in our database.
Apple Apple Watch SE 2nd 40mm Sport
Materials 40mm Sport configuration, second-generation SE casing. Brand claims Marketed for everyday fitness and water resistance; no third-party PFAS verification located in our sources. Pros Compact size, established software support. Cons Poor grade, consistent with every other Apple Watch SKU reviewed here.
What to Avoid
- Any waterproof tracker band marketed only as "water resistant" with no materials disclosure beyond that single claim, since fluoroelastomer bands are a common default in this category.
- Treating a brand's general sustainability page as equivalent to a verified PFAS-free certification for a specific SKU. Based on available materials and data, we did not find independent lab confirmation tied to individual product listings for any brand in this guide.
- Assuming titanium or aluminum casing itself indicates lower PFAS risk. Our model shows the Apple Watch Ultra 3's titanium case still grades Poor, so case metal alone isn't a reliable proxy.
- Pairing a higher-graded tracker with a third-party waterproof case that hasn't been reviewed separately. If you're stacking protection, check our waterproof phone cases and waterproof camera and lens protection cases roundups for related category patterns, since coating chemistry in protective cases follows similar trends to fitness tracker bands.
- Ignoring band swaps. If a device's factory band is a lower-graded fluoroelastomer type, a silicone or fabric aftermarket band may shift your personal exposure profile even if the watch body's grade stays the same.
Our Pick
Based on available materials and public disclosure data, the TomTom and Motorola lines reviewed here represent the lower-concern end of this category, each scoring Excellent at 85 out of 100 in our model. Among these, the TomTom TomTom Spark Fit Cardio + Music Heart Rate Monitor stands out for balancing full fitness functionality with the same top-tier grade as simpler models, making it a reasonable starting point if you want both features and a stronger materials profile. The Moto Moto Watch M40 Smartwatch with Silicone Band is also worth a look specifically because its silicone band is called out directly in the listing, giving you more to evaluate even though silicone construction alone isn't a guarantee of zero PFAS. No product discussed here should be described as PFAS-free or certified safe; these are modeled estimates, not laboratory certainties, and we recommend checking our PFAS Finder before finalizing any purchase, especially for models not yet covered in our database.
FAQ
Does a high PFAS grade mean a fitness tracker is PFAS-free?
No. A grade of Excellent, such as the 85/100 scores for TomTom and Motorola products in this guide, reflects our model's estimate based on available materials and public disclosure data. It indicates lower concern relative to other products in the same category, not a laboratory-confirmed absence of PFAS. We have not found third-party lab verification of zero PFAS content for any product listed here.
Why do all four Apple Watch models grade Poor while TomTom and Motorola grade Excellent?
Our model weighs disclosed materials, including band composition and case sealing methods, along with the depth of public documentation a brand provides. Apple's Sport Band materials and the comparative lack of granular, product-specific PFAS disclosure pulled these four configurations down to 40/100 in our estimate, while TomTom and Motorola's public materials information supported a higher modeled score. This is an association found in available data, not a causal health claim about any individual device.
Can swapping the band on a Poor-graded watch improve its real-world exposure profile?
Possibly, though our grades are modeled at the product-listing level and don't automatically update for aftermarket band swaps. If you own a lower-graded watch and want to reduce potential PFAS exposure, researching a silicone or fabric replacement band separately is a reasonable step, but treat any band's own PFAS status as unverified unless the manufacturer provides specific third-party lab data. For broader context on fabric and textile PFAS treatments, see our clothing and swimwear guides, which cover similar water-repellent treatment issues.
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