Athleta Women's Elation Ultra High Rise Legging
Lower concern legging; no known PFAS-prone treatments applied.
Athleta makes no PFAS claims for this nylon-blend legging and does not disclose water-repellent or stain-resistant finishes. Standard knit athletic apparel without named coatings carries lower PFAS risk than treated performance fabrics.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Nylon blend knit fabric, no identified coating
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
You may also be interested in
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.
What Athleta Women's Elation Ultra Rise Legging is made of, ingredients and materials
Athleta's Elation Ultra High Rise is a nylon blend knit, which means synthetic polyamide fibers typically mixed with spandex or elastane for stretch and recovery. Nylon itself does not leach harmful substances into skin under normal wear and is stable at body temperature. The absence of a stated water-repellent, stain-resistant, or flame-retardant coating means you avoid chemical treatments commonly applied to performance textiles that can off-gas or degrade with laundering.
What’s concerning
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Azo dyes and colorant allergens
Nylon textiles are routinely dyed with azo dyes; restricted azo compounds are banned in EU but permitted in US. Athleta does not disclose dye chemistry. Skin contact risk is low in typical wear, but individuals with severe dye sensitivity may experience irritation after prolonged contact or in high-sweat conditions.
Formaldehyde / VOCs
No coating stated, but nylon blends sometimes receive formaldehyde-based resin finishes to improve wrinkle resistance or shape retention. Athleta does not specify finish chemistry on this product. Off-gassing is typically minimal after first 2-3 washes; risk of skin irritation is low but not ruled out.
Source, ATSDR ↗Microplastic shedding
All synthetic knits shed microfibers when washed; nylon fibers are durable but still shed at rates typical for the category. This is an environmental concern rather than direct wearer hazard, but relevant to lifecycle impact.
Elastane (spandex) degradation and contact
Elastane used in high-rise waistbands is prone to degradation from repeated washing, chlorine exposure, and heat. As it breaks down, direct skin contact with degraded polymer can occur, though systemic toxicity is not documented. Replacement is primarily a durability rather than safety issue.
What’s reassuring
Base material not linked to PFAS
The main material recorded for this product is not one associated with PFAS.
Antimony in polyester (if present)
This product is described as nylon blend, not polyester-primary. If spandex or elastane additives contain polyester, antimony trace levels are possible but not documented for Athleta textiles and not a primary concern in apparel-grade synthetics.
How is this PFAS grade calculated?
The brand's record and disclosure
Athleta (a subsidiary of Gap Inc.) does not publicly disclose PFAS-free commitments on product pages, though the PFAS safety profile for this legging is graded lower concern at 65/100. The brand has no widely documented safety recalls or chemical controversies specific to this line. Transparency on synthetic textile sourcing and dye protocols is minimal across their site, consistent with industry standard rather than a gap unique to Athleta.
How it compares in its category
Uncoated nylon blend leggings occupy the middle ground, they avoid fluorocarbon water repellents and long-chain PFAS treatments that higher-end moisture-management fabrics may use, but they also lack some durability advantages of coated alternatives. Most direct competitors (Lululemon Align, Nike Dri-FIT leggings) use proprietary coatings or treatments not fully disclosed, making this Athleta option relatively transparent by comparison. Price and material choice put it in the accessible performance-wear tier without premium treatment complexity.
If you buy it
Wash in cold water and lay flat to dry to preserve elastane and nylon fiber integrity; heat from dryers accelerates synthetic fiber degradation over time. Avoid fabric softeners, which can leave residues on synthetics and reduce moisture-wicking. Replace when the knit becomes pilling-prone, loses shape, or seams begin separating, typically after 40-60 washes with normal care. No special precautions needed beyond standard synthetic apparel handling.
What is not known about PFAS in this product?
- Basis
- Model estimate, 72% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Athleta has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
More activewear grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.