Billabong Women's Stay Grounded Tanker One Piece Swimsuit
Avoid until Billabong discloses water-repellent coating composition or commits to PFAS-free.
Billabong's tanker is a typical polyester swimsuit with water-repellent coating treatment, frequently treated with PFAS. The brand makes no public commitment to PFAS-free chemistry.
The better-graded swap
Patagonia
Patagonia Women's Bottom Turn Racerback Bikini Top
90/100 safety
Same rubric that flunked this product. The swap earned Excellent.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Polyester/nylon blend with water-repellent coating finish
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
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What Billabong Women's Stay Grounded Tanker is made of, ingredients and materials
This tanker suit combines polyester (primary structural fiber) with nylon (elasticity and durability) in a blend common to performance swimwear. The water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish applied to the fabric is the critical unknown, most mainstream water-repellent coating treatments use PFAS-based chemistry to achieve water beading and quick-dry performance. Billabong has not publicly specified whether this product uses PFAS-free alternatives like fluorine-free or wax-based water-repellent coating, or legacy PFAS compounds. The polyester and nylon themselves are not inherent hazards at typical consumer use levels.
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.
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
PFAS
Water-repellent coating coatings on polyester/nylon swimwear typically contain PFAS unless explicitly stated otherwise. Billabong has not disclosed whether this product uses PFAS-free alternatives, making legacy PFAS a reasonable assumption for a mainstream brand.
Source, ATSDR ↗Microplastics
As water-repellent coating finish wears from washing and use, polyester-based coating fragments may shed into water. Degradation accelerates with heat exposure or chlorine, posing ingestion or environmental risk over the garment's lifetime.
Source, EPA ↗VOC off-gassing from finish application
Water-repellent coating application processes use volatile solvents or heat-curing methods that may leave trace organics on new fabric. Off-gassing is minimal by wear time but is reduced by pre-wash in cool water before first use.
Nylon degradation under UV and chlorine
Nylon fibers degrade faster than polyester in chlorinated pools and sunlight, potentially releasing fiber fragments and any residual dyes or finish chemicals. This is typical for nylon-blend swimwear but accelerates if water-repellent coating is already compromised.
What’s reassuring
Synthetic dye residues and fixatives
Polyester and nylon are typically dyed with disperse and acid dyes using standard textile fixatives. No specific heavy metal or azo dye concerns are established for Billabong swimwear, and the brand does not face documented regulatory action on this front.
The full breakdown
The brand's record and disclosure
Billabong, owned by Boardriders Inc., has not published comprehensive chemical disclosure policies, restricted substance lists (RSLs), or PFAS elimination commitments comparable to leading outdoor brands (Patagonia, Arc'teryx). The brand does not advertise PFAS-free certifications or third-party testing for this product line. Industry-wide, many surf and swimwear brands have faced pressure to disclose water-repellent coating chemistry but remain opaque; Billabong's silence on this issue is unremarkable but represents a transparency gap for consumers concerned about PFAS.
How it compares in its category
Most polyester/nylon swimwear in the mid-market price range ($50, $120) uses legacy or undisclosed water-repellent coating finishes; this product is typical, not differentiated. A subset of premium brands (e.g.Some brands (Patagonia, some European swim lines) now offer options without intentional PFAS additions or explicitly fluorine-free options at similar or slightly higher prices. Budget alternatives without water-repellent coating exist but sacrifice quick-dry and water resistance. This product occupies the mainstream position where water-repellent coating chemistry is rarely transparent.
If you buy it
Wash in cool water with mild detergent before first wear to reduce any loose finish residue. Avoid hot water and direct heat (dryers, radiators) as polyester/nylon water-repellent coating finishes can degrade or outgas when heated above 65C (150F). The water-repellent coating will diminish after 50, 100 wash cycles; reapplication with consumer products introduces additional unknown chemistry. Replace the suit if the water-repellent coating visibly flakes or the fabric begins to absorb water instead of beading it, as degraded coating particles pose a microplastic ingestion risk if shed into water.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 45% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Billabong has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
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Find an alternative on Amazon
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Find an alternative on AmazonMore swimwear 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.