Callaway · Golf Balls & Equipment
Callaway Fusion Golf Glove
Water-resistant glove; PFAS risk unknown without disclosure.
Leather or synthetic leather with water-resistant coating. Callaway hasn't disclosed PFAS or Teflon-family coating information.
The better-graded swap
Bruce Bolt
BRUCE BOLT Original Series Golf Glove
85/100 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
Leather or synthetic leather with water-resistant treatment
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
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 chemistry is undisclosed. If Teflon-family coating-based, skin contact and laundry shedding could expose PFAS; Callaway provides no information to confirm or rule out this pathway.
Source, ATSDR ↗Degradation of water-treatment coating over time
Water-repellent treatments degrade with use and washing, typically becoming less effective after 20-40 wears. This does not create an acute hazard but may indicate loss of a protective barrier and potential for coating fragment shedding.
What’s reassuring
Heavy metals
No testing or complaints of chromium or other tannin residues in Callaway Fusion gloves are on record. Standard leather tannage may use chromium salts, but glove skin contact is transient and unlikely to exceed exposure from other leather goods.
Source, FDA ↗Synthetic-leather leaching (plasticizers)
PVC or polyurethane glove material may off-gas plasticizers (phthalates, adipates) under warm, moist conditions (hand sweat). No documented problem with Callaway Fusion specifically, and glove design limits direct contact compared to food-contact plastics.
Allergenic dyes or finishes
Synthetic leather and leather patches may use reactive dyes or formaldehyde-releasing resin finishes. No complaints of dermatitis linked to this glove are reported, and hand contact is typically brief.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
Callaway Fusion gloves use synthetic leather (likely polyurethane or PVC) with an applied water-resistant treatment, plus leather panels in some versions. The water repellency is the critical unknown, it is typically achieved via fluorinated compounds (PFAS) or silicone-based coatings. Synthetic leather itself is stable in normal use, but if PFAS-treated, moisture, sweat, and hand washing could mobilize these compounds onto skin and into laundering water. The glove's durability means repeated skin contact over months.
The brand's record and disclosure
Callaway has not published material safety data, supplier audits, or PFAS phase-out commitments for apparel products. The brand does not list waterproofing chemistry on product packaging or websites. This silence is typical of golf equipment brands, which lag fashion and outdoor-gear leaders on chemical transparency. No recalls or safety incidents specific to this glove model are on record.
How it compares in its category
Golf gloves occupy a niche with low regulatory scrutiny compared to high-volume apparel. Leather gloves (untreated) avoid synthetic-chemical treatment but offer less water resistance and may contain vegetable tannin residues or heavy-metal tannins (not confirmed for Callaway). Synthetic gloves from brands like Golf Pride or Winn offer similar water-resistance chemistry without disclosure either. Callaway's lack of transparency is not unusual but does not distinguish it as having lower concern.
If you buy it
Hand-wash in cool water and mild soap; avoid hot water and bleach, which may degrade or mobilize water-treatment coatings. Air-dry flat away from direct heat or sunlight. Replace when synthetic leather cracks, peels, or shows white powder (degradation of coating). Wash hands after extended wear if skin sensitivity or rash develops. Store in a dry, ventilated space to slow microbial growth in the leather.
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
- Callaway has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
Better-graded alternatives in Golf Balls & Equipment
Vice Golf
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PFAS unlikely. Brand silent on composition details.
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Bridgestone
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Heavy metals
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⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS
Bridgestone
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Formaldehyde / VOCs
Limited concern
Microplastic shedding from synthetic leather
Limited concern
Golf glove with typical materials, lower concern profile.
⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS
More golf balls & equipment 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.