FootJoy · Golf Balls & Equipment
FootJoy Men's RainGrip Golf Gloves
Golf glove with water-repellent coating treatment; PFAS presence uncertain, no disclosure.
Golf glove with synthetic leather or microfiber and water-repellent coating water-repellent finish typical of rain apparel. FootJoy does not disclose PFAS status.
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Material
Synthetic leather or microfiber with water-repellent coating water-repellent treatment
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What’s concerning
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
PFAS
Water-repellent treatments on golf gloves commonly use PFAS-based chemistry, but FootJoy does not disclose whether this product uses legacy PFAS, newer fluorine-free alternatives, or a mixed formulation. Hand contact and sweat exposure pose low acute risk, but coating wear and laundering may mobilize residues.
Source, ATSDR ↗Coating degradation and wear particles
As water-repellent coating ages and flakes from mechanical wear or washing, small fragments may be ingested or inhaled in trace amounts. The toxicological profile of degraded water-repellent coating particles is not well characterized in literature, making this a long-term use concern rather than an acute hazard.
What’s reassuring
Formaldehyde / VOCs
No established recalls or reports of formaldehyde-release issues in FootJoy microfiber golf gloves. Synthetic microfiber textiles can contain trace formaldehyde from resin binders, but concentrations in apparel are typically far below regulatory concern for hand-contact use.
Source, ATSDR ↗Azo dyes and colorant toxicity
FootJoy gloves use synthetic pigments standard in microfiber apparel; no published testing or recalls indicate azo dye or heavy metal contamination. Microfiber colorants are generally lower-risk than natural dyes.
Microfiber fiber shedding and skin irritation
Microfiber golf gloves do not typically shed fibers during normal wear because fibers are bonded into a fabric weave. No dermatological issues are on record for this product or category, and hand contact with microfiber has no hazard of this kind on record for skin.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
FootJoy RainGrip gloves use synthetic microfiber or synthetic leather upper with a water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) treatment applied to the surface. water-repellent coating coatings on textiles historically relied on PFAS "forever chemicals" (PFAS) to repel moisture, though some manufacturers have begun transitioning to fluorine-free alternatives; FootJoy has not publicly disclosed which chemistry is used in this product. Microfiber itself is a polyester blend that does not pose acute chemical hazards in normal hand-contact use, but the coating's composition remains the primary material concern.
The brand's record and disclosure
FootJoy (owned by Acushnet) has not issued public statements about PFAS elimination or lower-concern water-repellent coating alternatives in their glove lines as of available records. The brand does not advertise PFAS-free or fluorine-free certifications for this product, and no third-party testing or material safety data sheets for the RainGrip glove water-repellent coating treatment are widely accessible to consumers. This silence on water-repellent chemistry is typical across golf glove manufacturers but represents a disclosure gap given growing PFAS awareness in apparel.
How it compares in its category
Golf gloves with water-repellent coating treatment occupy a middle ground in textile concern, they avoid hazards linked to flame retardants (not relevant for gloves) and azo dyes (microfiber typically uses synthetic pigments with lower concern), but they rely on functional coatings whose chemistry is rarely transparent. Competitors using wool or untreated leather avoid water-repellent coating chemistry entirely but sacrifice water resistance. Gloves marketed as fluorine-free or PFAS-free are emerging but remain niche; FootJoy has not positioned RainGrip in that segment.
If you buy it
Wash gloves by hand in cool water and mild soap after use to remove salt, sweat, and sunscreen buildup, which can degrade the water-repellent coating over time. Avoid machine washing, high heat, and direct sunlight storage, as these accelerate coating breakdown and may trigger leaching of residual chemicals from the treatment. Replace gloves when water no longer beads on the surface or when visible wear appears; most golf gloves last 15-20 rounds before water-repellent coating efficacy noticeably declines. If water-repellent coating transparency is important to you, contact FootJoy directly to request disclosure of the specific water-repellent chemistry used.
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
- FootJoy has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
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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.