Summersalt Women's Swim Summersalt Sidestroke One Piece Swimsuit
Avoid unless Summersalt discloses water-repellent coating composition; PFAS risk remains unclear.
Summersalt's nylon one-piece features water-repellent treatment, a common vehicle for PFAS coatings in performance swimwear. The brand makes no disclosure of water-repellent coating chemistry or PFAS avoidance.
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
Nylon/polyamide blend with water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What Summersalt Women's Swim Summersalt is made of, ingredients and materials
This swimsuit is constructed from nylon/polyamide, a synthetic polymer commonly used in swimwear for its elasticity, durability, and quick-dry properties. The water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish is applied to the fabric surface to enhance water shedding and maintain fit. water-repellent coating coatings have historically been formulated with PFAS-based chemistry, though some manufacturers have transitioned to alternative chemistries; Summersalt has not publicly specified which type is used on this product. Nylon itself is stable and does not leach under normal wear, but the finish chemistry remains the primary concern.
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 nylon swimwear are commonly formulated with PFAS-based chemistry (perfluorooctanoic acid derivatives). Summersalt has not disclosed whether this product uses PFAS-free alternatives; direct skin contact during wear and potential dermal absorption during swimming is a plausible exposure route, though clinical evidence of harm from swimwear-alone exposure is limited.
Source, ATSDR ↗Microfiber shedding from synthetic fabric
Nylon fabrics shed microfibers during washing and wear, releasing microplastics into water systems and potentially into skin through water absorption. This is a class-wide property of synthetic swimwear, not specific to Summersalt, but contributes to cumulative environmental and consumer exposure.
Skin sensitization from finish residues
Water-repellent coating finish residues or excess dyes may cause irritation in sensitive or damaged skin if not adequately rinsed before wear. This risk is not unique to Summersalt but is more likely if the product is worn unwashed immediately after purchase or if the wearer has eczema or contact sensitivities.
What’s reassuring
Azo dyes and dye stability
No public record of restricted azo dyes in Summersalt swimwear. Nylon accepts synthetic dyes readily; if formaldehyde-based dye fixatives are used, minor leaching into sweat during wear is theoretically possible. No brand-specific incidents or certifications excluding this hazard are on record.
Elastic degradation and chemical leachate
Elastic components (typically spandex blended with nylon) can degrade over time, particularly if exposed to chlorine, heat, or UV. Chemical breakdown of elastomers may release oligomers or residual plasticizers, though documented harm specific to swimwear is minimal. No Summersalt-specific failures are recorded.
The full breakdown
The brand's record and disclosure
Summersalt markets itself as a sustainable, body-positive swimwear brand but has not published detailed information about water-repellent coating chemistry or PFAS use in manufacturing. The brand does not appear to hold third-party certifications (such as Oeko-Tex Standard 100 or Bluesign) that would verify absence of restricted chemicals. No public recalls or chemical safety controversies have been recorded for Summersalt swimwear. The lack of proactive disclosure about water-repellent coating composition is a transparency gap compared to competitors like Patagonia or Girlfriend Collective, which openly address PFAS phaseout.
How it compares in its category
Most mainstream nylon swimwear brands (Speedo, Land's End, Target house brands) use similar nylon-plus-water-repellent coating construction without transparent chemical disclosure. Premium alternatives like Patagonia have committed to water-repellent coating finishes without added PFAS and publish supply-chain information. Budget options often omit water-repellent coating altogether or use proprietary formulations with minimal disclosure. Summersalt positions itself in the mid-premium segment but lags peers in chemical transparency; this product offers no documented advantage in hazard reduction compared to certified alternatives.
If you buy it
Wash in cool water with mild detergent before first wear to rinse any loose finishes or dyes. Avoid hot water and high-heat drying, which can degrade the water-repellent coating and potentially accelerate any chemical migration (though nylon itself tolerates typical swimming conditions). Hang-dry or low-heat tumble; do not dry-clean. If the water-repellent coating finish eventually degrades (typically after 50-100 washes), the swimsuit remains wearable but will absorb water more readily. Replace when elastic waistband or seams show wear, typically after 2-3 years of regular use.
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
- Summersalt has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
Better-graded alternatives in Swimwear
Patagonia
Women's Bottom Turn Racerback Bikini Top
- Nylon/polyester blend with elastane (standard swimwear)
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Elastane (spandex) degradation under heat or chlorine
Solid & Striped
Taylor One Piece Seersucker Plaid
- Cotton/cotton-blend seersucker plaid
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Azo dyes and colorfast stability
2 hazards checked on this product. See all of them.
Adidas
Women's Mexicana Florals Tie-Back Swimsuit
- Polyester/nylon swimsuit fabric, likely uncoated or standard finish
- Azo dyes and synthetic colorants
4 hazards checked on this product. See all of them.
More 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.