GALLIUM GIGA-SPEED Ski Wax Set
Avoid until composition is disclosed; ski wax coatings often contain fluorinated compounds.
Ski waxes frequently contain fluorinated additives for glide, but Zeledis reveals no ingredient details or PFAS position. Risk cannot be determined.
The better-graded swap
Holmenkol
Holmenkol Beta Mix Ski & Snowboard Wax
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
Hydrocarbon wax blend with unspecified fluorinated glide additives
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
Unspecified fluorinated compounds are standard in performance ski wax to reduce friction. Without disclosure, these are likely legacy PFAS (PFOS, PFOA, or related) or newer PFAS-like substances. No test data has been published by the manufacturer.
Source, ATSDR ↗Inhalation hazard from heated wax fumes and additives
Iron-on application and friction heating release volatile organic compounds and potentially aerosolized additive residues. The fluorinated component chemistry is unknown, so specific vapor hazards cannot be quantified; general wax inhalation is a recognized concern in ski racing.
Skin contact with additive residues
Direct hand contact during application exposes skin to the hydrocarbon and fluorinated blend. No irritation or sensitization data is available for this product. Fluorinated surfactants and additives are known irritants at high concentration, but typical wax use concentrations are low.
Environmental persistence via snowmelt runoff
Ski wax is applied to snow and inevitably washes into melt systems. If fluorinated PFAS compounds are present, they will persist indefinitely in groundwater and aquatic ecosystems. This is a known category-level problem; Zeledis has taken no public stance on mitigation.
Lack of safety documentation
No Safety Data Sheet (SDS), ingredient list, or hazard warnings are publicly available. This is a significant red flag for a wax intended for human use and environmental release. Consumer choice is impossible without transparency.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
This product is a hydrocarbon wax blend, the standard base for ski wax, but contains unspecified fluorinated glide additives. Fluorinated compounds in ski wax are known to improve speed on snow by reducing friction, but many such additives fall into the PFAS family, which persist in the environment and body. The manufacturer has not disclosed which fluorinated compounds are used, making independent safety assessment impossible. Hydrocarbon waxes themselves are low-toxicity, but the additive package is the critical unknown.
The brand's record and disclosure
Zeledis has published no publicly available safety data sheets, ingredient transparency, or certification statements regarding PFAS content or fluorinated additive identity. No third-party certifications (such as eco-label compliance) are documented for this product line. The brand's silence on composition in a category where fluorinated compounds are routine suggests either use of legacy PFAS-containing formulations or an unwillingness to compete on formulations with lower PFAS concern. Competing brands have begun disclosing PFAS-free or low-PFAS alternatives; Zeledis has not engaged this conversation.
How it compares in its category
Ski wax is a category where PFAS and fluorinated additives are endemic to performance products. Some brands (notably Swix and Toko) have begun publishing PFAS-reduced or PFAS-free lines and transparency documents. Budget and mid-range brands often use older fluorinated formulations without disclosure. Zeledis positions itself as value-oriented but offers no performance or safety data to justify its choice of additives compared to competitors. Hydrocarbon-only or plant-based wax alternatives exist but are less common in high-speed racing wax.
If you buy it
Apply wax in well-ventilated spaces; heating wax releases volatile organics and any aerosolized additives. Avoid inhalation of wax fumes, especially during iron-on application. Wash hands thoroughly after application to minimize skin contact with additive residues. Store in a cool, dry place away from food and children. Given the unknown fluorinated chemistry, consider the environmental cost of wax runoff into snowmelt systems and choose brands with disclosed formulations showing lower concern for PFAS presence instead.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 35% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Gallium has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
Better-graded alternatives in Ski & Sports Wax
Swix
PS10 Yellow Wax
Hydrocarbon-based ski wax (paraffin/synthetic blend)
Combustion by-products during hot application
Limited concern
Skin and eye contact irritation
Limited concern
Ingestion toxicity (accidental exposure)
Limited concern
Microabrasive particulates from worn base or scraping
Limited concern
Brand PFAS statement on record, which we have not verified.
✓Brand claims PFAS-free (unverified)
Swix
PS7 Violet Ski Snowboard Glide Wax
Hydrocarbon wax blend (paraffin/synthetic hydrocarbon base)
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from heating
Limited concern
Inhalation of wax dust during application
Limited concern
Brand PFAS statement on record, which we have not verified.
✓Brand claims PFAS-free (unverified)
Maplus
Arctic Base Fluor Free 1 kg
ski wax base, fluorine-free formulation
Hydrocarbon volatiles and inhalation risk
Limited concern
PFAS
Limited concern
Brand PFAS statement on record, which we have not verified.
✓Brand claims PFAS-free (unverified)
More ski & sports wax 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.