Well-made, but plastic on skin.
↳ Not recommended for socks — synthetic on skin, all day, all night.
Why this material grade?
This product scored 56/100 on the 7-axis material rubric, based on its composition of 80% Polypropylene, 18% Polyamide, 2% Elastane. Blended from 80% Polypropylene, 18% Nylon, 2% Spandex — the score is a weighted average based on each material's proportion.
C (55-69): Average material composition — typical blend, reasonable for everyday wear.
Average quality, high synthetic content
Decent for everyday wear, but the synthetic content means microplastic shedding and it won't biodegrade. Consider natural alternatives for your next purchase.
Breakdown
Composition
80% Polypropylene, 18% Polyamide, 2% Elastane
Plastic-based — sheds microplastics in wash
Synthetic fabrics can contain BPA, which mimics estrogen. Studies have found BPA transferring to skin through sweat contact.
This fabric will take 200+ years to decompose. That means a shirt you buy today will still exist in the year 2226.
Dryer heat destroys spandex/elastane over time. Your leggings and stretchy clothes will last 2x longer if you skip the dryer.
Network
Cost per wear
rough estimateStrong cost-per-wear
How we got there
Base for Socks: 50 expected wears.
× 1.00 for Polypropylene (mid-durability fiber, durability 69).
= 50 expected wears. $16 ÷ 50 ≈ 32¢/wear.
Missing GSM — this is a category-level estimate, not garment-specific. Expect ±30% variance.
Real life is messier than a formula: how often you wash, how you wash, whether you wear it inside-out, dry on low — all of it shifts the number. This is the ceiling under reasonable care.
Care Guide
Decode symbols →Wash
cold (30°C)
Bleach
Do not bleach
Dry
line dry
Iron
Do not iron
Dry Clean
avoid
Best For
Good durability (69) and comfort (50) for office wear
Good moisture wicking (78) and durability (69) for weather protection
Better Alternatives
Higher-rated socks products — each card shows how much better this alt scores vs your current product.
KUIU
Ultralight Merino Crew Sock | Gunmetal
7% Elastane, 48% Merino Wool, 45% Nylon, 7% Elastane
Icebreaker
Men's Merino Hike+ Light Crew Socks
60% Merino Wool, 38% Nylon, 2% Elastane
Icebreaker
Men's Merino Hike+ Medium Crew Socks
60% Merino Wool, 38% Nylon, 2% Elastane
Icebreaker
Men's Merino Hike+ Medium Crew Socks
60% Merino Wool, 38% Nylon, 2% Elastane
Tradeoffs
Health Impact
Microplastic shedding · skin-contact synthetic load · likely chemical treatments
High health impact — significant synthetic content or likely chemical treatments. For frequent skin-contact wear, consider a natural-fiber alternative.
Very low
100% synthetic
Biocide
- Biocide (likely): "Antimicrobial biocide" stated on the product page — observed, not inferred.
Biodegradability
Not BiodegradableMaterials will persist in the environment for decades.
Health & environmental impact →What this score doesn't measure
- ×Fiber grade. Staple length, micronaire, strength. "100% cotton" could be short-staple upland or long-staple Pima — same label, very different fabric.
- ×Yarn processing. Singles count, ply (single vs two-ply), spinning method (open-end vs ring-spun vs compact), mercerization. Invisible from any label.
- ×Knit / weave structure. Single jersey vs interlock, knit tightness. A loose knit pills; a tight knit lasts.
- ×Fabric weight (GSM). One construction signal among several — and high GSM can come from loose cheap yarn just as easily as from fine tight yarn. We have it for blank manufacturers, rarely for retail.
- ×Pre-shrink processing. Sanforized cotton shrinks ~1%; non-sanforized can shrink up to 10%. Not visible from the composition tag.
- ×Construction quality. Stitch density (SPI), seam types, collar geometry, manufacturing tolerances (AQL). These often matter more than the fiber itself.
- ×Specific chemical loads. Health Impact flags "likely PFAS / possible formaldehyde" from composition × category — we don't lab-test individual SKUs.
We rate the fabric, not the garment. Composition is the floor of what you're guaranteed to be getting — most shoppers don't have that.
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