Lululemon Leggings Are Among Those That Tested Positive for PFAS — Details Here
This isn't the first time the forever chemicals have shown up in clothing.
Updated July 11 2024, 4:23 p.m. ET
Fans of the luxury athleticwear brand Lululemon are in for a surprise after a report was published showing that the company's popular leggings have tested positive for PFAS. PFAS, or forever chemicals, are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances used in manufacturing certain items. These substances have been linked to cancer and other health concerns, making their presence in the clothing particularly alarming for some.
Unfortunately, Lululemon wasn't the only brand to test positive during this study. Keep reading to see if your favorite leggings are on the list and what you need to do if you're worried about how PFAS exposure could impact your health.
Lululemon clothes have tested positive for PFAS.
In January 2022, measurable amounts of PFAS were found during a test conducted by a third-party lab hired by Mamavation. According to the report, 32 items from a few different brands were sent for testing.
The EPA-certified lab came back with positive findings on many of the brands tested, including:
- Athleta Girl Chit Chat Shorts
- Boody Motivate 3/4 High Waist Tights
- Gaiam High Rise Waist Yoga Pants Performance Compression Workout Leggings
- Knix Hightouch High Rise Leggings
- Luluemon Align Highrise Pant
- LulaRoe Leggings
- Old Navy Athletic Pants
- OYA Femtech Apparel Yoga Pants
- Vuori Elevation Performance Black Camo Athletic Leggings
- Yogalicious "Lux" High Waist Side Pocket Capri.
Mamavation's top three recommendations for PFAS-free — and largely plastic-free — leggings are:
- Groceries Apparel's Naomi High-Waist Legging
- MATE the Label Organic Stretch Leggings
- Pact Organic Leggings.
Please note: a follow up study has yet to be completed that replicates Mamavation's findings.
Because there are so many different types of PFAS out there, Mamavation had the lab test specifically for fluorine, a substance that is found in all known forever chemicals. They tested each pair of pants in the crotch area, because they said that this is the most common place where fluorine is found.
The location where these chemicals were found is particularly concerning to eco-influencers like @paulsaladinomd2, who noted that women don't typically wear underwear with these types of pants, which could further expose them to PFAS, which have been linked to hormone disruption, cancer, and more.
Does Lululemon use PFAS?
The scary part of these findings is that it's unlikely that Lululemon was adding PFAS as part of their manufacturing process. In fact, the substances are on their official Restricted Substances List (RLS) list, which means that it's more than likely that the forever chemicals are just so pervasive that they made their way into the products another way.
Is there a Lululemon PFAS lawsuit?
In March 2023, the Center for Environmental Health announced plans to sue Lululemon over the presence of PFAS in their clothes. Legal paperwork has since been filed in the state of California, but it doesn't appear that there are any updates on the case as of yet. Whether or not more people decide to follow suit will likely be determined by how successful the Center for Environmental Health's efforts are in this regard.
As of now one thing remains clear, if you're looking to avoid purchasing clothing that contain PFAS you may have to work a little harder to find them, since a lot of popular and affordable brands seem contain these toxic substances.
