50/ 100
F

PFAS score

Elixir Nanoweb Acoustic Guitar Strings

Acoustic360 · Guitar Strings

Elixir Nanoweb Acoustic Guitar Strings

F · High PFAS

Insufficient public data on coating composition, skip if PFAS avoidance is a priority.

Elixir's Nanoweb coating is a proprietary formula not disclosed in public documentation. The coating is designed to extend string life and reduce corrosion, which typically suggests a polymer layer, but no PFAS-specific information or independent lab analysis is publicly available. The brand makes no PFAS claims either way.

The safe swap

Martin Retro Acoustic Guitar Strings

Martin

Martin Retro Acoustic Guitar Strings

95/100 safety

A

Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.

Material

Steel/nickel-silver wound strings with proprietary Nanoweb coating

Brand disclosure

Brand is silent on PFAS

Lab data

No public lab test

Why this grade

Unknown / proprietary coating

Proprietary coating with no disclosed chemistry.

Hurts the grade

Category baseline

other is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.

Hurts the grade

No PFAS disclosure

No public statement about PFAS in this product.

Hurts the grade

What we don’t know

This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 35% confidence. It is not a lab result.

No independent PFAS lab test is on record for this exact product. A lab test could move the score in either direction.

The brand has not made a specific, verifiable PFAS-free statement, so part of this score reflects that missing disclosure rather than a confirmed material.

Formulations and coatings change between production runs. Always check the current label before buying.

Safer alternatives in Guitar Strings

Martin Retro Acoustic Guitar Strings

Martin

Retro Acoustic Guitar Strings

Phosphor bronze, stainless steel, nylon wound

A
A
PFASAll
A · Very low PFAS1 flag

Lower concern, acoustic guitar strings typically use established metals and nylon without water-repellent coating or nonstick coatings.

Bare metal or glass, no coating at all

Ernie Ball Everlast Acoustic Guitar Strings

Acoustic360

Ernie Ball Everlast Acoustic Guitar Strings

Phosphor bronze/stainless steel wound on steel core

A
A
PFASAll
A · Very low PFAS1 flag

Lower PFAS concern, acoustic guitar strings use standard metal materials with no known fluorochemical treatments.

Bare metal or glass, no coating at all

Dean Markley Electric Guitar Strings

Dean Markley

Electric Guitar Strings

Steel alloy strings (nickel-plated or stainless steel core)

A
B
PFASAll
A · Very low PFAS2 flags

Lower PFAS concern, steel strings lack typical PFAS applications, but no brand disclosure exists.

Bare metal or glass, no coating at all

More guitar strings 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.