Callaway · Golf Balls & Golf Equipment
Callaway Fusion Golf Glove
Golf glove water-treatment risk unclear; Callaway discloses nothing.
Golf gloves typically use water-resistant coatings, often water-repellent coating-treated. Callaway makes no public PFAS disclosure for this product, leaving composition uncertain.
The safe swap
Mizuno
Mizuno Comp Glove
85/100 safety
Same rubric that flunked this product. The swap earned its B.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Leather or synthetic leather with water-resistant treatment
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
Why this grade
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
Category baseline
other is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement about PFAS in this product.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
Callaway Fusion gloves use synthetic leather (likely polyurethane or PVC) with an applied water-resistant treatment, plus leather panels in some versions. The water repellency is the critical unknown: it is typically achieved via fluorinated compounds (PFAS) or silicone-based coatings. Synthetic leather itself is stable in normal use, but if PFAS-treated, moisture, sweat, and hand washing could mobilize these compounds onto skin and into laundering water. The glove's durability means repeated skin contact over months.
The brand's record and disclosure
Callaway has not published material safety data, supplier audits, or PFAS phase-out commitments for apparel products. The brand does not list waterproofing chemistry on product packaging or websites. This silence is typical of golf equipment brands, which lag fashion and outdoor-gear leaders on chemical transparency. No recalls or safety incidents specific to this glove model are on record.
How it compares in its category
Golf gloves occupy a niche with low regulatory scrutiny compared to high-volume apparel. Leather gloves (untreated) avoid synthetic-chemical treatment but offer less water resistance and may contain vegetable tannin residues or heavy-metal tannins (not confirmed for Callaway). Synthetic gloves from brands like Golf Pride or Winn offer similar water-resistance chemistry without disclosure either. Callaway's lack of transparency is not unusual but does not distinguish it as safer.
If you buy it
Hand-wash in cool water and mild soap; avoid hot water and bleach, which may degrade or mobilize water-treatment coatings. Air-dry flat away from direct heat or sunlight. Replace when synthetic leather cracks, peels, or shows white powder (degradation of coating). Wash hands after extended wear if skin sensitivity or rash develops. Store in a dry, ventilated space to slow microbial growth in the leather.
Beyond PFAS: other things we checked
Established hazard classes for this product type, assessed from public information. These never change the PFAS grade; a Likely flag caps the Verdict at “Buy with care.”
PFAS in water-resistant treatment
Water-repellent coating chemistry is undisclosed. If Teflon-family coating-based, skin contact and laundry shedding could expose PFAS; Callaway provides no information to confirm or rule out this pathway.
Heavy metals in leather tannage
No testing or complaints of chromium or other tannin residues in Callaway Fusion gloves are on record. Standard leather tannage may use chromium salts, but glove skin contact is transient and unlikely to exceed exposure from other leather goods.
Synthetic-leather leaching (plasticizers)
PVC or polyurethane glove material may off-gas plasticizers (phthalates, adipates) under warm, moist conditions (hand sweat). No documented problem with Callaway Fusion specifically, and glove design limits direct contact compared to food-contact plastics.
Allergenic dyes or finishes
Synthetic leather and leather patches may use reactive dyes or formaldehyde-releasing resin finishes. No complaints of dermatitis linked to this glove are reported, and hand contact is typically brief.
Degradation of water-treatment coating over time
Water-repellent treatments degrade with use and washing, typically becoming less effective after 20-40 wears. This does not create an acute hazard but may indicate loss of a protective barrier and potential for coating fragment shedding.
What we don’t know
This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 45% 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 Golf Balls & Golf Equipment
Mizuno
Comp Glove
Leather/synthetic leather athletic glove
No known PFAS risk, but Mizuno discloses nothing about treatments.
⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS
Mizuno
Cabretta Leather Golf Glove
Cabretta leather, likely with standard leather tanning and finishing
Lower concern. Leather glove lacks water treatment trigger.
⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS
Callaway
Men's Chev Soft Golf Glove
leather and synthetic materials
Golf glove with lower PFAS concern; no known high-risk coatings.
⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS
More golf balls & golf equipment 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.