Odyssey · Golf Balls & Golf Gloves
Rain Golf Gloves
Golf glove PFAS risk unclear; no brand disclosure on water-repellent treatment.
Rain Golf Gloves likely use water-repellent coating for water resistance, a common PFAS application. Odyssey provides no public information about PFAS or treatment chemistry.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Synthetic leather or PU with water-repellent coating 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
clothing 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
Odyssey Rain Golf Gloves use polyurethane (PU) synthetic leather with a water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish. PU itself is stable and does not leach problematic chemicals under normal use; the real unknown is what chemical class was used for the water-repellent coating, which may include PFAS-based or non-PFAS alternatives. Synthetic leather avoids the tanning chemical concerns of genuine leather but introduces polymer durability and potential coating breakdown over repeated washing and flexing.
The brand's record and disclosure
Odyssey (Callaway Golf subsidiary) has not publicly disclosed the specific water-repellent coating treatment chemistry or PFAS status of this glove model. The brand does not maintain a transparent chemical disclosure or restricted substance list readily available to consumers. No major product recalls tied to chemical hazards have been recorded for this line. This silence on water-repellent composition is common across the golf equipment industry but leaves end-users without assurance of safer alternatives.
How it compares in its category
Golf gloves typically carry lower chemical risk than apparel with heavy finishes (flame retardants, antimicrobials) because they are not flame-treated and see limited body contact. Odyssey's PU-based Rain Glove sits in the mainstream segment; most competitors (Titleist, FootJoy, TaylorMade) use similar PU or synthetic leather with undisclosed water-repellent coating treatments. Natural leather gloves avoid synthetic polymer concerns but introduce tanning chemical exposure. Without brand transparency on water-repellent coating, this glove offers no meaningful safety advantage over peers.
If you buy it
Wash gloves by hand in cool water with mild soap; avoid hot water or machine washing, which can degrade the water-repellent coating and potentially release coated particles. Replace when the grip surface deteriorates or synthetic leather begins to crack, typically after one to two seasons of regular play. Air dry flat or on a ball marker rack; do not tumble dry. If water-repellent coating performance fades, re-treatment products are available, but check that aftermarket treatments avoid PFAS-based formulations if that is a concern for you.
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.”
Teflon-type coating or Teflon-family coating fumes from water-repellent coating breakdown
If the water-repellent coating uses older Teflon-family coating chemistries, excessive heat (e.g., machine drying, direct sun in a closed car) could degrade the coating; risk is low under normal hand-wash use but present if glove is overheated.
Polyurethane polymer degradation and microparticle release
PU synthetic leather breaks down over time with flex and moisture exposure; microscopic fragments may shed during use, though ingestion risk is negligible for a hand-worn item.
Formaldehyde or formaldehyde releasers in adhesives or coatings
Golf gloves are not routinely treated with formaldehyde-releasing antimicrobials; no reports of this hazard in Odyssey Rain Gloves, but quality assurance data is not publicly available.
Allergic contact dermatitis from water-repellent coating chemistry or PU accelerators
Individuals with sensitive skin may react to residual catalyst compounds in PU or to the water-repellent coating finish itself; patch testing is not standard for gloves, so isolated reactions cannot be ruled out.
Heavy metal dyes or colorants in synthetic leather or padding
No recalls or reports of lead, cadmium, or other heavy metals in Odyssey golf gloves; synthetic dyes are generally lower-risk than chrome tanning but composition is unaudited.
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 Gloves
Bridgestone
Men's Pair Golf Gloves
Leather, synthetic leather, or textile blend
Lower PFAS concern, but brand provides no transparency.
⚠Risky category by default
Bridgestone
Soft Grip Golf Glove
Leather, synthetic grip material, textiles
Lower concern. Golf glove without known waterproofing or Teflon-family coating treatment.
⚠Risky category by default
Bridgestone
Lady Golf Glove
Synthetic leather or leather with standard stitching
Golf glove with typical materials, lower concern profile.
⚠Risky category by default
More golf balls & golf gloves 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.