At Ultimate Performance, we continually improve our products as new materials and technologies become available. Our goal is simple: produce sports tape that delivers exceptional performance while meeting the highest standards of quality and safety.
That's why all Ultimate Performance sports tape manufactured since late 2025 is produced using PFAS-free materials.
What are PFAS?
PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) are a family of synthetic chemicals that have been used for decades in a wide range of industrial, consumer and medical products. Their resistance to heat, moisture and chemicals made them particularly useful in high-performance adhesives and protective coatings.
More recently, concerns have grown because some PFAS remain in the environment for extremely long periods and can accumulate in living organisms. In 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, classified PFOA—one of the best-known PFAS chemicals—as carcinogenic to humans. Research into other PFAS compounds continues.
Why were PFAS used in sports tape?
The adhesives used in premium sports tapes must perform under demanding conditions. They need to bond securely to the skin, remain comfortable during prolonged wear and continue working despite sweat, movement and changing temperatures.
For many years, the highest-performing medical-grade adhesive systems available to manufacturers incorporated PFAS chemistry. As a result, PFAS became common throughout the medical products industry.
Developing alternative adhesives capable of matching this level of performance has required extensive research and testing by raw material suppliers.
The move towards PFAS-free products
Across the medical device industry there is a significant shift towards PFAS-free materials. Manufacturers of adhesives and specialist coatings have invested heavily in developing next-generation alternatives that maintain the levels of adhesion, durability and skin compatibility expected from premium medical products.
At the same time, proposed European legislation is expected to significantly reduce the future use of PFAS across many industries, including medical devices.
Ultimate Performance PFAS-Free Sports Tape
Ultimate Performance has now adopted these advanced PFAS-free materials across our sports tape range.
All Ultimate Performance sports tape manufactured from batch 202511 onwards is PFAS free.
Earlier production batches were manufactured before the introduction of the new adhesive specification.
The same performance you expect
Removing PFAS has not meant compromising performance.
Our latest sports tapes continue to provide the secure adhesion, flexibility and durability athletes, physiotherapists and healthcare professionals expect, while using the latest generation of PFAS-free materials.
As new technology becomes available, we will continue to refine and improve our products to deliver the highest standards of performance, quality and safety.
