Is HexClad third-party tested?

Last reviewed July 2026.

It depends which HexClad you mean. The lines differ, and the difference is the whole story: TerraBond ceramic line (2024+) sits at “Unverified — safety claims with no published proof”, while Original hybrid line (as marketed Feb 2022 – Mar 2024) is at “Contradicted — a public record disagrees with a claim”. Line-by-line below.

Every claim, and where the proof stands

Original hybrid line (as marketed Feb 2022 – Mar 2024)

A California class action alleged the hybrid pans were marketed as non-toxic and PFAS-free while the nonstick layer was PTFE — which is itself a PFAS. HexClad settled for $2.5M (announced Feb 2025; preliminary approval 2025-04-22) and agreed to stop using "PFAS-free" on PTFE-coated products. A settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing; the agreed marketing change and the class period are matters of public record.

Public record: Cliburn et al. v. One Source to Market LLC d/b/a HexClad Cookware Inc., No. 23STCV28390 (Cal. Super. Ct., Los Angeles Cty.); $2.5M; class period 2022-02-01 to 2024-03-31 (source). Defendant agreed to cease "PFAS-free" phrasing on PTFE-coated products. Settlements are not admissions of liability.

TerraBond ceramic line (2024+)

Press coverage reports Light Labs testing of the TerraBond line detected no PFAS, PTFE or PFOA — but HexClad does not publish the report itself and describes the full coating composition as proprietary. Reported-clean is not the same as published-proof; if HexClad publishes the report, this row moves to verified.

How to read this

“PFOA-free” is true of virtually every pan sold today and is not the same claim as “PFAS-free” — PTFE itself is a PFAS. If a coating’s chemistry matters to you, the questions that cut through are: what is the coating, and who published the test? Our PFOA vs PFAS guide covers the first; the main table tracks the second for every brand here.

See where HexClad sits against every brand we track →

We do not test cookware — we index published third-party lab results and public legal records, with attribution, and make no health claims. A verdict describes the state of the published evidence for specific marketing claims, not whether a pan is safe or dangerous. An allegation is not a finding; a settlement is not an admission; a lab report speaks only for the samples tested. If a brand publishes new evidence, the page changes — the source always wins.