US-based activewear brand vuori is said to “bring you the best for an active lifestyle”, but is it bringing its best for people, the planet, and animals? How ethical is vuori?
vuori is functional but far from perfect
vuori calls itself “a new perspective on performance apparel”, inspired by the active Coastal California lifestyle. It creates functionally built, durable performance wear and talks proudly of its ethical manufacturing and sustainability.
We decided to investigate further and see if its claims match its credentials across the three key areas of environmental impact, labour conditions, and animal welfare. How sustainable and ethical is vuori? Let’s jump in.
Environmental impact
Despite its insistence we are “happier on a healthy planet” and its carbon-neutral status, vuori still has work to do in this area. It uses a medium proportion of eco-friendly materials, including recycled materials, and says it is “committed to 80% sustainable materials by 2022”. However, there is no evidence that it has taken meaningful action to reduce textile waste when manufacturing its products, nor is it taking specific steps to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
That said, its use of eco-friendly materials reduces its climate impact and limits the amount of chemicals, water, and wastewater used in production. For these reasons, we have awarded vuori “It’s a Start” for the planet and would like to see it more clearly define its goals and hit them as projected.
Labour conditions
With a website section dedicated to “Ethical Manufacturing”, you’d be forgiven for thinking vuori would score well here. Unfortunately, while it has a Code of Conduct covering all of the ILO Four Fundamental Freedoms principles, the good news ends there.
There is no evidence vuori investigates and reports on safety incidents, nor does it disclose where its final production stage occurs. And, most concerning, there is no evidence it ensures payment of a living wage in its supply chain. Providing minimum wages is one thing, but regularly audited fair working conditions and living wages are crucial for a genuinely ethical production process. vuori is “Not Good Enough” for people.
Animal welfare
Animal welfare is where vuori stands out, getting a “Good” rating because it doesn’t use any animal products—though it doesn’t state it is vegan, which would push it over the edge to a “Great” rating.
Overall rating: It’s a Start
So, how sustainable and ethical is vuori? Overall, we have awarded vuori “It’s a Start” to both recognise its efforts for the planet and animals and reflect how much work it still has to do for the people in its supply chain.
Note that Good On You ratings consider hundreds of issues, and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information, see our How We Rate page and our FAQs.
Love vuori’s athletic aesthetic, but they aren’t quite doing it for you in the ethics department? Thankfully, there are loads of eco-conscious active and athleisure brands to meet your needs.
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