Labour Lens

Arc'teryx

Clothing & footwear

Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources

Vancouver maker of technical outdoor clothing, climbing gear and packs.

Arc'teryx makes these lines in different places, so each has its own grade rather than one for the whole company.

  1. Clothing, packs and accessories Good Goes Above and Beyond: Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities

    Shows the people who make its products are paid and treated fairly.

    Arc'teryx makes its clothing, packs and accessories in six countries, including China and Vietnam, and publishes its supplier list. Its factories are Fair Trade USA certified, with audited conditions and a premium paid to workers. It earns three stars for going above and beyond, because it invests directly in its workers' communities.

  2. Footwear On Track

    Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.

    Arc'teryx makes its footwear in China and publishes its supplier list. It's working towards a living wage through a public living wage plan, but can't yet show workers are paid one.

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Graded by product line

Each line is graded on its own countries and certifications. Problems found anywhere count against every line unless they clearly belong to one.

LineGradeMade inWhy it isn't Good
Clothing, packs and accessoriesFinished-goods factories from its partner list, about 83% of products from Fair Trade USA certified factories.Good Goes Above and Beyond: Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communitiesChina, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh SourceMeets every Good standard
FootwearIts only named footwear maker is Pou Chen in Dongguan, China (a Fair Labor Association accredited supplier); Arc'teryx says one footwear factory is now Fair Trade certified but doesn't say which, and the Kopec boot is not, so the certification isn't counted here.On Track China Source
  • No proof workers earn a living wage
  • Worker rights not well protected

There's no grade for the whole company, so these checks combine its product lines: a check is met only when every line meets it. What each line is missing is in the table above.

Good requirements, all lines 4 of 6

  • Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationMet for Clothing, packs and accessories only
  • Not met: Respects worker rightsMet for Clothing, packs and accessories only
  • Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
  • Met: No confirmed child or forced labour findings or linksAn unconfirmed report of forced labour is listed below. It doesn't affect the grade.
  • Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listPublishes its supplier list
  • Met: High-risk raw materials (such as cotton and leather) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeOnly in a few products: cotton, leather and natural rubber

Red flags 0

None found.

Accreditations 1

Estimates for its products

Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Arc'teryx's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.

ProductsEstimate
Jackets & coatsGraded on its clothing, packs and accessories lineGood
Pants & trousers, Shorts, Shirts, T-shirts, Knitwear, Hoodies & sweatshirts, Activewear, Hats, Bags & backpacksGood
Shoes, BootsGraded on its footwear lineOn Track
  • A product made with cotton: On Track
  • A product made with leather: On Track

Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.

Where it's made

Where its clothing, packs and accessories are made

From Arc'teryx's own disclosure: it publishes its supplier list.

Where its clothing, packs and accessories are made, and conditions there
CountryWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
ChinaNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate
VietnamSystematic violationsWell below a living wageModerate
IndonesiaNo guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageModerate
BangladeshNo guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
PhilippinesNo guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageModerate
CanadaRegular violationsAbout a living wageLow

Where its footwear is made

From Arc'teryx's own disclosure: it publishes its supplier list.

Where its footwear is made, and conditions there
CountryWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
ChinaNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate

Evidence

What we found across the company

  • Uses cotton, leather and natural rubber in only a few products, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good. It doesn't show where they come from. The "Open supply chain" star needs all of them traced, certified or upcycled.
  • Publishes supplier list
  • Modern slavery statement
  • Independent social audits of all its main factories
  • Public plan to pay a living wage within 5 years, or with measurable steps due within 5 years
  • Invests in worker and farming communities

Research notes Most Arc'teryx products are made by independent suppliers in Asia, mainly China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Bangladesh, with about 5% made in its own ARC'One factory in Canada; it publishes its finished-goods and material suppliers but no production shares. In 2025, 83% of its products came from Fair Trade USA certified factories, where workers receive a premium. Parent Amer Sports is a Fair Labor Association participant (not accredited), audits suppliers and aims for living wages at its strategic finished-goods factories by 2030.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
Business & Human Rights Resource CentreListedAsked to respond to 2023 reports of abuses at Takashima Sports in Myanmar; Arc'teryx replied in January 2024 that it had not used the factory since 2021. View

Unconfirmed reports

Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.

  • The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre linked Arc'teryx to 2023 worker reports of wage cuts, forced overtime and unpaid sick leave at Takashima Sports in Myanmar; Arc'teryx said it had stopped using the factory in 2021 (BHRRC, 2024). Source

Sources and actions

Sources 7

Show all 7 sources
  1. Myanmar garment workers at Takashima Sports report labour abuses (BHRRC) · search the archive · 2023 reports of wage cuts, mandatory overtime and unpaid leave at Takashima Sports; Arc'teryx tagged
  2. Arc'teryx sustainability (Better Trail, 2026) · search the archive · 83% of Arc'teryx products made in Fair Trade Certified facilities in 2025, beating its 80% goal

Published by Arc'teryx or its owner

  1. Arc'teryx supply chain partners · search the archive · Lists 62 finished-goods and material sites, mainly China, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam; also Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines; ARC'One is its own factory
  2. Arc'teryx manufacturing partners · search the archive · Most products made in Asia-Pacific, chiefly China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Bangladesh; about 5% made in-house at ARC'One, Vancouver
  3. Arc'teryx commits to certify 80% of products as Fair Trade by 2025 · search the archive · 2020 commitment to Fair Trade USA factory certification for 80% of products by 2025
  4. Amer Sports Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement 2025 · search the archive · FLA participant since June 2020; supplier audits; 'progressively striving towards living wages'; sourcing 68% APAC, 27% Greater China
  5. Amer Sports Public Living Wage Commitment in Finished Goods Manufacturing · search the archive · Goal of attaining living wages at strategic finished goods factories by 2030; wage data covers 69% of finished-goods volume

Company details

Headquarters
Canada
Last researched
2 November 2026
Cite this page
Labour Lens, "Is Arc'teryx ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/arcteryx, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method
Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What the grades mean

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