Artek
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 4 sources
Finnish furniture company known for Alvar Aalto's bentwood designs.
There's no proof Artek pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsSome of its products are made in China, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Met: High-risk raw materials (cotton and timber) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeTraced or certified: timber. Only in a few products: cotton
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made partly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Artek says which countries it makes its products in, but doesn't name the factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Germany | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Italy | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Poland | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| Hungary | Systematic violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| Denmark | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Portugal | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Passes the raw-material check for homewares and appliances: traces or certifies all of its timber.
- FSC or PEFC certified timber: Forest certification that includes core labour rights for forest workers.
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
- Traces all of its timber to the country of origin or beyond, or buys all of it certified
- Uses cotton in only a few products and doesn't show where it comes from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes Artek makes all its bentwood furniture, the core of its range, in its own a-factory in Turku, Finland, bought by Vitra in 2014. Other items come from suppliers: Finnish carpentry and lighting workshops, veneered tops and textiles from Germany, metal pendant lights from China, wood parts and lights from Italy, printed cotton from the Baltics, components from Poland and Hungary, linoleum tops from Denmark and ceramics from Portugal. No shares by country are given. All wood is FSC and/or PEFC certified. No supplier code, audit results or wage commitment are published by Artek itself.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion Report does not assess furniture makers, and its Electronics Industry Report ended in 2016. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | No Australian modern slavery statement; Artek sells here through independent stockists such as Anibou. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | No labour allegations against Artek appear in Business & Human Rights Resource Centre reporting. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Artek buys factory where Alvar Aalto developed his furniture (Dezeen, 2014) · search the archive · Artek bought the Korhonen factory near Turku after Vitra acquired Artek in 2013; makes Stool 60 and Armchair 41
- Artek under new ownership (Alvar Aalto Foundation, 2013) · search the archive · Vitra bought Artek from Proventus in 2013
- Artek Table 90D (Anibou) · search the archive · Artek sold by Anibou, with stores in Redfern, Sydney and Cremorne, Melbourne
Published by Artek or its owner
- How we make things (Artek) · search the archive · Bentwood made in own a-factory in Turku; supplier countries named; all wood FSC and/or PEFC certified; products carry a sticker saying where made
Company details
- Owned by
- Vitra (Switzerland)
- Headquarters
- Finland
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Artek ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/artek, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded furniture
None of the furniture brands we know to make furniture is Good yet. These are the strongest so far. Le Klint is Good, but we don't know that it makes furniture.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Artek.