B&B Italia

Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.

Based on what B&B Italia publishes, with few independent checks. Researched with AI assistance against published rules. Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources · How we check

Italian furniture company known for sofas such as Camaleonda.

B&B Italia can't show that the workers who make its products in Indonesia and the Philippines earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.

Also worth knowing

It has no full independent audit.

Better-graded furniture

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JardanMakes most of its range in Australia.Australian-made sofas and furniturePays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified KoskelaMakes most of its range in Australia.Australian-made furniture and homewaresPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified PlyroomMakes most of its range in Australia.Plywood furniture and storagePays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified

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.

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Why it's graded Lacks transparency

Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements, with 2 red flags.OpenClose

Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
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.

How grades are decided

Good requirements 1 of 6

Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as China and Indonesia, 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
Not met: High-risk raw materials (leather and timber) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: timber

Red flags 2

Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Red flag: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights

Stars it would earn as Good

None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars

Where it's made

China, Indonesia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and 6 more countries.OpenClose

B&B Italia names some of the countries it makes in: Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Indonesia, Italy and the Philippines. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.

Where it's made, and conditions there
Country	Worker rights	Legal minimum wage	Forced labour risk
China	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate
Indonesia	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	Moderate
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Regular violations	Not rated	High
Italy	Strong protections	Close to a living wage	Low
Philippines	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	Moderate
VietnamUsual for the industry	Systematic violations	Well below a living wage	Moderate
IndiaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	High
PolandUsual for the industry	Regular violations	Close to a living wage	Moderate
MalaysiaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate

Evidence

2 things we found and what 2 independent sources say.OpenClose

What we found

Doesn't show where its timber comes from. Timber is linked to illegal logging linked to forced labour, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
Uses leather in only a few products and traces or certifies most of it. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.

Research notes B&B Italia makes upholstered furniture at Novedrate, Maxalto wooden pieces at Misinto and Arclinea kitchens at Caldogno, all in Italy, with contractors assembling some pieces. Its outdoor range is mainly made by suppliers in Bosnia, Indonesia, China and the Philippines, and some parts such as chair legs come from China; no shares are given. Over 90% of suppliers are Italian, and leather comes from the Arzignano tanning district. Suppliers must accept its code of ethics and get quality visits, but no social audits, supplier list or living wage commitment are disclosed. About 80% of Arclinea's wood is FSC Mix; no share is given for B&B Italia furniture.

What independent sources say

Source	Result	Details
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion ReportAnother organisation's rating	Not assessed	Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion Report (latest edition 2026) does not assess furniture makers, and its Electronics Industry Report ended in 2016. View
Australian Modern Slavery Register	Not assessed	No Australian modern slavery statement; B&B Italia sells here through the independent retailer Space Furniture. View

Sources and actions

4 sources, company details, and how to send evidence or a right of reply.OpenClose

Sources 4

Show all 4 sources

Flos B&B Italia Group to sell brands one by one (Interior Daily) · search the archive · Group formed as Design Holding in 2018 by Investindustrial and Carlyle; B&B Italia is a group brand; group plans to sell brands one by one
Louis Poulsen acquired in reported 470 million euro deal (inside.lighting, 2026) · search the archive · Flos B&B Italia Group is jointly owned by Investindustrial and Carlyle (June 2026)
The world's first B&B Italia Outdoor showroom launches in Sydney (Space Furniture) · search the archive · Space Furniture sells B&B Italia in Australian showrooms, including a Sydney outdoor store opened in 2025

Published by B&B Italia or its owner

B&B Italia Sustainability Report 2024 · search the archive · Italian plants; outdoor made mainly in Bosnia, Indonesia, China, Philippines; leather from Arzignano; 695 FTE; Arclinea wood 80% FSC Mix

Company details

Owned by: Flos B&B Italia Group (formerly Design Holding; owned by Investindustrial and The Carlyle Group)
Headquarters: Italy
Employees: About 695
Last researched: 3 November 2026
Cite this page: Labour Lens, "Is B&B Italia ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/bb-italia, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method: Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

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