Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
US audio company selling headphones, earbuds, speakers and soundbars.
Until Bose traces its cobalt, gold and tin to the mine, it can't show that the miners who dig them are safe or fairly paid.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It relies on high-risk mined materials it can't trace. That alone means a poor grade until it takes steps to trace them.
- 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 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 Malaysia, 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: Traces its cobalt, gold and other conflict minerals to the mine
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
- Red flag: Relies on high-risk mined materials it can't trace
- Red flag: Fails its category's raw-material check (means Lacks transparency)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Bose says it makes products in Mexico. Press and retailer reports name Malaysia and China. The rest is shown as where electronics are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Malaysia | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Mexico | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| TaiwanUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| South KoreaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: cobalt, tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold mining carry child and forced labour risk (DR Congo, Indonesia), and assembly overtime is widespread.
- Modern slavery statement
- Relies on metals such as cobalt, gold and tin from artisanal mines where miners, including children, face toxic dust, mercury exposure and deadly tunnel collapses. It hasn't shown any steps to trace these materials to the mine, so it's graded Lacks transparency until it does.
Research notes Bose makes products at its own plant in Tijuana, Mexico, its largest production site, and through contract manufacturers; press reports also name sites in Malaysia and China, but Bose publishes no supplier list or production shares, so none are shown. It is a Regular member of the Responsible Business Alliance; RBA audits in FY2025 covered 27 suppliers (49 audits, one focused on forced labour), but findings are not published. It reports no forced or child labour cases and makes no living wage commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Bose Pty Ltd is covered by a joint modern slavery statement for FY2026, approved for Australia on 29 May 2026. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Bose Limited (UK) is covered by the same joint FY2026 modern slavery statement. View |
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Listed | China Labor Watch (2023) lists Bose among brands made at the Chinese electronics factories it surveyed, without naming Bose's suppliers. 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.
- A China Labor Watch study of Chinese consumer electronics factories (2023) reported long hours, unlawful use of student interns and late or unpaid wages at sites making products for brands including Bose, but did not say which sites make Bose products. Source
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Labor Conditions in China's Consumer Electronics Sector (China Labor Watch) · search the archive · Bose named among brands made at surveyed Chinese factories; long hours, student interns, late wages reported; Bose suppliers not named.
- Who Owns Bose, And Where Are Its Products Made? (SlashGear, 2024) · search the archive · Bose sites in Mexico (Tijuana, San Luis Rio Colorado), Malaysia (Batu Kawan) and China; MIT holds majority of non-voting shares.
Published by Bose or its owner
- Bose Modern Slavery Statement FY2026 · search the archive · RBA Regular member; 49 RBA audits of 27 suppliers in FY2025; no forced or child labour identified; no supplier list or countries named.
- Bose 2024 ESG Report · search the archive · Tijuana, Mexico is largest production facility; RBA-aligned supplier code; about 5,200 employees; conflict mineral surveys.
- Bose UK TISC statement page · search the archive · Bose UK publishes its Modern Slavery Act statement.
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Employees
- About 5,200
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Bose ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/bose, 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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