Carl Hansen & Søn
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
Family-owned Danish furniture maker known for the Wishbone Chair.
There's no proof Carl Hansen & Søn pays more than the legal minimum, which in Vietnam is well below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 4 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 4 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Met: Respects worker rights
- 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
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Met: High-risk raw materials (leather and timber) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeTraced or certified: timber. Only in a few products: leather
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From press and retailer reports. Carl Hansen & Søn makes its products in its own factories, but we haven't recorded its countries from it yet.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Passes the raw-material check for homewares and appliances: traces or certifies its timber.
- FSC or PEFC certified timber: Forest certification that includes core labour rights for forest workers.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Modern slavery statement
- Uses leather 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.
- Traces or certifies most but not all of its timber. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes Carl Hansen & Søn makes its furniture in its own factories: the main plant in Gelsted, Denmark (over 500 staff), where the Wegner classics are made largely by hand, and an outdoor furniture factory in Binh Duong, Vietnam, bought in 2017 with about 1,200 workers. Up to 90% of its wood is FSC certified. It published a first ESG report in 2025 and a 2019 UK modern slavery statement, but no supplier list, audit results or living wage commitment for its Vietnamese workers.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Published a UK Modern Slavery Act statement in 2020 (for 2019); no newer statement is linked from its website. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion Report does not assess furniture makers. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | No Australian modern slavery statement; sold here through independent dealers. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Design craft: Carl Hansen & Søn production in Denmark (Stylepark, 2023) · search the archive · Main factory in Gelsted with over 500 staff; own outdoor furniture factory in Vietnam; own leather workshop
- Carsten Lehn sells Dafi Tropicdane to Danish furniture company (ScandAsia, 2017) · search the archive · 2017 purchase of Dafi factory in Binh Duong, Vietnam, about 1,200 employees
- Carl Hansen & Søn (Dansk Industri furniture report, 2019) · search the archive · Family-owned, run by third-generation owner Knud Erik Hansen; Wegner classics made in Denmark
- Carl Hansen & Son at Designcraft, Canberra · search the archive · Exclusive Canberra dealer with a showroom in Hume, ACT
Published by Carl Hansen & Søn or its owner
- Carl Hansen & Søn FSC story · search the archive · Up to 90% of wood used is FSC certified; more than 75 designs in FSC wood
- Carl Hansen & Søn sustainability · search the archive · FSC licence FSC-C135991; 2025 ESG report and 2019 Modern Slavery Act statement linked
Company details
- Headquarters
- Denmark
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Carl Hansen & Søn ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/carl-hansen-and-son, last researched 3 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 Carl Hansen & Søn.