Chemex
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources
Family-owned US maker of the hourglass-shaped glass coffeemaker.
There's no proof Chemex pays more than the legal minimum, which in the United States is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
Better-graded cookware and tableware
Graded higher than Chemex, selling the same kinds of things.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- 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.
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 India, 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
Chemex names some of the countries it makes in: the United States and Croatia. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| United States | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| Croatia | Strong protections | Not rated | 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 |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
- 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 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 Chemex coffeemakers are finished, inspected and hand-tied at the company's own factory in Chicopee, Massachusetts, and its filters are cut in-house from US-made paper. It does not say who makes the glass for its machine-made carafes, or where the wooden collars and leather ties come from. Its handblown range is made in small batches by glass blowers in Croatia. It publishes no supplier code, audit results or wage information.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Kitchenware companies are not assessed in Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion Report (latest edition 2024). (2024 edition; latest is 2026) View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No Business & Human Rights Resource Centre company page or stories about Chemex. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Did You Know? Western Massachusetts' Iconic Coffeemaker - The Take · search the archive · Grassy family owners since 1980; factory moved from Pittsfield to Chicopee in 2014; bentwood collar with rawhide cording
- Chemex Classic 6 Cup - Central Coast Coffee · search the archive · Sold in AUD by an Australian retailer with a walk-in store in Somersby NSW
Published by Chemex or its owner
- About Us - Chemex · search the archive · Family-owned; coffeemakers inspected, polished and hand-tied at its Massachusetts factory; filters cut in-house from US-made paper
- Five Cup Handblown Chemex · search the archive · Handblown coffeemakers made by glass blowers in Croatia; wood and bead collar with leather tie
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Chemex ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/chemex, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Chemex.