Cygnett
Lacks transparency. Shows little about where or how its products are made.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Melbourne company designing phone cases, chargers and power banks.
We couldn't find where Cygnett makes most of its phone cases, chargers and power banks, a certification covering its range or a list of its suppliers.
Also worth knowing
Most electronics are made in countries such as China and Vietnam, where pay is usually below a living wage.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Cygnett? Send a right of reply.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, unaudited production, probably in high-risk countries and untraced high-risk mined materials. 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 rightsWhere electronics are usually made, such as China and Malaysia, 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: Probably 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 traceShown to explain the grade. It isn't one of the 2 red flags that set it.
- 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
We couldn't confirm where Cygnett makes most of its products, so this shows where electronics are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 55% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 15% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Taiwan | 10% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Malaysia | 8% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| South Korea | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| India | 5% | 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.
- 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 Cygnett designs its products in Port Melbourne and has staff in China. It does not publish where its products are made, but Australian retail listings give the country of manufacture as China. It publishes no supplier list, factory audit results or living wage commitment. No modern slavery statement was found for it on the Australian register. No labour abuse reports linked to its suppliers were found.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Not rated by Baptist World Aid; its Electronics Industry Report ended in 2016 and did not cover Cygnett. View |
| KnowTheChain | Not covered | Not among the large ICT companies assessed in the 2025 KnowTheChain ICT benchmark. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Unclear | No Cygnett statement on the Australian Modern Slavery Register (checked November 2026); it may be below the A$100m revenue threshold. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Accessory company Cygnett sold to German distributor (ChannelNews, Dec 2025) · search the archive · Wentronic (Wendt family) bought 80%; Swann family keeps 20%; Melbourne HQ unchanged
- What next for Cygnett? (ChannelNews, 2022) · search the archive · Products designed in Port Melbourne; over 100 staff in Australia, US, UK, Europe and China
- Cygnett, a growth company (ChannelNews, 2016) · search the archive · Melbourne-based; sold through JB Hi-Fi
- Cygnett ChargePro 20,000mAh power bank (Officeworks) · search the archive · Country of manufacture: China; sold by Officeworks
- Cygnett at The Good Guys · search the archive · Cygnett accessories sold by The Good Guys in Australia
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Employees
- About 100
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Cygnett ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/cygnett, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded phones
No phones brand selling new goods is Good yet. This is the strongest so far. Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Cygnett.