Darn Tough
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 3 sources
Family-owned US maker of merino wool socks with a lifetime guarantee.
There's no proof Darn Tough pays more than the legal minimum, which in the United States is below a living wage.
Better-graded outdoor
Graded higher than Darn Tough, selling the same kinds of things.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Darn Tough? Send a right of reply.
Compare Darn Tough with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 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 3 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in the United States.
- 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 (such as cotton and leather) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Open supply chain |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Darn Tough's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as cotton and leather) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Uses little or no cotton (e.g. wool, linen or leather products)
Research notes Darn Tough socks are knitted, washed, finished and packed at the Cabot family's own mills in Northfield and Waterbury, Vermont, where about 400 people work, so the people making the socks are covered by US labour law. Yarns are bought in: merino wool comes from Australia, New Zealand, South America, South Africa and the US, from suppliers following the Responsible Wool Standard. The company publishes no wage figures, social audits of its yarn suppliers or modern slavery statement.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Not assessed in the 2024 Ethical Fashion Report, which covers larger brands with an Australian presence; no 2026 listing was found. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 3
Show all 3 sources
- Which Darn Tough socks? (Bushwalk Australia forum) · search the archive · Australian buyers order Darn Tough from online retailers that ship to Australia, such as a UK outdoor shop
Published by Darn Tough or its owner
- Darn Tough - Made in Vermont, USA · search the archive · Socks designed, knit, finished and packed at family-owned mills in Northfield and Waterbury, Vermont; merino from Responsible Wool Standard suppliers
- Darn Right: Socks Made in USA (Darn Tough blog) · search the archive · About 400 US employees; Cabot family owns the mill; socks made of merino, nylon and elastane; wool from AU, NZ, South America, South Africa, US
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Employees
- About 400
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Darn Tough ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/darn-tough, 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 Darn Tough.