Ember
Lacks transparency. Shows little about where or how its products are made.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources
Californian maker of app-controlled, temperature-controlled mugs.
We couldn't find where Ember makes most of its heated temperature-control mugs, 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.
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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 Ember 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 Ember gives no origin for its mugs, names no factories and publishes no supplier code, modern slavery statement or audit results. A sourcing website reports that the mugs are made in Zhuhai, China, but Ember does not confirm this, so no production country is shown. No living wage commitment or certifications were found, and no labour abuses linked to its suppliers have been reported.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not listed | Ember was not rated in Baptist World Aid's last Electronics Industry Report (2016); the series has ended. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Unclear | No Ember Technologies statement was found on the Australian Modern Slavery Register. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | No labour abuse reports involving Ember or its suppliers were identified. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Ember Smart Coffee Mug has Joe and Nick Jonas as investors (CNBC, December 2018) · search the archive · Ember is based in Westlake Village, California; mugs sold at Starbucks and Apple Stores
- Footprint Growing For Ember's Coffee-Warming Smart Mugs (ChannelNews) · search the archive · Ember mugs distributed to Australian retailers
- Ember mug guide in depth (Sourcify China) · search the archive · Unsourced claim that Ember mugs are made mainly in China, at a facility in Zhuhai
- Ember warms drinks to go with rechargeable travel mug (Pickr, June 2024) · search the archive · Ember Travel Mug 2+ sold in Australia at JB Hi-Fi and other local retailers for A$299
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Ember ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/ember, 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 Ember.