Festool
On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
German maker of premium power tools, track saws and sanders.
Festool makes 80% of its premium power tools and dust extractors in Germany, where legal wages are about a living wage.
Also worth knowing
It publishes a modern slavery statement.
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Compare Festool with another brand
Why it's graded On Track
- Not met: Meets 5 of 7 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
Good requirements 5 of 7
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: presumed because legal wages in Germany are about a living wage, not checked at the company
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Not met: Shows where its earlier production stages happen, not just the final oneA "Made in" claim can cover only the final stage. Earlier stages to show: materials and parts such as fabric, timber, glass, metal and ceramics
- 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 timber and cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
Red flags 0
None found.
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Open supply chain |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Festool's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 80% | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Czechia | Not given | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| United States | Not given | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) 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
- Modern slavery statement
- "Made in Germany and Czechia" only means the last major stage happened there: under customs and consumer law, materials and parts such as fabric, timber, glass, metal and ceramics can be made elsewhere. It hasn't shown where those earlier stages happen, so where it's made counts towards On Track but not Good. Source
Research notes Festool makes its tools in its own plants: about 80% of products are made in Germany (assembly in Weilheim/Teck, plus Neidlingen and Illertissen), with high-volume lines at its plant in Česká Lípa, Czech Republic, and guide rails made in Lebanon, Indiana, USA. How the remaining 20% splits between the Czech Republic and the US is not published. Parent TTS publishes a human rights policy under German supply chain law, a supplier code and a complaints channel, but no supplier list, audit results or wage information. No labour abuses have been reported.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Festool UK Ltd publishes a UK Modern Slavery Act statement for 2023; it reports no cases or allegations of modern slavery and names agency labour as its main risk. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Power tools are not assessed in Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion or Electronics reports. View |
| Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (World Benchmarking Alliance) | Not covered | Power tool makers are not among the sectors assessed in the 2026 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | No labour allegations against Festool or TTS Tooltechnic Systems appear in Business & Human Rights Resource Centre reporting. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Woodshop News: Festool will produce FS guide rail in Indiana (12 Jul 2017) · search the archive · Festool began producing FS guide rails at its North American HQ in Lebanon, Indiana in 2017
- Festool reviews - ProductReview.com.au · search the archive · Australian buyers purchase through dealers such as F&K Power Tools and festool.com.au
Published by Festool or its owner
- Facts and figures - Festool · search the archive · Production in Neidlingen and Illertissen (Germany) and Česká Lípa (Czech Republic); over 2,700 staff; brand of TTS Tooltechnic Systems
- Good is not good enough for us - Festool · search the archive · About 80% of Festool products are made in Germany; Česká Lípa plant makes high-volume products
- TTS Declaration of Principles 2024 · search the archive · Human rights risk analysis, supplier checks and complaints procedure; no audit results or violations reported
- Festool UK Modern Slavery Statement · search the archive · 2023 statement: no modern slavery found or alleged; agency labour named as main risk; products made by Festool GmbH
- Festool continues to invest in its German site · search the archive · New Weilheim/Teck assembly hall; 24 assembly islands moved from Neidlingen; Neidlingen keeps machining and tool making
Company details
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Employees
- About 2,700
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Festool ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/festool, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What On Track means
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