House of Marley
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
US audio brand selling headphones and Bluetooth speakers.
There's no proof House of Marley pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent House of Marley? Send a right of reply.
Compare House of Marley with another brand
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 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 rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as China and Malaysia, 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: 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: 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
These are FKA Brands' countries across all its brands; House of Marley doesn't say where its own products are made. The rest is shown as where electronics are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| TaiwanUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| South KoreaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | 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.
- Modern slavery statement
- 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 House of Marley products are made by contract factories; the brand names no factories or countries. Owner FKA Brands buys from about 50 third-party factories and service providers, mainly in China and Vietnam, audits new factories before approval and at least every two years, says independent SMETA, BSCI or RBA audits cover 89% of purchases, and found no modern slavery. It publishes no supplier list, audit results, smelter list or living wage commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Owner FKA Brands lodges a UK modern slavery statement (2025). View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Owner's Australian arm Homedics Australia reports under the Modern Slavery Act in FKA Brands' joint statement (2024). View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not listed | Not rated in Baptist World Aid's Electronics Industry Report, last published in 2016. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- HoMedics Group Ltd Modern Slavery Act statement (via Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) · search the archive · Subsidiary of FKA Distributing Co; buys from third-party factories mainly in China; pre-approval and two-yearly audits; Sedex
- FKA Modern Slavery Statement 2025 (UK registry) · search the archive · FKA Brands lodges a 2025 UK modern slavery statement
- FKA Brands Modern Slavery Statement 2024 (Jam Audio) · search the archive · About 50 factories and service providers; China and Vietnam high risk; audits cover 89% of volume; Sedex; no modern slavery found
- Marley Roots Solar Bluetooth Speaker at The Good Guys (OzBargain, 2026) · search the archive · House of Marley speaker sold by The Good Guys in Australia, in store or click and collect, March 2026
Published by House of Marley or its owner
- About House of Marley · search the archive · Materials: bamboo, FSC certified wood, recycled aluminium and REWIND fabric; no factories, countries or supplier code named; site run by fkabrands.com
Company details
- Owned by
- FKA Brands (Homedics Group)
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is House of Marley ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/house-of-marley, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Other TV and audio brands
Nothing we've rated in TV and audio is better than Lacks transparency yet.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent House of Marley.