hummel

Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources

Danish sportswear brand selling teamwear and retro sneakers.

hummel can't show that the workers who make its products in Bangladesh and Pakistan earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.

Also worth knowing

It has no full independent audit.

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Why it's graded Lacks transparency

Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries. 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.

How grades are decided

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 Bangladesh, 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: High-risk raw materials (cotton and leather) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton

Red flags 2

Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Red flag: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights

Stars it would earn as Good

None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars

Where it's made

hummel names some of the countries it makes in: Pakistan, Bangladesh and China. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.

Where it's made, and conditions there
Country	Worker rights	Legal minimum wage	Forced labour risk
China	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate
Bangladesh	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	Moderate
Pakistan	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	High
VietnamUsual for the industry	Systematic violations	Well below a living wage	Moderate
IndiaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	High
CambodiaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	Moderate
TürkiyeUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Very high
IndonesiaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	Moderate

Evidence

What we found

Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety Source
Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
Uses leather in only a few products and doesn't show where it comes from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.

Research notes hummel makes its products through independent suppliers; it names Pakistan as one of its main supplier countries and also sources from Bangladesh, and China made about 20% of its production in 2022, but it publishes no factory list. It has signed the International Accord and its Pakistan Accord, covering building, fire and electrical safety. hummel says it has a good overview of its direct suppliers but is still mapping deeper tiers, lists overtime, unauthorised subcontracting, living wages and forced or child labour as risks, and has published no living wage commitment.

What independent sources say

Source	Result	Details
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report	Not listed	Neither hummel nor its owner Thornico is rated in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report. View

Sources and actions

Sources 7

Show all 7 sources

hummel takes new steps to protect textile workers in Pakistan (SGI Europe) · search the archive · hummel, already an International Accord member, signed the Pakistan Accord; CEO says Pakistan is one of its main supplier countries
hummel company description (Danish Chinese Business Forum) · search the archive · hummel is part of the Thornico Group; China accounted for 20% of its global production in 2022
hummel 5-pack boxers (ASOS Australia) · search the archive · hummel products sold online to Australia via ASOS

Published by hummel or its owner

Identified potential violations (hummel CSR) · search the archive · Names Accord inspections in Bangladesh and Pakistan; overtime, subcontracting, forced and child labour risks; no cases reported
Mapping value chains (hummel CSR) · search the archive · hummel is still mapping suppliers beyond tier 1, starting with bestselling items; no factory list published
CSR Social (hummel) · search the archive · Supplier code of conduct; good overview of tier 1 suppliers but limited view of the wider upstream supply chain
CSR Materials (hummel) · search the archive · Leather used in some styles, from 'certified tanneries' (unnamed); organic and recycled materials GOTS/OCS/GRS/RCS; no cotton share

Company details

Owned by: Thornico Group
Headquarters: Denmark
Last researched: 3 November 2026
Cite this page: Labour Lens, "Is hummel ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/hummel, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method: Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

Better-graded activewear

14 op shops and resale platforms, Good by ruleBuying second-hand or refurbished: Blue Spinach and SWOP Clothing Exchange and 12 more · See them allGood DK ActiveMissing: where its earlier stages happen · Clothing & footwearWomen's activewear and athleisurePays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified WinterluxeMissing: traced raw materials · Clothing & footwearThermal tights and winter activewearPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackVerified Nimble ActivewearMissing: where its earlier stages happen and a named supplier list · Clothing & footwearWomen's activewear and loungewear.Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified

No activewear brand selling new goods is Good yet. These are the strongest so far. Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.

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Something missing or wrong?

Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent hummel.

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