icebreaker
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
New Zealand brand selling merino wool base layers and clothing.
icebreaker can't show that the workers who make its products in Vietnam and Bangladesh 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 3 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and unaudited production 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.
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 rightsMost of its products are made in China, Bangladesh and Cambodia, 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
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listPublishes its supplier list
- Met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeOnly in a few products: cotton
Red flags 2
- 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
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From icebreaker's own disclosure: it publishes its supplier list.
| 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 |
| Bangladesh | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| United States | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| Cambodia | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Italy | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Uses cotton in only a few products, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good. It doesn't show where its cotton comes from. The "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
- Publishes supplier list
- Modern slavery statement
- Traces high-risk raw materials to the mine or farm and fixes problems found
Research notes New Zealand merino brand icebreaker has been owned by VF Corporation since 2018 and was not sold as of 2026. Its wool comes from growers in New Zealand (64%), South Africa (22%) and Australia (14%), and its garments are made by contract factories in China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, the USA and Italy; no factory shares are published. It mapped its whole supply chain in a 2018 transparency report and audits its merino stations, and VF publishes a group factory list, but there is no time-bound living wage target and VF has not signed the International Accord.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Owner VF Corporation scored 46 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 55 in 2024. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Parent VF Corporation scored 66% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, well above the 26% average. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Covered by VF Corporation's FY2026 modern slavery statement (UK, Canada and California laws); no Australian statement naming icebreaker was found on the register. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- VF Corporation - Shop Ethical (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: VF Corporation scored 46/100 (average 31.5); not an Accord signatory (CCC 2025); non-mulesed wool
- VF Corp Form 10-K FY2026 · search the archive · icebreaker remains a VF brand (All Other segment) as of March 2026
- How Icebreaker's first transparency report aims to disrupt the outdoor apparel industry (edie) · search the archive · 2018 report mapped every supply chain partner; all merino stations audited within three years with corrective action plans
- VF Factory List · search the archive · Group factory list updated twice a year, covering all Tier 1 facilities (H1 2026)
- GearJunkie: icebreaker transparency report · search the archive · Wool from New Zealand; processing and yarn spinning in China, Italy and Bulgaria; 40 suppliers, 59 factories, 15 countries
Published by icebreaker or its owner
- icebreaker - Supply chain · search the archive · Wool from NZ 64%, South Africa 22%, Australia 14%; garments made in China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, USA, Cambodia, Italy
- VF Corporation FY2026 Modern Slavery Statement · search the archive · Covers icebreaker; about 216 contract factories in about 24 countries; audit programme; no living wage target
Company details
- Owned by
- VF Corporation
- Headquarters
- New Zealand
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is icebreaker ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/icebreaker, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded outdoor
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent icebreaker.