Lacks transparency. Shows little about where or how its products are made.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Californian brand of low-cost wireless earbuds and headphones.
We couldn't find where JLab makes most of its budget earbuds, headphones and speakers, 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 JLab 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 JLab does not say where its products are made and publishes no supplier list or factory audit results. Its parent Noritsu Koki has a group procurement code; in 2025 it sent a self-assessment questionnaire to 104 business partners and found 17 high risk. Its UK anti-slavery statement (FY2025) says group products are made at subsidiary plants and contract manufacturers 'primarily in China and Southeast Asia', but does not mention JLab. JLab has no living wage commitment, and no labour abuse reports linked to its suppliers were found.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Not rated by Baptist World Aid; its Electronics Industry Report ended in 2016 and did not cover JLab. View |
| KnowTheChain | Not covered | Not among the large ICT companies assessed in the 2025 KnowTheChain ICT benchmark. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Parent Noritsu Koki publishes a UK anti-slavery statement (FY2025, March 2026) for its AlphaTheta unit; it does not mention JLab. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- JLab acquired in $370M deal (San Diego Business Journal, 2021) · search the archive · Noritsu Koki bought JLab for $370 million; teams stay in San Diego area
- Noritsu Koki: Procurement activities (sustainability) · search the archive · 2025 SAQ sent to 104 partners, 98% response, 17 high-risk partners identified
- JLab Go Air Pop prices (BuyWisely) · search the archive · JLab earbuds sold in Australia by JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, Domayne and Telstra
- JLab Audio (Wikipedia) · search the archive · Carlsbad, California headphone and speaker brand; acquired by Noritsu in 2021
Published by JLab or its owner
- Noritsu Koki / AlphaTheta Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement FY2025 · search the archive · March 2026 statement: group products made at subsidiary plants and contract manufacturers mainly in China and Southeast Asia; JLab not named
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is JLab ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/jlab, 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 JLab.