Kvadrat
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
Danish company making upholstery fabrics, curtains and rugs.
We couldn't confirm where it makes the rest, and most homewares and appliances are made in countries such as China and Vietnam, where the legal minimum is below a living wage.
Better-graded bedding and textiles
Graded higher than Kvadrat, selling the same kinds of things.
No bedding and textiles brand selling new goods is Good yet. These are the strongest so far.
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Compare Kvadrat with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- 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 2 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 India, 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
- 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 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
Kvadrat names some of the countries it makes in: the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Norway. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| United Kingdom | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Netherlands | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Norway | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| PolandUsual for the industry | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
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.
Research notes Kvadrat owns or part-owns weaving mills in England, Norway and the Netherlands; its Wooltex (UK) and Innvik (Norway) mills make about 80% of its woollen fabrics. It also buys from outside suppliers it does not name: 84% of tier 1 suppliers have signed its code, which covers forced and child labour, unions, hours and pay meeting basic needs, but relies on supplier self-assessment rather than audits. No supplier list, audit results or living wage evidence are published, and no labour abuses have been reported.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not listed | No Australian modern slavery statement covers Kvadrat, although it runs showrooms in Melbourne and Perth. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No company profile or labour rights stories about Kvadrat. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion Report does not assess furnishing textile makers. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Kvadrat Business Partner Code of Conduct (2019) · search the archive · Bans forced and child labour, protects unions, caps hours at 48, pay to cover basic needs; supplier self-assessment, no audit clause
- Dezeen: Kvadrat's Wooltex textile factory revealed · search the archive · Kvadrat bought 49% of Wooltex, a Yorkshire UK mill making its textiles, in 2011; finished textiles shipped to Kvadrat's Ebeltoft warehouse
Published by Kvadrat or its owner
- We are Kvadrat (Kvadrat) · search the archive · Kvadrat says it owns weaving mills in England, Norway and the Netherlands
- Our wool classics (Kvadrat) · search the archive · Part-owned mills Wooltex (UK) and Innvik (Norway) make about 80% of its woollen textiles
- Successful Partnerships (Kvadrat) · search the archive · 84% of tier 1 suppliers have signed the Kvadrat Code of Conduct; nine Ambassador suppliers
- Kvadrat Down Under (Kvadrat) · search the archive · Kvadrat showrooms in Melbourne and Perth, with sales teams in Sydney and Brisbane
Company details
- Headquarters
- Denmark
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Kvadrat ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/kvadrat, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Kvadrat.