Montane
On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
British brand of lightweight outdoor clothing.
Montane makes its lightweight technical outdoor apparel in four countries, with about 41% in Vietnam and 34% in Bangladesh, and publishes its supplier list.
Also worth knowing
It's working towards a living wage through its Fair Wear membership, which requires a living wage plan, but can't yet show workers are paid one.
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Why it's graded On Track
- Not met: Meets 5 of 6 Good requirements.
- Working towards a living wage. That's enough for On Track, but Good needs proof that workers are paid one.
- Met: No red flags.
- Independently checked. Montane belongs to Fair Wear, which checks its factories. Fair Wear found unpaid or underpaid wages in 2023, and Montane is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. Montane also found unpaid or underpaid wages in 2024 itself, but hasn't shown it's fixing it, so that counts against the grade. They're listed below under Confirmed issues.
Good requirements 5 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: working towards one
- Met: Respects worker rights
- 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 (such as cotton and leather) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
Red flags 0
None found.
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Gives workers a real voice | |
| Open supply chain |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Accreditations 1
Where it's made
Vietnam has the largest share, 41%. Bangladesh is next, at 34%.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | 41% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | 34% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | 17% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Cambodia | 8% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as cotton and leather) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
- Publishes supplier list
- Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety Source
- Uses little or no cotton (e.g. wool, linen or leather products)
Research notes Montane's clothing is made by about 19 independent factories in Vietnam, Bangladesh, China and Cambodia, having left India and Indonesia in 2024-25; Bangladesh was 34% of spend, and other shares shown are by factory count. It is a Fair Wear Leader, publishes all its factories and signed the International Accord, but its own report shows several factories not yet paying a living wage, with no time-bound target, and 77% of factories audited in the past three years.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fair Wear | Member | Fair Wear member since 2019; reached Leader status in its FY24 Brand Performance Check, with a benchmarking score of 70 in the October 2025 check. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not listed | Montane is not rated in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (11th edition). View |
Confirmed issues 2
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Montane's 2025 social report found discrepancies in recorded working hours affecting wages at one of its Chinese garment factories (Montane, 2025). Source · search the archiveFound by the company, fix not shown The company found and published this itself but hasn't shown it is fixing it, so it counts against the grade. | Not knownReported in Montane's own 2025 social report; no outcome for affected workers stated. |
| 2023 | A worker complaint over severance pay at a Montane supplier in Vietnam was raised in Montane's 2024 financial year and remediated (Montane, 2025). Source · search the archiveFound by a scheme it belongs to, being fixed Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because an independent scheme it chose to join found it. | YesMontane reports the severance complaint was remediated (Montane social report, 2025). |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Montane - Fair Wear · search the archive · Member since 2019; Brand Performance Check dated October 2025, benchmarking score 70
- Ethical Fashion Guide 2026 (Baptist World Aid) · search the archive · 2026 (11th edition) list of rated brands does not include Montane
- Montane Social Report 2025 · search the archive · 21 factories in FY25 (VN 10, CN 4, BD 3, KH 2; IN, ID exited); BD 34% of spend; all disclosed; 77% audited; China hours issue; Vietnam complaint fixed
- Inverleith takes majority stake in Montane (grough, 2020) · search the archive · Edinburgh investment firm Inverleith took a majority stake in Northumberland-based Montane in 2020
- Montane announces strategic investment partnership (Retail Times, May 2025) · search the archive · MT Holdings (HK), its China distributor, took a stake in Montane; Inverleith remains lead investor
- Montane Gecko Vest at Backpacking Light Australia · search the archive · Melbourne outdoor shop (Little Bourke St) sells new Montane gear in AUD
Published by Montane or its owner
- Ethical Trading at Montane · search the archive · Fair Wear member; initial signatory of the International Accord; discloses all manufacturers via Open Supply Hub
Company details
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Montane ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/montane, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What On Track means
Better-graded outdoor
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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Montane.