Mountain Hardwear
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Brand of technical outdoor clothing, tents and packs.
Mountain Hardwear 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.
Better-graded outdoor
Graded higher than Mountain Hardwear, selling the same kinds of things.
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Compare Mountain Hardwear with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 4 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 4 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in Vietnam, Bangladesh and India.
- 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 (leather) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeOnly in a few products: leather
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Columbia Sportswear's supplier list, which covers Mountain Hardwear and its sister brands. Mountain Hardwear publishes no breakdown of its own, so these are group-wide shares. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | 37% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | 33% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 12% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Indonesia | 11% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | 4% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Uses leather in only a few products, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good. It doesn't show where its leather comes from. The "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
- Publishes supplier list
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Modern slavery statement
- Uses little or no cotton (e.g. wool, linen or leather products)
Research notes Mountain Hardwear shares Columbia Sportswear's sourcing: no owned factories, and the shares shown are Columbia's group-wide 2025 figures for apparel, accessories and equipment (16 countries, mainly Vietnam 35%, Bangladesh 30%, Indonesia and India 10% each); no brand-level split is published. Columbia publishes its supplier factories and runs its own and third-party audits, but has no living wage commitment and has not signed the International Accord. Worker Rights Consortium findings at Columbia suppliers (Indonesia 2026, India 2018) concerned Columbia-brand goods, not Mountain Hardwear specifically.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not listed | Neither Mountain Hardwear nor owner Columbia Sportswear Company appears in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Parent Columbia Sportswear Company scored 37% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, above the 26% average. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Covered by Columbia Sportswear Company's joint UK/Canada/California statement for 2025, which names Mountain Hardwear and reports 343 Tier 1 audits; no living wage commitment. View |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- Shop Ethical says Sheffield Hallam University's 2021 'Laundering Cotton' report covers brands owned by Columbia Sportswear, which include Mountain Hardwear, without naming the brand or supplier; the link has not been confirmed in the report itself (ethical.org.au, 2021). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Columbia Sportswear - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Covers Mountain Hardwear; FTI 2023 37%; Transparency Pledge aligned; not an Accord signatory; Laundering Cotton 2021 link
- Mountain Hardwear - Good On You · search the archive · Mostly technical synthetics with RDS down; uses some leather; no evidence of living wage payment
- Columbia Sportswear Form 10-K FY2025 · search the archive · No owned factories; 2025 apparel, accessories and equipment from 16 countries: VN 35%, BD 30%, ID 10%, IN 10%; Mountain Hardwear is technical gear
Published by Mountain Hardwear or its owner
- Columbia Sportswear joint supply chain statement RY2025 · search the archive · Names Mountain Hardwear among four brands; global compliance programme; 343 Tier 1 and 200 Tier 2 audits; no living wage commitment
- Mountain Hardwear international sites · search the archive · Country sites for US, Canada, Chile, Japan, Israel and parts of Europe; no Australian site or distributor listed
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Mountain Hardwear ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/mountain-hardwear, 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 Mountain Hardwear.