Norrøna
On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
Family-owned Norwegian brand of technical outdoor clothing.
Norrøna makes its technical outdoor and ski clothing in six countries, including Vietnam and China, partly in its own factories, 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.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Norrøna? Send a right of reply.
Compare Norrøna with another brand
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.
- Checks its own supply chain. Norrøna looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found a labour rights breach in 2024, unsafe conditions in 2024 and unpaid or underpaid wages in 2024 and is fixing them, so they don't count 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 rightsIts own checks found problems with workers' rights or safety, which it is fixing. That's listed below and doesn't count against the grade.
- 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 0
None counted. Problems it found itself and is fixing are listed below.
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Gives workers a real voice |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Accreditations 1
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Norrøna's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.
Jackets & coats, Pants & trousers, Shorts, T-shirts, Knitwear, Activewear, Hats: On Track, the same as Norrøna overall, because nothing we know differs between them.
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where it's made
From Norrøna's own disclosure: it publishes its supplier list.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | 36% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | 24% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Lithuania | Not given | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| Portugal | Not given | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Spain | Not given | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Thailand | Not given | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
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
- Public plan to pay a living wage within 5 years, or with measurable steps due within 5 years
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
Research notes Fair Wear member since 2024, with a first Brand Performance Check (2025) benchmarking score of 50. In 2024, 42% of volume was made in Vietnam and 28% in China; its published list of 21 factories also covers Portugal, Spain, Thailand and its own factory in Kaunas, Lithuania (fleece, mid-layers and baselayers), with no split for the rest. No assessed factory paid a living wage; its 2029 Responsibility Roadmap commits to a living wage for all value chain workers by 2029. Sold in Australia through ski retailer Larry Adler and online through END.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fair Wear | Member | Fair Wear member since 2024; first Brand Performance Check (2025) gives a benchmarking score of 50. View |
| Ethical Clothing Australia | Not listed | Not in the Ethical Clothing Australia brand directory. View |
| B Corp directory | Not listed | No B Corp certification is referenced in company or third-party sources. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No supply chain labour allegations against Norrøna surfaced. View |
Confirmed issues 3
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 | Fair Wear and Better Work assessments in 2024 found excessive overtime at five of seven Norrøna supplier factories in China and Vietnam (Norrøna Transparency Act Report 2024). Source · search the archiveFound and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | PartlyCorrective action plans set up with the factories; Norrøna ran its first Fair Wear worker and management training at a Chinese factory in 2024. |
| 2024 | The same 2024 assessments found blocked fire exits, missing fire and construction permits and a lack of protective equipment at supplier factories, mainly in China and Vietnam (Norrøna Transparency Act Report 2024). Source · search the archiveFound and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | PartlyFindings tracked through corrective action plans; closure not reported. |
| 2024 | In 2024 two factories did not pay workers during downtime, some workers lacked social security, one factory had a flawed wage calculation system, and two worker complaints about unpaid wages were filed with Fair Wear (Norrøna Transparency Act Report 2024). Source · archived copyFound and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | PartlyTwo Fair Wear helpline complaints about unpaid wages were resolved through factory dialogue; other wage findings are under corrective action plans. |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Fair Wear: Norrøna Sport AS brand page · archived copy · Member since 2024; benchmarking score 50 (62% / 33% / 78% sub-scores); Brand Performance Check 2025 published 25 March 2026; no category shown.
- Bettertrail: Norrøna sustainability · search the archive · Fair Wear member since 2024; publishes factory details on its website; bluesign partner; RDS-certified down.
- END. Clothing Australia: Norrøna · search the archive · Norrøna products sold to Australia in AUD.
- Larry Adler: Why Norrøna is the hottest technical ski gear for Australian skiers (Oct 2025) · search the archive · Australian ski retailer Larry Adler sells Norrøna's Lofoten range.
Published by Norrøna or its owner
- Norrøna Transparency Act Report 2024 · search the archive · Vietnam 42% and China 28% of 2024 volume; 19 tier 1 manufacturers; own factory in Lithuania; seven assessments with overtime, health and safety and wage findings; no factory paying a living wage; two resolved Fair Wear complaints; 116 head-office staff; family-owned since 1929.
- Norrøna: Our factories · search the archive · Lists 21 factories in China, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, Thailand and Vietnam, including the Norrøna Factory in Lithuania.
- Norrøna: Responsibility roadmap · search the archive · Goal 8: all workers in its value chain (tiers 1-4) earn a fair/living wage; all 10 goals due by its 100-year anniversary in 2029.
Company details
- Headquarters
- Norway
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Norrøna ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/norrona, 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
Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Norrøna.