Shokz
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
Maker of bone-conduction sports headphones.
There's no proof Shokz pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
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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, a hidden, unaudited supply chain 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 rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as China and Malaysia, 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 confirmed child or forced labour findings or linksAn unconfirmed report of forced labour is listed below. It doesn't affect the grade.
- 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: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights
- 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
From press and retailer reports; Shokz doesn't say where its products are made. The rest is shown as where electronics are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| TaiwanUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| South KoreaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | 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 Shokz headphones are mostly made in Shenzhen, China: a 2026 factory visit showed assembly at a plant of contract manufacturer Luxshare and silicone parts made at a Shokz-owned subsidiary; a few products are reportedly made in Vietnam. Shokz publishes no supplier list, modern slavery statement, supplier code, audit results, conflict minerals report or wage commitment, and is not an RBA member. It is not named in ASPI's 2020 Uyghurs for Sale report.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | No current Baptist World Aid electronics rating: the Electronics Industry Report series ended in 2016 and did not grade this brand. View |
| KnowTheChain | Not covered | KnowTheChain's 2025 ICT benchmark assesses the largest listed ICT companies; Shokz is not among them. 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.
- A 2021 report by The Information, covered by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, said contract manufacturer Luxshare received hundreds of Xinjiang workers through state labour programmes at sites elsewhere in China; the sites were not named and Shokz products were not linked to them. Source
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Apple suppliers accused of using alleged forced labor from Xinjiang (BHRRC, 2021) · search the archive · Report that Luxshare received Xinjiang workers through state labour programmes at unnamed sites outside Xinjiang
- Uyghurs for sale (ASPI, 2020) · search the archive · ASPI's report on Uyghur labour transfers; Shokz is not among the brands named
- Who Owns Shokz And Where Are The Headphones Made? (BGR) · search the archive · Founder-led Chinese company; most production in Shenzhen, a few products reportedly in Vietnam; US arm in Austin
- Shokz earphone R&D and manufacturing sites (Phile-web, July 2026) · search the archive · Assembly line at a Luxshare contract plant in Shenzhen; silicone made by Shokz subsidiary; nearly 100 staff on earbud line
- Shenzhen Shokz (WIPO Magazine, 2022) · search the archive · Shokz is a Shenzhen-based bone-conduction audio company
- Shokz deals (OzBargain) · search the archive · Sold in Australia by JB Hi-Fi, The Good Guys, Costco and its own shokz.com.au
Company details
- Headquarters
- China
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Shokz ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/shokz, 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
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Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Shokz.