Spiegelau
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
Riedel-owned Bavarian brand of wine and beer glasses.
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.
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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
- Met: Respects worker rights
- 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
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- 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 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 Riedel family's supplier list, which covers Spiegelau and its sister brands. Spiegelau publishes no breakdown of its own, so the countries shown are the group's. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| 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 |
| 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.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Shows where its earlier production stages happen (materials and components), and they're in low-risk countries or independently audited
Research notes Spiegelau glasses are made in the Riedel group's own Bavarian factories, mainly at Amberg, which the group says chiefly produces Spiegelau, and retail listings give Germany as the country of origin. Riedel publishes no social audits, wage data or modern slavery statement, though Germany has strong labour laws. Some collections may be made elsewhere; only Germany is named. No labour abuse reports involving Spiegelau were found.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Not listed | Glassware from Germany is not on the US Department of Labor list of goods made with child or forced labour. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not listed | No Riedel group statement appears on the Australian Modern Slavery Register. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Modern Slavery Register search: riedel · search the archive · No Riedel group statement on the Australian register
- Riedel to invest 40 million in German sites (Glass International, 2016) · search the archive · Riedel's Amberg site in Bavaria primarily produces Spiegelau glasses
- Spiegelau Definition universal glass set of 6 (Kitchen Warehouse) · search the archive · Made in Germany; sold by Kitchen Warehouse stores with click and collect
- Riedel: tasting the difference with the right wine glass (Pictet, 2023) · search the archive · Riedel group's machine-made glasses produced in its Bavarian factories
- Bayern Innovativ: Nachtmann GmbH · search the archive · Nachtmann GmbH makes crystal glass for the Riedel, Spiegelau and Nachtmann brands at two Bavarian sites, Weiden and Amberg
- Riedel, Nachtmann and Spiegelau press archive (Pressglas-Korrespondenz, 2008) · search the archive · Riedel bought Nachtmann, incl. Spiegelau, in 2004; hand production at the Spiegelau village works ended in 2008
Company details
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Spiegelau ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/spiegelau, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded cookware and tableware
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Spiegelau.