Sudio
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Stockholm audio brand selling wireless earbuds.
There's no proof Sudio 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 child or forced labour findings or links
- 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 product labels; Sudio 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 Sudio's products are labelled "Swedish design, made in China", and Australian retailer listings give China as the country of manufacture; one product manual names the Chinese maker Siyoto. Sudio publishes no supplier list, supplier code of conduct, audit results or modern slavery statement, and makes no living wage commitment. Its sustainability claims cover recycled plastics and FSC-certified packaging, not factory working conditions.
What independent sources say
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Sudio N2 TWS earbuds (Officeworks) · search the archive · Sold by Officeworks in Australia; country of manufacture: China.
- Sudio A1 TWS earbuds (Officeworks) · search the archive · Country of manufacture: China.
- Sudio R4 over-ear headphones (THE ICONIC) · search the archive · Sudio headphones sold online by Australian retailer THE ICONIC.
- Sudio highlights sustainable approach to inflight audio (PAX International, 2025) · search the archive · Stockholm-based, making audio products since 2012; recycled plastics and FSC-certified packaging.
Published by Sudio or its owner
- Sudio KLAR user manual (Sudio support) · search the archive · "Swedish design, made in China"; manufacturer listed as Siyoto, China; Sudio AB, Stockholm.
Company details
- Headquarters
- Sweden
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Sudio ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/sudio, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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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 Sudio.