Suunto
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources
Finnish maker of GPS sports watches and dive computers.
Until Suunto traces its cobalt, gold and tin to the mine, it can't show that the miners who dig them are safe or fairly paid.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It relies on high-risk mined materials it can't trace. That alone means a poor grade until it takes steps to trace them.
- 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 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rights58% of its products are made in China, 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
- 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
- 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: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
- Red flag: Relies on high-risk mined materials it can't trace
- 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
China has the largest share, 58%. Finland is next, at 42%.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 58% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Finland | 42% | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
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.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Modern slavery statement
- 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 In 2025, 58% of Suunto products (sport watches and headsets) were assembled in China at its parent company's factory and 42% (compasses, dive and precision instruments) at its own factory in Vantaa, Finland. The China unit had its first SMETA social audit in 2025, but results beyond finding no forced labour are not published. Suunto is an RMI member and collects conflict minerals reports from suppliers but does not publish a smelter list, and it makes no living wage commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Suunto Oy publishes statements on the UK modern slavery register, most recently for 2025. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | No statement on the Australian register; Suunto's Australian sales go through an independent distributor. View |
| KnowTheChain | Not covered | Not among the large companies assessed in the 2025 KnowTheChain ICT benchmark. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Suunto appoints new Australian distributor (ChannelNews, Sept 2025) · search the archive · Melbourne distributor AUP supplies specialist adventure retailers; also sold on Amazon
Published by Suunto or its owner
- Suunto Modern Slavery Statement 2025-2026 · search the archive · Covers 2025, approved May 2026: 58% assembled in China by parent, 42% in Finland; first SMETA audit; RMI member; 200 staff
- Suunto Sustainability Report 2024 · search the archive · 2024: 63% made in Vantaa, 37% at Suunto Sports Technology (Dongguan); no smelter list or living wage reporting
- SUUNTO OY modern slavery statement summary (2026) · search the archive · Suunto Oy statement on the UK modern slavery register
Company details
- Headquarters
- Finland
- Employees
- About 200
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Suunto ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/suunto, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded phones
Nothing new in phones that we've rated is better than Lacks transparency yet. 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 Suunto.