Labour Lens

S'well

Lacks transparency

Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.

Homewares, furniture & appliances

Partly verified: what this means

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources

New York brand of insulated bottles and tumblers.

There's no proof S'well pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.

See better cookware and tableware options

Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent S'well? Send a right of reply.

Compare S'well with another brand

Why it's graded Lacks transparency

  • Not met: Meets 2 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.

How grades are decided

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 rightsMost 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
  • Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
  • 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 2

  • Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
  • Red flag: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights

Stars it would earn as Good

None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars

Where it's made

S'well says which countries it makes its products in, but doesn't name the factories.

Where it's made, and conditions there
CountryWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
ChinaNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate

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.

Research notes S'well says its bottles are designed in New York and made in China, but it names no factories and publishes no supplier list or audit results. Owner Lifetime Brands sources almost all its products from outside suppliers, primarily in China, and says third-party makers may not meet its workforce standards, but it describes no audit programme or living wage commitment.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion ReportNot coveredBaptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion and Electronics reports do not cover drinkware brands. View
Australian Modern Slavery RegisterNot listedNo Australian modern slavery statement found for S'well or Lifetime Brands. View
Business & Human Rights Resource CentreNot listedNo labour abuse reports involving S'well suppliers were found on the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. View

Sources and actions

Sources 5

Show all 5 sources
  1. Lifetime Brands Form 10-K FY2025 · search the archive · Almost all products sourced abroad, primarily China; S'well listed as an owned brand at end of 2025; no audit programme described
  2. Lifetime Brands acquires S'well (ASI Central, 2022) · search the archive · Lifetime Brands bought S'well in March 2022; founded by Sarah Kauss in 2010
  3. S'well international shipping (Borderoo) · search the archive · S'well does not ship to all countries; Australian buyers directed to a parcel forwarder
  4. S'well (Wikipedia) · search the archive · Headquartered in Manhattan; founded 2010 by Sarah Kauss

Published by S'well or its owner

  1. S'well for Business - FAQ · search the archive · Bottles designed in New York City and 'responsibly made in China'

Company details

Headquarters
United States
Last researched
3 November 2026
Cite this page
Labour Lens, "Is S'well ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/swell, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method
Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

Better-graded cookware and tableware

NachtmannHomewares, furniture & appliancesMachine-made crystal glassware and giftwareMakes its products in its own factories in Germany, where legal wages are close to a living wage.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Open supply chain3 starsRiedelHomewares, furniture & appliancesWine glasses and decantersMakes its products in its own factories in Germany and Austria, where legal wages are close to a living wage.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Open supply chain3 starsMud AustraliaHomewares, furniture & appliancesHandmade porcelain tablewareMakes its products in its own factories in Australia, where legal wages are close to a living wage.GoodPartly verified

See every cookware and tableware brand

Something missing or wrong?

Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent S'well.

Send evidenceSend a right of reply