Teenage Engineering
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
Stockholm company designing synthesisers.
Until Teenage Engineering 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 1 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 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 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
Press and retailer reports name China, Czechia and Spain. 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 |
| Czechia | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| Spain | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| 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 Teenage Engineering makes products in several countries: its EP-133 K.O. II sampler is built in a Barcelona factory it designed with a partner, retail listings give China as the origin of Pocket Operators and the Czech Republic for the OB-4 speaker. It publishes no supplier list, audit results, supplier code of conduct or living wage commitment. No production split is disclosed; an older profile said all products were made in Sweden.
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- How Teenage Engineering Designed a Barcelona Factory to Build Its New K.O. II Sampler (iFixit, 2024) · search the archive · The EP-133 K.O. II is built in a Barcelona factory; the Stockholm line only tests processes and does not manufacture
- Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator PO-33 (MoMA Design Store) · search the archive · Product listing gives the Pocket Operator's origin as China
- Teenage Engineering OB-4 Portable Bluetooth Speaker (MoMA Design Store) · search the archive · Product listing gives the OB-4's origin as the Czech Republic
- Manufacturer profile: Teenage Engineering (Performer Magazine) · search the archive · Older profile stating all Teenage Engineering products were made in Sweden
- Teenage Engineering Australia (Turramurra Music) · search the archive · Sydney music shop with a physical store selling Teenage Engineering products
- Specialised in synths, Teenage Engineering wants to drop synths (Journal du Geek, 2026) · search the archive · Founder-led company with about 100 employees and roughly $46 million annual revenue
Company details
- Headquarters
- Sweden
- Employees
- About 100
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Teenage Engineering ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/teenage-engineering, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Teenage Engineering.