UAG (Urban Armor Gear)
Lacks transparency. Shows little about where or how its products are made.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Californian brand of rugged phone and tablet cases.
We couldn't find where UAG (Urban Armor Gear) makes most of its rugged phone and laptop cases, a certification covering its range or a list of its suppliers.
Also worth knowing
Most electronics are made in countries such as China and Vietnam, where pay is usually below a living wage.
Better-graded phones
Graded higher than UAG (Urban Armor Gear), selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.
No phones brand selling new goods is Good yet. This is the strongest so far. Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent UAG (Urban Armor Gear)? Send a right of reply.
Compare UAG (Urban Armor Gear) with another brand
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, unaudited production, probably 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 rightsWhere electronics are usually made, such as China and Malaysia, 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: Probably 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 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
We couldn't confirm where UAG (Urban Armor Gear) makes most of its products, so this shows where electronics are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 55% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 15% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Taiwan | 10% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Malaysia | 8% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| South Korea | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| India | 5% | 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 UAG does not say where its products are made, name its factories or publish a supplier code, audit results, modern slavery statement or conflict minerals report. Its About page covers only product durability. US shipping records show shipments from Dongguan, China, but the company itself discloses no production countries. No living wage commitment is published, and no labour abuse reports linked to the brand were found.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Phone accessory brands like UAG are not assessed by Baptist World Aid; its Electronics Industry Report series ended in 2016. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | UAG is a US company with no statement on the Australian Modern Slavery Register. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- HKW Buys Urban Armor Gear (PE Professional, 2018) · search the archive · Hammond, Kennedy, Whitney & Company acquired Laguna Niguel, California based Urban Armor Gear in August 2018
- UAG completes acquisition of Nomad Goods (Business Wire, 2026) · search the archive · HKW is named as UAG's financial sponsor in April 2026; release does not say where UAG products are made
- Urban Armor Gear shipments (Panjiva) · search the archive · US import record from 2020 shows a UAG shipment from Dongguan, China via Yantian
- UAG iPhone accessories (JB Hi-Fi) · search the archive · JB Hi-Fi, an Australian chain with physical stores, sells a range of UAG iPhone cases and accessories
Published by UAG (Urban Armor Gear) or its owner
- About Us | UAG Australia · search the archive · Founded in Orange County, California in 2012; makes cases for phones, tablets and laptops; no manufacturing or supply chain information
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is UAG (Urban Armor Gear) ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/urban-armor-gear, 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 UAG (Urban Armor Gear).