Urbanista
Lacks transparency. Shows little about where or how its products are made.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Stockholm brand known for solar-charging headphones.
We couldn't find where Urbanista makes most of its wireless headphones and speakers, 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.
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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, 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 Urbanista 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 Urbanista does not say where its products are made or name its factories. Its sustainability page gives only a general pledge to work with suppliers on social risks. Under its former owner STRAX, group products came from third-party suppliers, mostly in South East Asia, under a code based on the RBA's, but there is no current Urbanista-specific supplier list, audit data, modern slavery statement or living wage commitment.
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- STRAX: Divestment of Urbanista for MEUR 25 (December 2023) · search the archive · STRAX sold Urbanista, which it acquired in 2014, to P Capital Partners for about EUR 25m
- Urbanista audio (Bing Lee) · search the archive · Australian electronics chain with physical stores sells Urbanista headphones and speakers
Published by Urbanista or its owner
- Urbanista sustainability · search the archive · General commitment to engage suppliers on social and environmental risks; no factories or countries named
- STRAX Annual Report 2022 · search the archive · Group owned no factories; just over 90% of production in South East Asia; supplier code based on the RBA code
- About Urbanista · search the archive · Brand founded in Stockholm in 2010
Company details
- Headquarters
- Sweden
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Urbanista ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/urbanista, 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 Urbanista.