Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources
Sydney sailing and watersports brand.
We couldn't confirm where Zhik makes most of its sailing wetsuits, boots and apparel.
Also worth knowing
Most clothes and shoes are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where pay is usually below a living wage and unions are heavily restricted.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden, unaudited supply chain, probably in high-risk countries. 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 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsWhere clothes and shoes are usually made, such as China and Bangladesh, 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 (cotton and natural rubber) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeOnly in a few products: cotton and natural rubber
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, probably 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
We couldn't confirm where Zhik makes most of its products, so this shows where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 30% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | 20% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 15% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Cambodia | 8% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Türkiye | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| Indonesia | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Pakistan | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Uses cotton and natural rubber in only a few products, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good. It doesn't show where they come from. The "Open supply chain" star needs all of them traced, certified or upcycled.
- Uses recycled metals or fibres
Research notes Zhik does not say where its products are made and publishes no supplier list, code of conduct, audit results or wage information; it is too small to have to publish an Australian modern slavery statement. Its public sustainability claims cover materials only: recycled Repreve and Polartec fibres, PFC-free coatings, and plant-based Yulex natural rubber in its X wetsuit range, while most wetsuits still use neoprene. The range is mainly synthetic, with little cotton.
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Zhik bolsters register, launches $4 million raise (Stockhead) · search the archive · Sydney-based, privately held, backed by Nightingale Partners since 2013
- Zhik capital raise (Marine Business News, 2023) · search the archive · Sold through retailers and distributors with direct distribution in Australia; warehouse in Australia; no factories named
- Zhik's naturally sourced rubber (Seahorse via PressMare, 2024) · search the archive · New X wetsuit range uses Yulex natural rubber instead of neoprene; source country not given
- Zhik - Sustainability Tracker · search the archive · Repreve and Polartec recycled fibres; Yulex from FSC-certified trees; PFC-free XWR; no production countries or labour policies
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Zhik ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/zhik, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded outdoor
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 Zhik.