How Sustainable is Fjallraven?
Average Sustainability Score
Excellent
In March, Fjallraven was recognized by consumers as the most sustainable brand in Sweden for the sixth consecutive year. But how does its actual performance stack up against perception? From reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to replacing virgin fabrics with recycled ones, the brand continues to make impressive progress toward minimizing its environmental impact. Fjallraven was also one of the first outdoor brands to phase out intentionally added PFAS from its supply chain—10 years before Patagonia, in fact. Read on to see how this brand remains one of the outdoor industry’s sustainability leaders.
This sustainability analysis evaluates both product- and brand-level initiatives to capture the full scope of Fjallraven's efforts to reduce its environmental impact. Our research draws from Fjallraven's published sustainability data, third-party certifications (a cornerstone of our process), and correspondence with brand representatives. We have independently researched over a dozen Fjallraven products to date and counting, giving us a broad understanding of the brand’s use of low-impact materials, chemistry, and manufacturing practices.
You can explore our analyses of other outdoor brands, or use our advanced search to find products that align with your sustainability values.
Fjallraven receives an “Excellent” rating for its transparency surrounding sustainability initiatives. The company provides thorough information about sustainability features and low-impact materials on individual product pages on its website, including a section titled “Environmental Info.” Although Fjallraven’s annual impact report is shorter than most, it effectively communicates the brand’s progress while identifying areas for improvement. The report includes long-term greenhouse gas emissions data and details Fjallraven’s progress toward reducing the carbon intensity of its products. Public-facing sustainability pages also feature clear and useful information about the brand’s practices. Finally, representatives at the brand have been highly responsive to our inquiries, filling in gaps in sustainability information as needed.
Fjallraven earns its place among the most sustainable brands in the industry for its use of recycled materials. Recycled synthetic fabrics come with a lower carbon footprint than their virgin alternatives, and they’re a key component of Fjallraven’s greenhouse gas reduction plan. In 2024, the brand used approximately 80% recycled polyester and nylon by weight across its product line, up from 74% and 58%, respectively, in 2023. Fjallraven aims to use 90% recycled polyester by the end of 2025. For comparison, The North Face—another leading brand in this area—used 95% recycled polyester and 80% recycled nylon during the same year.
In total, about three-quarters of the materials Fjallraven used in 2024 were “preferred,” meaning they have a lower environmental footprint than their conventional alternatives. Converting virgin fibers to recycled ones accounts for a significant share of the brand’s progress toward using entirely preferred materials. Of the Fjallraven products we’ve researched, all incorporate recycled content, supporting the brand’s claims.
Unlike many other leading outdoor brands, Fjallraven does not participate in the Bluesign system, which ensures textiles and products meet strict standards for chemical safety, emissions, and environmental responsibility. Instead, Fjallraven manages chemicals through its own systems under the guidance of the Swedish Chemicals Group, which provides the brand with up-to-date research and legal requirements for chemical use. Though Fjallraven does not source Bluesign-approved materials, the brand’s parent company, Fenix Outdoor, adheres to a comprehensive Restricted Substances List, updated annually to reflect changes in research and legislation. The brand takes a precautionary approach to chemical management, aiming to keep harmful substances out of its supply chain. Fjallraven’s suppliers test for restricted substances, and the brand tests finished products for chemical compliance.
In 2009, Fjallraven began its journey to phase out PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, from its supply chain. PFAS were once a standard ingredient in waterproof gear, but due to their harmful health and environmental impacts, states like California and New York banned them in 2025. Most outdoor brands timed their PFAS phase-outs in response to California’s legislation, but Fjallraven was well ahead of the curve. The brand launched its first PFAS-free shell material in 2011, and by 2015, it had eliminated all intentionally added PFAS from its fabrics.
Notably, Fjallraven completed its PFAS phase-out 10 years earlier than Patagonia, Arc’teryx, and The North Face. Still, the brand has struggled with PFAS cross-contamination—for example, Greenpeace found PFAS in Fjallraven’s first Eco-Shell, initially marketed as PFAS free. In 2023, the brand’s zipper supplier discovered PFAS in the paint used on its zipper sliders, which Fjallraven eliminated by 2024. Overall, though, we applaud the brand’s leadership in responsible chemistry and transparency into the issue of cross-contamination.
Many brands rely on the Textile Exchange’s third-party certifications to ensure that animal products and natural fibers are traceable, ethically sourced, and low-impact. Fjallraven, however, uses an internal framework to ensure these fibers meet similar standards. In 2014, Fjallraven launched the “Down Promise” to ensure that all of its down is sourced as a byproduct of the meat industry and from animals raised according to high animal welfare standards. After reviewing Fjallraven’s down standard, which includes continuous audits of suppliers and contractors, Better Trail believes it is just as rigorous as the Responsible Down Standard.
A year later, Fjallraven launched its “Wool Promise” to ensure that all the wool it uses comes from sheep that have not been mulesed. In this case, Fjallraven adopted the ZQ Standard, which many brands use to ensure the welfare of sheep and the land they graze on. Unfortunately, in early 2025, it was brought to Fjallraven’s attention that animals at one of its supplier farms were being mistreated, despite the farm’s participation in the ZQ system. As a result, the brand is pausing its Wool Promise until it resolves animal welfare issues in its supply chain.
Over the past three years, Fjallraven has used approximately 95% organic cotton in its products. Growing cotton using organic practices reduces the crop’s chemical impacts, and we appreciate Fjallraven’s progress toward sourcing more responsible cotton.
Since 2018, Fjallraven’s parent company, Fenix Outdoor, has been an accredited member of the Fair Labor Association. Accredited members of the Fair Labor Association are audited and accredited every three years according to its responsible sourcing and production principles, and accreditation indicates that a brand meets international standards for labor rights and continually strives to enhance working conditions and protect workers’ rights. The process is rigorous, ensuring that brands continuously uphold standards. Because Fenix is accredited to Fair Labor Association standards, it meets our responsible manufacturing criteria. Additionally, Fjallraven’s supplier code of conduct is aligned with the Fair Labor Association's workplace code of conduct, which addresses human rights, animal welfare, environmental protections, and sustainable development.
Compared to other brands, Fjallraven has made significant progress in reducing the environmental impact of its packaging. In 2015, Fjallraven began using 80-100% recycled plastic mailers to ship its apparel and backpacks. In an effort to decrease waste, the mailers are designed to be reused for returns. Notably, in 2024, Fjallraven began using right-size poly mailers, which are custom-made to size for each product, thereby reducing plastic use. The brand also reduced the thickness of its mailers to further cut down on plastic, and all of the brand’s poly bags are made from fully recycled materials. Note that while we appreciate these efforts, curbside recycling options for plastic mailers and poly bags remain limited.
Fjallraven is also making efforts to use sustainably-sourced paper products. The boxes used in its U.S. distribution centers are made with 50% recycled content, with all virgin fibers sourced for Forest Stewardship Council-certified materials, ensuring that paper comes from responsibly managed forests. Additionally, we love that all of Fjallraven’s hang tags are made of recycled paper. All in all, although the brand could further reduce its plastic use, we commend Fjallraven for its efforts to minimize its packaging footprint.
Fjallraven offers substantial repair services through its limited lifetime warranty program, but does not cover issues that fall outside of its warranty. Its warranty covers repairs for manufacturer defects, including split seams and broken buttons, snaps, zippers, and buckles. The brand can also handle issues like panel replacements and patching—but warranty coverage does not extend to wear-and-tear issues like rips, holes, fabric abrasion, discoloration, or pilling. In 2023, the brand fulfilled repairs for approximately 3,500 products in North America, and in 2024, it continued its upward trend, repairing over 4,000 products.
Repair services were once available at almost two-thirds of Fjallraven stores but are now only offered at the brand’s flagship locations, located in Boston, Boulder, Chicago, Denver, New York, and Seattle. If you don’t live near one of those locations, the brand accepts repairs via mail (you are responsible for shipping costs). These repairs are processed at two regional repair centers, located in Colorado and Canada. Fjallraven centralized repairs to ensure that it has the right tools and materials to restore its products, aiming to complete repairs more efficiently while expanding its services.
We appreciate that Fjallraven will also repair used products purchased through its Pre-Loved program or verified partners, such as REI Garage Sale. Additionally, the brand offers replacement parts for many products through its warranty program, which can be requested on its warranty request page. Finally, Fjallraven publishes a variety of care and repair guides on its site to help you keep products in use longer.
In 2024, Fjallraven launched Pre-Loved, an online resale platform for used Fjallraven gear. The program is currently only available in the continental United States and remains small in scale; still, in its first year, almost 1,000 used products were sold on the site. Instead of shipping your used gear back to the brand, Fjallraven allows you to list the gear on its website and then ship the item directly to the buyer with a prepaid shipping label. The brand offers a recommended listing price based on the item's condition and original value, but you set the asking price. Once your product sells, you can choose if you want 70% of the sale price in cash or 100% in Fjallraven store credit. As of 2025, you can list bags, accessories, and apparel on the site.
The brand briefly offered an in-store takeback program for Fjallraven gear to gain insight into the secondhand market for Fjallraven gear prior to launching its Pre-Loved program. The program is no longer active, but Fjallraven continues to evaluate takeback options as its re-commerce platform grows. Currently, however, it does not have plans to offer recycling services for its products.
Fjallraven began tracking its greenhouse gas emissions using the Greenhouse Gas Protocol in 2019 and has since made significant progress toward reducing its carbon footprint. The brand’s parent company, Fenix Outdoor, set the target of reducing its Scope 1 and 2 emissions (emissions from owned assets and purchased electricity) by 40% by 2025. It also aimed for a 50% reduction in carbon intensity in the Scope 3 category, which encompasses emissions from the brand’s supply chain (typically around 95% of a brand’s total emissions). Although a carbon intensity target is a good start, we consider absolute emissions reduction goals to be the gold standard because these goals decouple business growth from total emissions. Additionally, although Fenix’s targets are aligned with the Science Based Targets Initiative guidance, they have not been verified by the organization. Unlike many outdoor brands, Fenix has not yet set a long-term net-zero emissions target. It plans to publish its 2030 emissions strategy in 2026.
In 2024, Fjallraven reported that it had reduced its net emissions by almost 25% compared to its baseline year—a notable achievement, given that many outdoor brands have yet to make any reduction in their emissions despite lofty targets. The brand has made some progress in reducing its carbon intensity (measured in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per product), but unfortunately, it fell short of its target to reduce its carbon intensity by 50% by 2025. In 2024, Fjallraven emitted just over 40,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e), with a carbon intensity of 5 kilograms of CO2e per product. We’re impressed with both Fjallraven and Fenix’s thorough emissions reporting, data transparency, and progress toward reducing their footprints.
Our team loves Fjallraven’s highly detailed, data-driven annual impact report, which describes the brand’s sustainability progress over time. The report is bite-sized in length when compared to others we have seen from leading brands, but nonetheless covers nearly all of our sustainability criteria. It highlights Fjallraven’s efforts to utilize recycled or responsibly sourced materials, with multiyear statistics on its use of recycled polyester and nylon, preferred wool, and organic cotton. It also details Fjallraven’s journey to phase out PFAS and other harmful chemicals from its products—and the challenges it has faced in the process. We appreciate that the report features high-quality statistics describing Fjallraven’s greenhouse gas emissions over the past several years. Notably, Fjallraven is owned by Fenix Outdoor, which also publishes an annual corporate sustainability report.
Fenix Outdoor is a member of the Outdoor Industry Association Climate Action Corps, a group of brands that are working to cut the outdoor industry’s emissions in half by 2030, with the aim of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Additionally, in 2019, Fjallraven established the Arctic Fox Initiative, which awards grants to nonprofits to protect the environment and encourage people to spend time in nature. In honor of its namesake, the initiative has supported Stockholm University’s Save the Arctic Fox project since the program’s inception.
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These products are among the most sustainable on the market and earn our Better Trail Certified distinction. They often meet 80% or more of our sustainability criteria for their category.
These products are solid, middle-of-the-pack options for sustainability. In general, they meet at least half of our sustainability criteria for their category.
These products are among the least sustainable in their product category and have significant room for improvement. Most meet about 25% or less of our sustainability criteria.
Better Trail Certified Process
The world of sustainability can be murky, but Better Trail is here to help bring clarity. We’ve exhaustively researched thousands of outdoor gear products, communicated with brands, and created a detailed and rigorous ratings system to bring it all together for you. At the pinnacle is Better Trail Certified.
Better Trail Certified products score 4 out of 5 or higher in our sustainability ratings and generally meet around 80% or more of our criteria. While it’s true that no product is 100% sustainable—all take resources to create and arrive at your doorstep—these products are industry leaders and among the most sustainable on the market.
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