How Sustainable is Helly Hansen?
Average Sustainability Score
Good
Norwegian outdoor apparel brand Helly Hansen has made substantial progress toward reducing its carbon footprint and chemical impacts, but falls a step behind similar brands in implementing circularity initiatives such as resale, recycling, and repair services. Still, the brand was among the earliest adopters of the Bluesign System, signaling its holistic approach toward managing its impact and commitment to clean chemistry. Although it doesn’t lead the outdoor industry in its use of recycled materials, we appreciate its steady progress toward its goal of using only responsibly sourced natural fibers and recycled synthetic materials by 2030. Want to learn more? Read on for a deep dive into sustainability at Helly Hansen.
This sustainability analysis evaluates both product- and brand-level initiatives to capture the full scope of Helly Hansen's efforts to reduce its environmental impact. Our research draws from Helly Hansen's published sustainability data, third-party certifications (a cornerstone of our process), and correspondence with brand representatives. We have independently researched over 30 Helly Hansen products to date and counting, giving us a broad understanding of the brand’s use of low-impact materials, chemistry, and manufacturing practices.
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Helly Hansen receives a “Good” rating for its transparency surrounding sustainability initiatives. The brand’s public-facing website covers a range of brand-level sustainability topics, including materials, manufacturing practices, and more. Unfortunately, however, much of the information on the site has not been updated in several years, and data gaps remain. That said, we appreciate that most of Helly Hansen’s products are clearly and accurately labeled with their sustainability features. The brand’s annual impact report is heavy on goals and light on data, but nonetheless, it includes valuable information about the brand’s sustainability initiatives. Notably, the brand does not report its greenhouse gas emissions on its website or in its annual impact report, but representatives at the brand were able to provide us with up-to-date data for this sustainability analysis.
Compared to industry leaders like Patagonia and The North Face, Helly Hansen lags in its use of recycled materials. Recycled materials have a smaller carbon footprint than their virgin alternatives, making them an essential component of many brands’ greenhouse gas reduction strategies. In 2024, Helly Hansen used 36% recycled polyester by weight across its products, up from 25% in 2022. Unfortunately, however, it used only 6% recycled nylon across its products. Several brands are now approaching using 100% recycled polyester and nylon, making Helly Hansen’s limited use of these low-impact materials surprising. Notably, however, over three-quarters of the Helly Hansen gear we’ve researched incorporates recycled materials, although the total content varies by product.
Helly Hansen is committed to the Textile Exchange’s 2025 Recycled Polyester Challenge, meaning it plans to use just under 50% recycled polyester by the end of 2025. With its current data, however, we would be surprised if it achieved its goal by the end of the year. Still, the brand is on track to meet its long term goal of using 100% certified preferred materials by 2030 (which include recycled fabrics). We also appreciate that the brand is also making efforts to incorporate OceanCycle’s ocean-bound plastic—sourced from plastic bottles within 30 miles of a coastal area—into a selection of its footwear, accessories, and outdoor apparel products. Although it has not increased its total use of these materials over the past several years, it plans to use a larger share of these fabrics in the future.
Bluesign-approved materials are subject to strict standards for chemical safety and environmental responsibility, and Bluesign System Partners are monitored with regular onsite assessments to ensure that they continue to meet Bluesign’s standards. Helly Hansen was an early adopter of the Bluesign System: The brand became a Bluesign System Partner in 2008, and now, Bluesign Products and products with Bluesign-approved main fabrics account for almost 50% of Helly Hansen’s sales volume. By weight, these low-impact materials account for nearly 60% of the brand’s total material use, making Helly Hansen a leader in this area. Still, it plans to take its progress a step further, aiming to certify 80% of its gear as Bluesign Products by 2030.
We’re impressed that almost two-thirds of the Helly Hansen products we’ve researched feature Bluesign-approved materials, and the brand offers more Bluesign Products (which feature at least 90% Bluesign-approved fabrics) than the vast majority of its peers. Additionally, non-Bluesign-approved materials used by Helly Hansen are regularly tested to ensure that they do not contain harmful chemicals listed on the brand’s Restricted Substances List, demonstrating the brand’s commitment to responsible chemistry.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, were once the industry standard in durable water-repellent treatments and waterproof membrane materials due to their exceptional water- and oil-repellent properties. Now, most outdoor brands are phasing them out due to their environmental persistence, human health impacts, and recent bans in states like California and New York, which went into effect in 2025. Helly Hansen is working to eliminate PFAS from its products to ensure compliance with U.S. and impending EU legislation (effective in October 2026). The brand has removed PFAS from the majority of its outerwear offerings; however, Helly Hansen still uses the chemicals in a handful of its offshore sailing and buoyancy-aid products (which are subject to different legislation than apparel). In our research, we’ve found that most Helly Hansen outerwear is PFAS free.
Helly Hansen is making progress in improving traceability and upholding animal welfare standards throughout its supply chain by primarily sourcing certified, responsible animal products, with the aim to exclusively source these certified materials by 2030. First, all of the brand’s down is certified to the Responsible Down Standard, which ensures that ducks and geese are not subject to excessive harm. Additionally, all the leather Helly Hansen sourced in 2024 came from Leather Working Group-certified suppliers, ensuring that the leather is produced in accordance with high standards for chemical management. Around 90% of the wool that the brand used in its 2024 products was certified to either the Responsible Wool Standard or the ZQ Standard, which address the welfare of sheep and the health of the land they graze on. All in all, Helly Hansen has made impressive strides in this area.
Helly Hansen has made progress toward safeguarding workers’ rights through its use of third-party audit and accreditation programs. The brand posts its supplier list on its website and has committed to supplier standards set by the Amfori Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI), which include safe working conditions, fair wages, and environmental protection. The brand works with over 100 Tier 1 (or finished goods) production facilities, approximately 50 of which are audited through the Amfori BSCI program. Of these, just under 45% earn “A” or “B” ratings, “A” being the highest rating a facility can earn. The brand does not disclose the ratings that the other 55% of factories earn, but we know that Helly Hansen accepts a "C" or above rating from its suppliers.
The other finished goods factories that Helly Hansen uses are audited through other programs, including Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production, the Social and Labor Convergence Program, and the Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit. Helly Hansen also partners with a nonprofit called Nirapon to ensure safe working conditions and implement sustainable measures in its Bangladesh-based factories. All in all, though Helly Hansen is making progress toward responsible manufacturing, it has room to improve its suppliers' Amfori BSCI ratings.
Although Helly Hansen has made progress in reducing packaging waste, gaps remain. In 2021, the brand swapped its virgin polyethylene bags (commonly known as poly bags) for 100% recycled alternatives. Both its in-store shopping bags and hang tags are made of Forest Stewardship Council-certified, recycled paper, which ensures that paper is sourced from responsibly managed forests. The brand has also made efforts to reduce packaging in footwear boxes, hangtags, and poly bags (though it does not specify the total reductions it has made). Still, compared to similar brands, Helly Hansen’s progress toward low-impact packaging lands in the middle tier. In addition to swapping virgin materials for recycled ones, brands that lead the way in this area have made more substantial packaging reductions or use only recycled packaging materials.
Compared to similar brands, Helly Hansen’s repair offerings are limited. Repairing your outdoor gear can help you keep it in use for longer, reducing the need to buy new products. Unfortunately, Helly Hansen only offers repairs through its warranty program, which covers manufacturer defects, not wear and tear. In the U.S., Helly Tech products are covered under a limited lifetime warranty, while all other products are covered under warranty for one year. Unlike Patagonia and Norrøna, Helly Hansen does not publish any information about the types of repairs it can complete. While the brand’s repair offerings are limited, we appreciate that it publishes product care guides on its website to help you keep your gear in play longer. Still, we hope to see more comprehensive services in the future.
Unlike competitors such as The North Face, Patagonia, and Arc’teryx, Helly Hansen does not operate a resale platform or offer recycling services for its products. Re-commerce platforms, like Patagonia’s Worn Wear, can help find used gear a new home, extending the life of products that might otherwise end up in a landfill. Textile recycling services also help divert waste, transforming old gear into new fabrics that can be used again. Though Helly Hansen is making progress toward innovating recyclable fabrics, it does not yet offer a recycling program to take responsibility for these materials at the end of life. In its 2022 impact report, Helly Hansen reported piloting a program to recycle used ski resort uniforms, but unfortunately, the brand has had difficulty scaling the program and is still working to find end-of-life solutions for these decommissioned uniforms.
Brands track their greenhouse gas emissions to get a big-picture view of the environmental impact of their products and supply chains. Helly Hansen began tracking its greenhouse gas emissions across all scopes in 2020 and, in 2024, submitted its emission reduction target to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), an organization that verifies whether a brand’s reduction plan puts it on track to stay within the Paris Agreement's warming thresholds. In 2025, the SBTi verified Helly Hansen's target to reduce its absolute Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by 42% by 2030 (compared to a 2022 baseline year). We consider verified, absolute reduction goals—such as those set by Helly Hansen brand—to be the gold standard, as these goals ensure that greenhouse gas emissions are decoupled from business growth. However, unlike similar brands (many of which are aiming to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050), Helly Hansen has yet to set a long-term net-zero target.
To date, Helly Hansen has reduced its total emissions from its baseline measurement of approximately 250,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) by 70,000 tCO2e—indicating that the brand has made notable progress over the past four years. In 2024, it reported emitting approximately 180,000 tCO2e (which is just under Arc’teryx’s 2024 measurement of 189,049 tCO2e). Like most brands, the vast majority of Helly Hansen’s total emissions fall into the Scope 3—or supply chain—category. To decrease its impact, the brand plans to increase its use of low-impact materials, decarbonize its supply chain, and transition to low-impact manufacturing processes (like solution-dyeing). Unfortunately, unlike other brands we research, Helly Hansen does not report its total emissions on its website or in its annual impact report, but representatives at the brand were able to provide us with data for this analysis.
Since 2012, Helly Hansen has published an annual impact report detailing its sustainability goals and plans to implement responsible manufacturing practices. The report covers the brand's progress toward low-impact chemistry, fair working conditions at supplier factories, responsibly-sourced natural fibers, and other topics. Unfortunately, while Helly Hansen’s most recent report includes copious detail about its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, it does not include data describing its progress toward achieving them. Additionally, the report contains extensive information about Helly Hansen’s plans to increase its use of recycled and Bluesign-approved materials, but does not include data describing its current statistics. All in all, the report is heavy on goals and light on data, but still includes useful information about sustainability at Helly Hansen and its path toward reducing its impact.
Helly Hansen is a member of the Outdoor Industry Association Climate Action Corps, an organization that helps brands measure and reduce their carbon footprints to help the outdoor industry achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The brand is also a member of the European Outdoor Group carbon reduction program and the Scandinavian Textile Initiative for Climate Action. Finally, Helly Hansen partners with conservation organizations like the Conservation Alliance, though the brand does not disclose how much it donates to the organization.
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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.
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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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