Understanding Responsible Materials in Outdoor Gear
A breakdown of certified down, wool, leather, and cotton
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Many outdoor products use natural materials like down, wool, cotton, and leather. While these aren’t fossil fuel-based like synthetic fabrics, they still carry environmental and ethical impacts—from greenhouse gas emissions to water use, animal welfare, and chemical waste. As a result, more brands are turning to responsibly sourced materials, choosing options certified to stricter environmental and labor standards. Here’s how these materials are sourced, what the certifications mean, and where you’ll find them in outdoor gear.
Types of Responsible Materials and Certifications
Down is widely used in jackets and sleeping bags for its exceptional warmth-to-weight ratio and compressibility. It’s sourced from the soft chest and belly plumage of waterfowl—primarily ducks and geese. There are three ways down is gathered from an animal: post-mortem (when the feathers are collected after the bird has been killed for meat), live-plucking (in which the bird is restrained and its feathers are pulled out), and gathering (brushing or combing a bird to remove feathers that are naturally ready to fall out). According to the International Down and Feather Bureau (IDFB), more than 70% of the global down supply comes from China and is harvested from birds killed for meat.
Compared to synthetic insulation, down has a significantly lower environmental, though impacts still exist. A life cycle assessment commissioned by the IDFB found that most of the environmental impact of down production comes from the energy used at feather-processing facilities. Detergents used in processing can also impact ecosystems; however, the largest concerns surrounding down production center on animal welfare—an issue primarily addressed by third-party certifications.
Several third-party certifications can help you determine whether the down used in a piece of gear has been ethically and sustainably sourced. The most common certification is the Responsible Down Standard (RDS), administered by Textile Exchange, which prohibits live-plucking and force-feeding while ensuring traceability through the supply chain. The standard also requires regular third-party audits and sets clear guidelines for animal welfare. The Global Traceable Down Standard is also relatively common among outdoor industry gear. Developed by the National Sanitation Foundation International, it primarily focuses on animal welfare, cracking down on practices such as force-feeding, live-plucking, and molt harvesting.
Leather is a durable material used in products like gloves, boots, and footwear, and is almost always a byproduct of the meat industry. However, its environmental impact can be significant—driven by livestock methane emissions, land degradation, and the chemical-intensive tanning process.
Several leather production certifications aim to reduce these impacts. The most widely used in the outdoor industry is the Leather Working Group (LWG), which evaluates manufacturing facilities on metrics like water and energy use, waste management, and chemical handling. Facilities receive ratings of Bronze, Silver, or Gold based on performance, and LWG-certified suppliers account for a substantial share of global leather production (around 30%).
Other programs include the Sustainable Leather Foundation, which works to improve sustainability across the leather industry through education and global standards. It offers an audit-based certification program that evaluates manufacturers, traders, processors, and chemical companies on environmental, social, and governance criteria, along with a Transparency Dashboard that tracks progress in real time. While the Sustainable Leather Foundation takes a broader environmental, social, and governance-focused approach, it is less widely used and less visible to consumers than LWG. Another certification you may encounter is the Oeko-Tex Leather Standard, though it serves a different purpose. Rather than evaluating supply chain practices, it tests finished products for harmful substances—meaning it ensures chemical safety for consumers but does not guarantee environmentally responsible production.
Wool is one of the most widely used animal-based materials in the textile industry. It’s produced by shearing sheep and processing the fibers into yarn or fabric. Some breeds, like Merino, are raised primarily for wool, while others are part of meat production systems but are also sheared. Known for its breathability, insulation, and temperature regulation, wool is commonly used in base layers and socks, and increasingly in items like sun hoodies, T-shirts, and leggings.
From a sustainability standpoint, wool carries both environmental and ethical considerations. Sheep produce methane—though less than cattle—and land use can impact soil health and biodiversity. However, the primary concerns center on animal welfare and responsible land management. Several certification programs aim to address these issues, including the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), ZQ Wool (certified under the ZQ Grower Standard), Nativa Protocol, and the Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme (AWSS).
The Responsible Wool Standard, developed by Textile Exchange, is the most widely used certification in the outdoor industry. It applies across the supply chain and evaluates farms on animal welfare, land stewardship, and social practices, including protections for soil health and ecosystems.
Another common program is the ZQ Grower Standard, which certifies farms—primarily in New Zealand—through third-party audits conducted every three years. It sets requirements for animal welfare, chemical use, water quality, and biodiversity and is managed by the New Zealand Merino Company. Some brands also source wool through ZQ+, a regenerative extension of the standard that emphasizes soil health, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.
Less commonly, brands may use the Nativa Protocol or Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme (AWSS). Nativa covers the full supply chain with standards for animal welfare, land management, and corporate responsibility, while AWSS operates within Australia and offers certifications like SustainaWool and ResponsiWool, both focused on sustainable farming practices.
Cotton is one of the most widely used fibers in the textile industry, accounting for roughly half of global textile production, though it appears less frequently in technical outdoor gear. This durable, breathable material is commonly used in items like T-shirts, hoodies, and workwear. Turning raw cotton into fabric involves multiple steps, including ginning, cleaning, spinning, weaving, dyeing, and printing
Conventional cotton farming can be resource- and chemical-intensive, relying heavily on water, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers. To reduce these impacts, many brands have shifted toward organic, regenerative, and recycled cotton, often backed by third-party certifications. Many of these brands source cotton certified by programs like the Organic Content Standard, Global Organic Textile Standard, and Regenerative Organic Certified.
The Organic Content Standard (OCS), developed by Textile Exchange, verifies that cotton is organically grown and tracks it through the supply chain, but it does not set requirements for environmental or social practices during manufacturing. In other words, OCS ensures the organic origin of the fiber but does not regulate how it is processed into finished products. The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) goes further, covering the full supply chain—from spinning and weaving to dyeing, finishing, and sewing—while enforcing environmental and social criteria such as restricted chemical use, wastewater treatment, and worker safety.
Lastly, the Regenerative Organic Alliance certifies both producers and companies under the Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) standard. It’s the certification used for Patagonia’s “Cotton for Change” collection. ROC builds on organic certification by incorporating requirements for soil health and social standards, including fair wages and safe working conditions.
The Textile Exchange
The Textile Exchange plays an important role in certifying responsible materials. This global nonprofit works to reduce the textile and apparel industry's impact on the climate and ecosystems by focusing on how raw materials are farmed, sourced, and extracted. This stage of production accounts for more than 24% of the industry’s carbon footprint. The Textile Exchange has set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fiber and raw material production by 45% by 2030.
The Textile Exchange maintains eight material standards, ranging from the Global Recycled Standard to the Responsible Alpaca Standard, and offers certification across the supply chain, from farms and raw material processors to manufacturers. It is also developing the “Materials Matter Standard,” a unified framework that will consolidate its existing standards, with a final version expected sometime in 2025.
Brands Leading the Way in Responsible Materials
Many major outdoor brands—including Patagonia, Arc’teryx, REI, Stio, Rab, Outdoor Research, Norrona, Mountain Hardwear, Mammut, and Cotopaxi— now source 100% Responsible Down Standard-certified down. Patagonia began sourcing responsible down in 2010 when an animal rights organization accused Patagonia of using down from live-plucked and force-fed birds, causing the brand to reckon with the ethical implications of its supply chain. Patagonia developed an internal standard for down sourcing, working with third-party auditors, farms, and slaughterhouses to ensure animal welfare. During this time, Patagonia pushed the Textile Exchange to strengthen RDS requirements. The standard became more robust, and in 2022, Patagonia began sourcing 100% RDS down.
Looking for a jacket made with responsible down? The Fitz Roy Down Hoody from Patagonia uses 100% RDS down. The Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody and the REI Co-op Magma 850 are other examples of jackets made with certified down.
Responsible leather is most commonly used in footwear and handwear Rab sources 100% LWG-certified leather, all of which is a byproduct of the meat industry, while Hestra uses roughly 70% LWG Gold-certified leather in its gloves and mittens. Brands like Merrell, Hoka, and Keen also incorporate certified leather into select footwear.
The Merrell Moab 3 Mid, Hoka Anacapa 2 Mid GTX, and Keen Targhee IV hiking shoes and boots are made with responsible leather. In the ski gloves and mittens category, the Stio Hardscabble Mitt and Hestra Heli Glove meet our criteria for responsible leather.
Responsible wool is most commonly used in base layers, socks, and undergarments. Smartwool primarily sources wool certified to the ZQ Grower Standard or Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), though it does not specify which certification applies to individual products. Icebreaker sources roughly half of its wool through the ZQ+ program, which follows regenerative agriculture principles focused on soil health, biodiversity, water quality, and carbon sequestration.
Better Trail has reviewed several Smartwool base layers made with responsibly sourced wool, including the Classic Thermal and Classic All-Season Hybrid. The Icebreaker Merino 200 Oasis and Ortovox 185 Merino Rock’n’wool also feature materials certified to the RWS.
While less common in technical outdoor gear, cotton remains a staple in casual apparel. Patagonia leads in this space, using organic cotton across 100% of its cotton products and incorporating Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) cotton in select styles, such as the Cotton Tee and the Daily Hoody Sweatshirt. Norrona also offers organic cotton pieces, such as the Svalbard Organic Cotton Jacket, while brands like Rab, Stio, and Helly Hansen incorporate organic cotton into select products.
Finding Gear Made with Responsible Materials
The easiest way to identify gear made with responsible materials is to check product pages, tags, and labels for third-party certifications. Brands typically list these in product descriptions, especially for materials like down, leather, wool, and cotton.
While some brands maintain in-house animal welfare standards, we place more weight on third-party certifications, which provide independent verification and enforce consistent requirements. For example, Black Diamond states that it avoids mulesed wool——a painful surgical procedure that involves removing skin from around the tail of a sheep to prevent infection. While this is a meaningful step, certifications like the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) go further by addressing both animal welfare and land management practices. These systems offer stronger assurance that sustainability claims are verified rather than self-reported.
You can also use Better Trail’s Sustainability Hub to filter products by categories like Responsible Leather, Responsible Wool, and Responsible Down.
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