Haglöfs - Sustainable & Reliable Outdoor Apparel & Equipment

As the son of a forester and as a trained carpenter himself, Wiktor Haglöf knew the advantages of do-it-yourself. And he knew the rough landscapes of Sweden, which could make working in the forest or going to school very difficult. As a result, Haglöfs has been committed to making masterful and trusted products that you can rely on in every situation for more than 100 years now. They will be your faithful companion in nature all your life. 

In order for you to continue being able to find peace and energy in the forests, moors, deserts and mountains of our planet, Haglöfs strives to keep its ecological footprint as small as possible. 

Bluesign®: That is the name of the strictest voluntary initiative for textile and material manufacturers. Haglöfs has been a bluesign® system partner since 2008 and is committed to using materials that are produced in a responsible manner, to reducing water and air emissions, to properly manage waste water treatment and avoid the use of more than 900 hazardous chemicals. By using high-quality bluesign® certified textiles, Haglöfs also tries to minimise the amount of microplastics that could potentially end up in our water and our food chain. 

Haglöfs only uses down that is certified according to the Responsible Down Standard. This ensures that animal welfare is closely monitored in the manufacturing companies. Haglöfs also makes no secrets about the leather it uses and only works with tanneries that are affiliated with the Leather Working Group (LWG) to ensure that the leather is produced in a sustainable and ethical manner. 

Sustainable wool production has many aspects to consider. Haglöfs naturally expects its wool suppliers to refrain from mulesing. In addition to this guarantee, they also require certification from the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO), which ensures that all suppliers work in a sustainable and ethical manner. Wherever possible, Haglöfs uses recycled wool, which saves considerable amounts of water, chemicals and energy. 

Cotton is one of mankind's oldest and most popular materials. It is soft, robust and climate regulating. However, conventional production requires large amounts of fresh water as well as pesticides because it is mostly grown in dry, hot areas. For Haglöfs it has always been a matter of course to use only organic cotton for their products, without chemical pesticides or artificial fertilizers. They are also experimenting with recycled cotton as a potential alternative.

To give the fabrics their colour, it is common practice to dip them in dye baths, even though the synthetic fibres do not fully absorb the colour and the process is extremely wasteful. Haglöfs would like to change this and is therefore increasingly using solution-dyed fibres, which are dyed as soon as the fabric is created - during spinning. This saves an estimated 80% of water compared to conventional dyeing techniques. 

Water and soil-repellent impregnations with toxic fluorocarbons have long been standard in the outdoor industry. Haglöfs has been working on clean alternatives for a long time and in 2019 Haglöfs was able to provide its clothing collections, as well as its bags and backpacks, almost entirely with fluorocarbon-free PWR treatments. And the Swedish brand is also focusing on sustainable solutions for anti-odour treatment. Instead of relying on silver ions or other biocide products that can kill living organ organisms, they use the specially developed LAVA™. These microporous minerals from zeolites are found in volcanic ash, among other things. 

Sustainable Choice is the label that Haglöfs uses to distinguish products whose production and design are demonstrably sustainable. The label indicates that a product meets at least one of the following sustainability criteria:

Apparel

• bluesign®-approved product 
• made from recycled material
• made from organic cotton

Bags, Backpacks and Accessories

• bluesign®-approved product 
• made from at least 90% bluesign®-approved materials
• made from recycled materials

Shoes

• leather from a LWG Tannery and bio-based or recycled materials in the midsole, outsole or all other components 
• leather from a LWG Tannery and super durable outsole (over 200% more durability)
• made from at least 70% bluesign® approved or recycled material and bio-based or recycled materials in the midsole, outsole or all other components
• made of at least 70% bluesign®-tested or recycled material and super durable outsoles (over 200% more durability)