Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Culture

Fjällräven Uses Only Ethically Sourced Down

Elizabeth Dahl
By

Fjällräven goose down jackets
In cold weather (or even just particularly frigid offices) there is nothing better than a goose down coat. Lightweight, exceptionally warm, easy to smoosh down for packing (it’s technically called “compressibility”), and breathable, goose down keeps you warm and dry. Fjällräven, the Swedish company that’s been making incredible outdoor clothing and gear since 1960 (you’ve definitely seen their famous backpack, now the accessory of choice for Hipsters), is committed to the highest standards of ethically and sustainably sourced down for their incomparable jackets and vests.

The Fjällräven Sustainable Down collection has an option for every man: parkas, expedition-worthy coats, vests, even a down shirt. Each item is made to last, offering function and style. Their most famous design is the Expedition Down: puffy, warm, and hooded, perfect for city or country winters. Down Vest No. 6 is made with G-1000 fabric, which means it’s made to withstand all the manliest of activities like carrying the wood you just chopped for a nice log cabin, or flip it and wear the flashy blue side so that you’re highly visible. Or, maybe you’re looking for the perfect layer for hunting or skeet shooting: look no further than their Sörmland Down Shirt Jacket, with thoughtful design like low-placed chest pockets that don’t get in the way when shooting. All of them are filled with warm, soft goose down!

Related Videos

Which is what, exactly? Surprisingly, down is not the feathers: it’s the insulation that lies just underneath the feathers. There are, unfortunately, a lot of bad practices out there when it comes to harvesting down, including live plucking. Fjällräven decided that the down they use would be sustainable, but more importantly, come from closely watched, ethical farmers who protect the geese at every stage.

Fjällräven uses only one down supplier who has only a small number of farms and slaughterhouses in the Yangshou province in China. Fjällräven constantly conducts both announced and surprise inspections and enlists a Swedish veterinarian to ensure the conditions of the geese are healthy and humane. It’s required that all Fjällräven geese be allowed free range to swim, flock, and eat a healthy diet.

After about 90 days on the farm, the geese are allowed to flock together and walk up a specially built ramp into a specially designed truck. It was hugely important to Fjällräven that the geese have the least stressful transport to the slaughterhouse as possible, going so far as to train the drivers to drive slowly and carefully. Once at the slaughterhouse, the geese are allowed to rest before they’re stunned, rendered unconscious so they feel no pain. Also, unlike some other places, the meat is used in food production, cutting down on needless waste.

The down is washed in eco-friendly soap and the water used is purified before it’s released back out into the world. All down is consistently marked as Fjällräven’s to ensure that it can be tracked from the very beginning. Inspectors and Fjällräven representatives are on hand to maintain the strict standards of sustainability and ethical handling Fjällräven has introduced. You can learn more about their process with this video the company produced.

Fjällräven may not be the easiest name to pronounce, but wearing their goose down products is an easy decision. Warmth, quality, functionality, all thanks to sustainability and ethically-sourced down.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Ecoths Clothes Already Feed the Hungry and Now Ensure Fair Trade
ecoths clothes give back new line of clothing

It’s great when you can feel as good about your clothes as you look in them. Ecoths (pronounced ecos) makes menswear with a purpose: helping you look great, helping end hunger, and helping the environment. Who knew a shirt could be so powerful?

The menswear at Ecoths is simple, timeless, and highly functional, easily taking you from the trail to brunch. Their classic styles, like polos and hoodies, are all made of natural materials and offered in a variety of plaids and solids, with subtle stitching that offers a modern feel. Even their shorts with myriad pockets are slim and sophisticated, offering you storage without the cargo-short look. Many of Ecoths’ shirts even have a sewn-in microfiber cloth on the hem, ensuring that for the first time ever when you wipe your glasses or screen with the tail of your shirt, it’ll be clean.

Read more
End Childhood Starvation by Eating This Bar Saves Lives
this bar saves lives

Admittedly, the title gives away the ending: This Bar Saves Lives, which is surprising given the company was founded by a quartet of talented actors. Kristen Bell, Ryan Devlin, Todd Grinnell and Ravi Patel formed this social enterprise to help feed kids while allowing us to snack on delicious, healthy food.

It’s 2017, a time when you can order a pizza using your TV and yet 2.6 million children around the world die every year from acute malnutrition. Only ten percent of the 20 million children still struggling with acute malnutrition receive help. It’s, frankly, ridiculous. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Read more
July Purchases of Fire Department Coffee Supports Burn Survivors
Fire Dept coffee, Fire Department Coffee

Typically, firefighters work 24 hour shifts, staying at the firehouse and responding to any emergencies in that time period. So, if anyone needs a good cup of coffee, it’s the people who routinely run into the burning building. If you’re looking for a cup of coffee that seeks to help our first responders as much as they help us, look no further than Fire Department Coffee: delicious coffee that gives back firefighters and veterans. And, from July 1st to the 16th, Fire Department Coffee is teaming up with Sons of the Flag to help burn survivors.

Luke Schneider, a Navy veteran and Chicago firefighter paramedic, started Fire Department Coffee in 2016 and it is a first: it is owned and operated by firefighters. Hell, they’re even the roasters.  The mix of Central and South American coffees is designed to be perfectly sippable; the most drinkable cup of coffee you’ll find. Don’t agree? You get your money back. But it’s likely you’re going to love it-- the ethically sourced beans are only roasted once you place your order, ensuring a flavor and freshness that’s hard to find. Plus, Fire Department is dedicated to giving back to firefighter and veterans assistance programs.

Read more