Patagonia is the leader in ethical outerwear. But it’s not the only game in town. These sustainable brands like Patagonia are worth knowing.
Over the years, Patagonia has earned quite the reputation for being a sustainable, responsible outdoor clothing brand. The certified B Corp was founded back in the 1970s, and since then, it has embraced eco-friendly materials, innovation, transparency, and brutally honest advertising campaigns, which are often about the state of the environment.
In 2004, for example, one read “there are no profits to be made on a dead planet.” Just under 20 years later, founder Yvon Chouinard would announce that all of Patagonia’s profits would be used to tackle the ongoing climate crisis. “We are going to give away the maximum amount of money to people who are actively working on saving this planet,” he said in 2022.
But while the billionaire’s brand is arguably one of the best-known in the sustainable outdoor clothing space, it is far from alone. If you love Patagonia, you’ll definitely love these other sustainable, innovative, and conscious outdoor clothing brands that are just like it. Whether you’re hitting the slopes, hiking the mountains, or heading to yoga, they’re bound to have something that’s right for you.
1. Tentree
As well as comfy loungewear, cozy blankets, and casual tees, Canadian brand Tentree has plenty of clothing that’s perfect for getting active outside. The InMotion range, for example, offers leggings, joggers, and bike shorts made with sustainable materials, including Repreve recycled polyester. (Repreve specializes in performance fibers made with old recycled bottles, which helps to keep more single-use plastic out of the landfill.)
2. Outerknown
Just like many brands on this list, Outerknown prioritizes the use of sustainable materials, like organic cotton, hemp, and recycled cotton. But the brand, which was founded by surfer Kelly Slater in 2014, also embraces circularity, with its re-sell platform for old styles called Outerworn. On top of this, it works with Project Vermont, an initiative dedicated to repurposing materials like denim and wool that would otherwise end up in the landfill.
3. Girlfriend Collective
Girlfriend Collective has gained a reputation for creating sustainable, durable, long-lasting activewear, like compressive leggings and comfortable sports bras, in a range of inclusive sizes. Founded in 2016, the brand also offers ReGirlfriend, a platform that enables customers to send back old items to be recycled into new ones in exchange for store credit.
4. Prana
Californian brand Prana has been on the sustainable clothing scene since the early 2000s when it first started using organic cotton, recycled polyester, and hemp in its clothing. It also prioritizes ethical production and was even the first brand in the world to debut fair trade garments. As well as dresses and jumpsuits, the brand offers outdoor wear designed specifically for activities like climbing, hiking, swimming, and yoga.
5. Toad&Co
Toad&Co started out in the 1990s as a fleece hat brand, but over the years, the US company has grown significantly. Now it offers a wide range of apparel, like jumpsuits and dresses, as well as rain-resistant jackets and sculpting leggings made with recycled polyester. Other sustainable materials in the brand’s portfolio include organic cotton, hemp, and Tencel’s Lyocell.
6. Eclipse
While fast fashion brands focus on pumping out as many styles as possible at very low prices, Eclipse, which offers tunics and headbands ideal for running, as well as hoodies, joggers, sun ponchos, and more — prides itself on encouraging slow fashion. (It has even put together its own slow fashion guide, to help consumers adopt more sustainable buying behaviors.) On top of this, it prioritizes ethical manufacturing, recycled materials, and carbon offsetting its shipments.
7. Picture Organic
Whether you’re off snowboarding on the slopes, surfing the waves, or you’re a serious hiker, Picture Organic has the right high-performance gear for you. All of its items are stylish too, and are made using durable, sustainable materials like sugarcane-based bio-polyester, organic cotton, and Tencel.
8. Vaude
When it comes to eco-friendly gear for the great outdoors, mountaineering clothing brand Vaude is all about innovation. The brand features recycled polyamide, which is made with oil extracted from used tires.
9. Save the Duck
The clue is in the name, but Save the Duck is all about making high-performance, long-lasting outdoor gear, without any animal products whatsoever. Instead, its range of comfortable animal-free clothing — which includes warm and cozy puffers, rain jackets, and athleisure — is made with materials like recycled polyester, recycled nylon, and Gore-Tex, a durable synthetic fabric known for being breathable and waterproof at the same time.
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