Vaude: Sustainable outdoor equipment

Vaude (1180 articles)

Aqua Transformer 26 Backpack Recycle Transformer 26 Backpack Kids Capacida Pants Minaki IV Shorts Kids Manukau Fleece II Jacket Uphill 16 Backpack Dream 10 Sleeping Pad Shoecover Pallas III Women's Cyclist Insulation Pants Rupal 45+ Backpack Navajo 500 II Syn Sleeeping Bag Mark XT 3P Tent Trailvent 10 Backpack Wizard 30+4 Backpack Mineo Commuter 17 Bag Moab 4 Hip Bag Jura 24 Backpack Women's Skomer Zip 22 Backpack Women's Skomer 18 Backpack Coreway Rolltop 20 Backpack Kids Rondane Gloves Free Cargo Bike Bag Women's Trailvent 10 Backpack Neyland 30 Backpack Trail Spacer 8 Backpack Agile Air 26 Backpack Men's Advanced Glove II Arco XT 3P Footprint Arco 1-2P Tent Men's Qimsa Softshell Jacket Neyland Zip 20 Backpack Chapel SUL XT 2P Tent Recycle Pro Single Bike Bag Men's Rosemoor 3in1 Jacket Neyland Zip 26 Backpack Women's Sesvenna III Shorts Badawi 4P Groundsheet Hochgrat 300 DWN Sleeping Bag Wizard 18+4 Backpack Men's Redmont Shirt Women's Rienza IV Jacket Hochgrat 300 XL Dwn Sleeping Bag Men's Monviso Wool 3/4 Tights Rupal Light 28 Backpack Men's All Year Moab Sweater Women's Sesvenna IV Jacket Mundo 38 Backpack Trailsaddle II Bike Bag
It all started very small at Vaude: in 1974, it was a one-man business in an old hop barn in Untereisenbach, Swabia in Germany. There, Albrecht von Dewitz tinkered around with rucksacks. In the meantime, it has grown into a company with 500 employees and is one of the few companies in the outdoor industry that is not part of a listed group but is still family-owned.

Vaude: complete for all outdoor adventure

Vaude no longer has anything to do with the small backpack production in an old hop barn, but offers an extensive range for all outdoor fans. Vaude backpacks and Vaude bike bags are still part of the brand's core competence. However, tents, sleeping bags and outdoor clothing are also particularly popular worldwide. Looking for clothing that is both fashionable and weatherproof? Whether you're on vacation, in the mountains or in your everyday life: Vaude's functional rain jackets and pants will keep you reliably dry, while Vaude winter jackets allow you to pursue your outdoor sports even in the cold season.

By the way: If you would like to test sleeping bags, tents or special luggage and saddle bags from Vaude first, you can simply rent outdoor products via the Vaude rental service.

Vaude: responsibility for the environment

The term “responsibility” is perhaps the key to the company. The first sentence of the mission statement makes this clear: “Vaude treats people and the environment with care.” The brand consistently follows this credo. “Everything we do should be carefully considered and looked at from different perspectives,” explains Antje von Dewitz.

Vaude takes responsibility for the environment through sustainable production. As early as 1994, the company founded a network to recycle products. Since 2001, more and more products have been certified according to the bluesign® standard. This means that outdoor articles are produced in a way that conserves resources, is environmentally friendly and safe for employees and consumers. There is more to come in this direction, such as the in-house Green Shape certification for environmentally friendly and sustainable production or the signing of the German Sustainability Index. “We want to make our contribution to a world worth living in,” says Antje von Dewitz, ”so that people can still enjoy nature tomorrow. That is what drives us. To achieve this, we do everything we can as a company in the areas of environmental protection and social responsibility.” The company was last rewarded for this commitment in 2024 when it won the prestigious German Sustainability Award as “Germany's most sustainable brand”. Since the spring/summer 2018 season, the entire clothing collection has carried the Green Shape label. All clothing fabrics are also 100% PFC-free, meaning they are manufactured without harmful fluorocarbon compounds. Vaude also founded the upcycling workshop in 2018. Here, surplus materials are collected at the site in Tettnang and processed into shopper bags. The company employs refugees made from Syria for the project, demonstrating not only how valuable resources can be conserved, but also how integration can succeed.

Vaude: Commitment to fair working conditions

Vaude also takes responsibility for people, for example with regard to ensuring fair working conditions. Vaude makes its products in Tettnang and Bim Son in Vietnam - and has this production monitored by the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) through inspections and interviews with employees. In 2015, Vaude was awarded Leader status, the highest possible category of the non-profit organization FWF. In the same year, Vaude was the first company in the outdoor industry to publish an audited common good balance sheet, which evaluates ecological and social factors in addition to economic factors, making it a pioneering company in the common good economy (ECG).

Responsible outdoor products

This also clarifies what you support as a customer when you choose a Vaude product: You are supporting a certain attitude, the mindful treatment of people and the environment. The company's efforts are documented transparently, for example, in the large sustainability report. At the same time, these goals always require a balance. “Acting sustainably involves more effort and costs,” Antje von Dewitz clarifies. But as a company, you have to pay for it, even if it impacts profits. “We are taking a consistent approach, even if it is sometimes uncomfortable.” According to Antje von Dewitz, Vaude is “completely abandoning PVC material in the bag sector and switching to more environmentally friendly, waterproof alternatives - despite the additional costs of 30 percent. It is also important to be transparent about our products' commitment. We are committed to raising customer awareness through retailer training, our sustainability report or joint manufacturer initiatives.”

The entire outdoor range

In the meantime, Vaude no longer has anything to do with backpack production in an old hop barn. The company offers an entire range of outdoor equipment. Backpacks and bicycle bags are still part of the core competence. However, the company also produces tents, sleeping bags, and outdoor clothing (from rain jackets and trousers to functional clothing). While the shoulder bags are ideal companions for the city and on vacation, the tents and jackets are also suitable for extreme conditions. Thanks to the innovative iRentit by Vaude service, outdoor enthusiasts can easily rent and return all these products after use, which is in line with the “share economy” and a sustainable business model for conserving resources.

What's next for Vaude?

Taking stock: The entire collection is made without harmful fluorocarbons. Bio-based and recycled materials in over 70% of Vaude products. Clothing made from renewable raw materials such as hemp, linen or organic cotton, furthermore new, innovative materials such as used tire recycling through mass balance processes, which saves up to 60% Co2 emissions in production. 

A look into the future shows: The busy Upper Swabians continue to set themselves ambitious goals. Vaude is committed to further raising social and ecological standards throughout the global supply chain. Vaude is also making progress from its climate strategy. With the so-called Science Based Targets (SBT), Vaude wants to contribute furthermore to limiting global warming to a maximum of 1.5 degrees in accordance with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. Last but not least, the principle of the circular economy is particularly important to Vaude. By reusing and recycling used products and raw materials, the need for finite fossil resources can be further reduced.