Responsible Brands at George Fisher Haglofs

Haglöfs was founded in Torsang, Sweden, in 1914, by a forester’s son named Wiktor Haglöf. Wiktor was a good old-fashioned carpenter, fully convinced that in order for something to be really good, you had to make it yourself. The outdoor lifestyle a century ago was far from the self-chosen pleasurable pastime it is made up to be today. At least in Wiktor’s world. It was rather a struggle, working in the woods, or long journeys through rough landscapes in harsh weather just to get to school. So Wiktor Haglöf would base his company on the vision of easing the struggle, to improve life for those who had to endure the outdoors, not by choice, but to get by. Wiktor designed and assembled a backpack for local workers. From those humble beginnings, the company has grown into one of the largest suppliers of outdoor clothing and equipment in the world.

We have stocked Haglofs here in Fishers for over 10 years, everything from jackets to fleece to shorts and trousers in 3 leg lengths, this is a brand we are consistently proud to offer our customers.

Haglofs Message on Sustainability 'Our work is influenced by an enormous number of factors – all with the aim to produce equipment and clothing that our users can rely on to protect them from the elements. We’re at the end of a long supply chain, and making sure that all of its links are strong and dependable is as much a part of our sustainability work as choosing materials and designing. Influencing suppliers, working with stakeholders, listening to the market and what our customers think: each of these is a key detail on the overall big picture.' More HERE

We stock a few key items from the Haglofs Range that all have a very strong message of 'responsibility and sustainability', we're going to cover 2 of them here:

1. PROOF - In SS19 12% of Haglofs clothing collection and 8% of their footwear are made from PROOF™, and every product is completely fluorocarbon free. PROOF garments protects you from water in any form and keeps the wind out like nothing else. But the best thing of it all is that it’s made either from recycled or bluesign approved fabrics, and so lives up to the highest environmental standards available in the textile industry.

Waterproof and breathable

Any normal jacket for everyday use normally only needs a water column of 2000 mm to withstand the elements. But we aim to do better than that. All our PROOF™ products handle a water column of 10 000 to 20 000 mm, meaning that the materials are not only sustainable but also perform in very rough conditions. The products also feature great breathability. We measure the breathability in MTVR gram/m2/24h, and our values are high, ranging from 10 000 to 20 000 grams. A PROOF™ product will help you perform in any weather conditions. 

For long-lasting performance

A friendlier choice needs a friendlier treatment. To maintain the great quality of your PROOF™ product, you need to take care of it. The best way is to wash it in a regular washing machine and tumble it dry. Or even better, iron it. It is also important to re-impregnate the product with a fluorocarbon free treatment every once in a while for long-lasting performance.

Membrane PROOF™

is not one specific membrane only. Since it’s our own technology, it allows us to develop different membranes and fabrics depending on what the product is aimed to do. At this stage we offer both a PU membrane and a polyester membrane.

Durable

As we want our products to last for a very long time, all of our fabrics are tested, and tested, and tested again through physical test and field tests.

Fabrics

Our long experience in making high quality outdoor products has given us a huge advantage when searching and picking the finest woven fabrics. Together with a handful of suppliers in Asia we can continue to develop the best PROOF™ fabrics possible. Our aim is to create premium quality fabrics as sustainable as possible. The PROOF™ range consists of 1,5 to 3,5 layer products, which means that we can offer both very light products to the more heavy, but also more durable ones, depending on what job the product is aimed to do. All fabrics are developed by us so that we can guarantee that they live up to our high standards. It also means that we can create new, exciting, and sustainable fabrics.

ECO Proof 

 2. RDS - Responsible Down Standards - Down is nature’s innovation at its best. An outstanding insulation material with completely unique properties. But the down business is not without its problems, and the outdoor industry needs to stop using unethically produced down once and for all. We know it’s possible. Haglöfs only use down that is certified according to the Responsible Down Standard and that can be traced all the way back to the farm. Together with several other brands we fight for an outdoor industry that respects animal welfare. 

Responsible Down Standard RDS

Haglöfs only use down that is certified according to the Responsible Down Standard - is responsible for keeping a close eye on animal welfare in down-producing farms. The RDS is a voluntary initiative run by the global non-profit organisation Textile Exchange, whose main ambition is improved integrity and sustainability throughout the textile industry. The RDS ensures that the animals are not unduly stressed, and have access to food, water and can experience ‘the five freedoms’ throughout their lifespan and that the down is not sourced from farms where force-feeding or live plucking occurs. The down that we chose is of course always a by-product from the food industry; so we actually make use of what might otherwise go to waste. 

Yearly audits of the Responsible Down Standards to secure standard is followed

To ensure compliance with the RDS standard and to secure the best-in-class ethical treatment of the animals and to secure that the final product labelled with the RDS logo indeed has the most ethical down inside; thorough checks are made throughout the whole supply chain. The whole sealed path of the RDS down – from farm to our warehouse – is thoroughly third-party audited by accredited certification body Control Union to really guarantee that the product you buy really contains the RDS down!

Trace the down in your own product

To offer you even more transparency in the supply chain, Haglöfs is working with a system where all information, product by product, is made traceable for end consumers online. Customers can visit the trackmydown website to trace the down right back to the farm. Once there, it is possible to retrieve heaps of information about the down in their own product - its origin and fill power, a detailed description of the process and how the RDS seeks to improve this section of the industry.

Full list of other RDS Brands:

A sustainable outdoor industry.
It’s possible!

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