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25 May

How Ethical Is Alo Yoga?

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Lead yoga brand Alo Yoga claims to be spreading good “by bringing yoga to the world”, but how ethical is Alo Yoga? Sadly the brand isn’t doing enough to manage carbon emissions or ensure workers in its supply chain are treated fairly. Keep reading to discover why we rate Alo Yoga “We Avoid”. This article is based on the Alo Yoga rating published in May 2022.

A not-so-mindful yoga brand

With almost 3 million followers on Instagram, Alo Yoga is one of the world’s most well known and well-loved yoga brands, alongside Lululemon.

It all began in Los Angeles in 2007 when Alo Yoga’s founders decided to “spread good by bringing yoga to the world”. Alo Yoga claims to elevate yogis’ practices, whether they’re beginners or more advanced on their yoga journey. But Alo isn’t just a yoga brand—it’s also worn outside of the studio by celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Gigi Hadid, and Kendall Jenner.

But how sound is the good that Alo Yoga claims to be spreading? How is Alo Yoga impacting the world beyond the yoga mats? How ethical is Alo Yoga? Let’s take a look.

Environmental impact

We rate Alo Yoga “Very Poor” for its impact on the environment. It uses few eco-friendly materials, and we found no evidence that Alo Yoga minimises textile waste, reduces its carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions in its supply chain, or that it has taken meaningful action to reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals.

Having a “solar-powered office, electric-car charging stations, and an advanced recycling program that reduces waste to that of a small household” is a good step, but it’s not enough.

Labour conditions

Alo Yoga’s labour rating is “Not Good Enough”. Again, we noticed a lack of adequate initiatives to protect workers and ensure they are treated fairly. We found no evidence Alo Yoga has worker empowerment initiatives such as collective bargaining or rights to make a complaint or that it provides payment of a living wage in its supply chain.

Alo Yoga traces some of its supply chain, and its final stage of production is certified by WRAP, which focuses on addressing social issues and labour rights in manufacturing facilities, including all ILO Fundamental Principles, payment of a minimum wage (which is different from a living wage), worker health and safety provisions, working hours, and protections for subcontractors.

Animal welfare

Finally, Alo Yoga’s animal rating is also “Not Good Enough”. Despite not using fur, angora or exotic animal skin, the brand still uses leather, down, exotic animal hair, and wool. We found no evidence Alo Yoga has a policy to minimise the suffering of animals or that it traces any animal product to the first stage of production.

Overall rating: We Avoid

Based on information from our own research, we rate Alo Yoga “We Avoid” overall.

“Ahimsa”, or non-violence, is one of the core principles of yoga, and it asks yogis to cause no harm in thought, speech, or action to any living being. Sadly, it seems that Alo Yoga is not living by this principle.

The brand doesn’t share enough information about how it impacts the planet, people, and animals. Its lack of policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and waste or protect workers and animals in its supply chain is worrying.

Alo Yoga needs to be more transparent and step up its ethical and sustainable practices if it really wants to spread good.

Note that Good On You ratings consider hundreds of issues, and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information, see our How We Rate page and our FAQs.

See the rating.

Looking for cute and conscious yogawear? We found some “Good” and “Great” alternatives to Alo Yoga, serving up some of the best yoga clothing on the market—with values and practices to match.

Good swaps

Our favourite “Good” and “Great” alternatives to Alo Yoga

Girlfriend Collective

Rated: Good
Two women wearing sports leggings and crop tops in burgundy and green

Girlfriend Collective creates minimal, luxury clothes made with fair labour, certified by the Social Accountability Standard International SA8000. The brand uses lower-impact materials like recycled polyester as well as lower-impact, non-toxic dyes and is fully OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified.

Inclusively sized Girlfriend Collective offers products from 2XS-6XL.

See the rating.

Shop Girlfriend Collective @ LVRSustainable.

Shop Girlfriend Collective.

Purusha People

Rated: Good
woman in field of grass wearing ethical blue Purusha People unitard

Purusha People adds dainty details to its range of activewear. The organic plant-based pieces will wick away sweat and keep your practice at that perfect level of "chill".

Purusha pieces are stocked in sizes XS-3XL.

See the rating.

Shop Purusha People.

Organic Basics

Rated: Good
people wearing organic basics basics

Organic Basics offers high-quality more sustainable fashion basics for men and women in organic materials. The Denmark-based brand puts sustainable thinking at the centre of everything—it only chooses fabrics that care for our environment, and only ever partners with factories that care about their impact.

Organic Basics' clothes are available in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Organic Basics.

Tripulse

Rated: Great
People laughing in sports bras by Tripulse.

Tripulse is a Swedish activewear brand on a mission to create high performing activewear that protects our planet and its people. The brand believes that fitness, both physical and mental, is the foundation for a good and healthy life and gives people the courage to live the life they dreamed of, become their best selves, make bold moves, and change the world for the better.

Find most items in sizes XS-3XL.

See the rating.

Shop Tripulse.

dk active

Rated: Great

dk active is an Australian high-performance brand. It uses renewable energy in its supply chain to reduce its climate impact, and reuses all of its offcuts to minimise textile waste. It is also a PETA approved 100% vegan brand.

Find the products in sizes XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop dk active.

PACT

Rated: Good

PACT is a US-based brand that is passionate about being part of a movement transforming the way apparel is made. All of its clothing is sweatshop-free and child-labour-free, and its activewear range is almost entirely made from certified organic cotton, with more than 50% also certified as Fair Trade.

Find PACT in sizes XS-3XL.

See the rating.

Shop PACT.

Editor's note

Feature image via Girlfriend Collective, all other images via brands mentioned. Good On You publishes the world's most comprehensive ratings of fashion brands’ impact on people, the planet, and animals. We love to recommend some of the best sustainable brands, rated ‘Good’ or ‘Great’. We also encourage shopping pre-owned as another great way to reduce the impact of our fashion choices. Use our directory to search thousands of rated brands.

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