Our editors curate highly rated brands that are first assessed by our rigorous ratings system. Buying through our links may earn us a commission—supporting the work we do. Learn more.
Founded in 2013, ThirdLove has rapidly grown to become a much-loved underwear brand. Sadly, it does not disclose enough information about how it impacts people, the planet, and animals. In this article, we take a closer look at why ThirdLove is rated “We Avoid”. This article is based on the ThirdLove rating published in February 2021.
ThirdLove, the “bra brand darling of millenials”
Described by Forbes as the “bra brand darling of millenials”, ThirdLove is an American underwear brand founded in 2013 by Heidi Zak and her husband David Spector.
The brand is known for its body-positive and inclusive marketing, offering bras in many different sizes, including half cups. ThirdLove claims it’s helped over 18 million women find a bra that actually fits.
But is ThirdLove helping people, the planet, and animals in production? What’s ThirdLove’s impact on the Earth and its inhabitants? It’s time we answer the question: how ethical is ThirdLove?
How ethical is ThirdLove?
Sadly, there’s not much to say about ThirdLove. Usually, in these types of articles, we have a closer look at the brand’s rating and break it down so that you know more about how a brand is performing across the three key areas of environmental impact, labour conditions, and animal welfare.
But for ThirdLove, we didn’t find much.
The brand does talk about the factories it’s working with in Asia and that it makes sure all its partners are providing good working conditions and following local labour laws by working with “expert third-party auditors to audit factories at least every year”. The brand also states it is collaborating with its partners “to improve working conditions according to internationally accepted standards”.
ThirdLove also highlights its work with organisations like I Support the Girls, Soles4Souls, Good360, and St. Anthony’s, to which they’ve donated over $50 million of products to help women. When returned products can’t be donated or resold, the brand says it works with Texaid to upcycle these materials into new uses.
But, this is not enough. Overall, ThirdLove provides insufficient relevant information about how it reduces its impact on people (including whether it pays a living wage), the planet, and animals. You have a right to know how the products you buy affect the issues you care about. ThirdLove is rated “We Avoid” overall.
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.
We know how important underwear is, so if you’re on the lookout for size inclusive, sustainable, cool brands at different price points, have a look at the brands below.
Good swaps
“Good” and “Great” alternatives to ThirdLove
