Yes, to make sure we improve and set high enough standards in terms of social and environmental values, we have partnered up with numerous organizations within a wide range of fields. You can find a list of all the organizations here.

Lifa® base layer technology is designed to keep you dry next to your skin by transferring moisture away from the skin where it can evaporate more easily. How often you should wash your Lifa® product is based on your activity level and how much sweat you produce.

We recommend washing your Lifa® products regularly after each use by simply giving them a quick hand wash to keep them clean and avoid bacteria build ups. Don’t tumble dry your Lifa® products, but line dry them.

In 2013, Helly Hansen signed the 2013 Accord agreement, through which the aim is to ensure that the textile factories in Bangladesh are safe workplaces. We work closely with our suppliers and inspect often in order to ensure safe workplaces.

We do not recycle garments, but we are working on using as many recycled materials as possible and creating recyclable products. With proper care, our garments should last a long time, and when you're done using your gear, we recommend donating or repairing when possible. While the global infrastructure for recycling is still in development, we are continuing to explore, innovate, and do our part in supporting a circular economy. In Europe, more and more countries are starting to collect textiles separately, and material identification technology is advancing.

BLUESIGN acts as an independent verifier that works to secure trust and transparency in the manufacturing of textiles. The bluesign® system has an input stream management approach, meaning all chemistry applied in making of the materials have been approved in advance by bluesign®. By preventing hazardous chemicals from entering the input stream, bluesign® creates a clean process that provides consumers the confidence they are purchasing a product that meets the highest consumer safety standards.

It might not be that obvious when you should consider washing your garments, so here are a couple of signs to look for:

– If the water and/or rain droplets no longer bead off the surface of the jacket and start leaving a wet mark, the DWR (durable water repellency) might be worn off or deactivated.

– If the breathability does not seem to be on the same level as when you first bought your Helly Tech® garment. The fabric could be contaminated.

Yes. To ensure that no birds are harmed in the making of our products, 100% of the down we use is fully traceable and RDS-certified.

Always check the care label and follow the instructions there as they might be specific to that item. However, here are a few general guidelines on how to wash waterproof gear - these are not meant to replace the instructions on the care label. 

Before washing your garment, make sure to cover all these pre-procedures:

– Make sure you zip up all zippers to avoid any surface damage.

– Loosen any tightened cords.

– Open the hood if the jacket has a hidden hood.

– Wash your product with the correct water temperature and program as instructed on the care label.

– For waterproof gear, do not use standard commercial detergents. Please use Tech Wash. Tech Wash is a detergent made for waterproof products and helps preserve the functionality better than standard powder and liquid detergents. 

– Do not use fabric softeners or detergents that have softening agents, as these will reduce the fabric surface tension and will have a negative effect on the fabric performance.

– HH® advises to use a technical washing product and to follow the instructions given by that product.

– In cases where no technical washing products exist, and you only have the option of normal washing products, one can wash using very little liquid washing product with no additives (without perfume, foam or softener). A second rinse cycle with water is preferred to remove any detergents that might be left behind on the surface. It is important to remove excess detergent, as it might affect the performance of the fabric.

– After washing, you can safely tumble dry your water proof gear in order to re-activate the DWR treatment. Please always follow the garment care label for drying instructions.

The most commonly used synthetic fibers in our products are polyester, polyamide and polypropylene, representing over 80% of our raw materials in 2020. These materials are petroleum based.

We are facing the challenges of plastics through several initiatives. We are phasing out harmful stabilizers in PVC materials and replacing them with stabilizers that are not harmful to us or the environment. At the same time, we are continuously increasing our use of recycled polyester. Diverting PET-bottles reduces landfill and soil, air, and water contamination.

Microfibers represent a considerable challenge to the environment. We are therefore engaged in several projects with cross-industry partners to find and implement solutions that prevent microplastics from reaching the environment. In 2016, we became a member of The Microfiber Consortium, and in 2020 we became a member on the board.

We introduced Mono Material in our Fall/Winter 2020 collection. The Mono Material garments are constructed in one material, which ensures that the garment can be recycled, and the material can be used again in new textiles. In 2020 we also evaluated our full corporate GHG emission footprint, and the next step will be to break down this information to product and material level so we can make more informed decisions in the design phase.

All our merino wool is from ZQ certified suppliers.

Always check and follow the care label instructions as they might be specific to that product. However, here are some general guidelines on how to wash a down jacket. These should not replace the instructions on the care label. 

– Down jackets should be washed at the temperature and the cycle instructed on the care label.

– It is important to set the machine on one extra rinse cycle, to ensure that all the detergent has been removed from the down feathers.

– After the wash and when wet, the jacket will weigh more, so please handle it with care.

– It is advised to scoop, rather than pull the garment out of the washing machine. Do not shake or twist the garment to remove the excess water at this stage. Rather press out excess water when the jacket is lying flat.

We recommend washing and drying down products separately to avoid unnecessary friction. We do not recommend hand washing of down garments as it is very difficult to remove the washing detergent properly. Handwashing will also lead to excessive mechanical tensions on the fabric and seams.

To ensure the garment is dried evenly after washing, we suggest setting a long tumble drying program at a temperature suggested on the care label. Once the jacket is dry, you can add two to three dryer balls into the dryer (tennis balls will also work). This is to help gain extra loft between the down feathers. We do not recommend ironing your down jacket. This will compress the down inside the jacket and might damage the outer fabric.

Yes, Helly Hansen only source from producers who treat their animals with respect and dignity. This includes no force-feeding, no live-plucking, and no mulesing. The animals should be treated responsibly, and to ensure their welfare, we require that all our suppliers of wool, down, and leather, apply to our Code of Conduct. 100% of the down we use is fully traceable and RDS-certified, we have phased out real fur, all our merino wool is ZQ certified, and we are not using leather in apparel, just accessories and shoes.

Depending on the type of product you have, the care will vary. First and foremost, read the label on the inside of your jacket. Then, visit our care page or ask here, in frequently asked questions, for more details.

Plastic waste found beyond this radius are unlikely to end up in the ocean. 

We report annually to both the Sustainable Apparel Coalition via the Higg Brand & Retail Module, and the Ethical Trade Norway. From 2020 we will also be tracking our corporate GHG emission footprint.

It is important to wash your waterproof garment whenever needed. Washing your garments will remove contaminating substances such as oils, dirt and salts from the surface and restore the surface tension of the fabric, keeping it clean and dry which in return help the membrane perform at its best.

The down layer in your garment functions as thermal insulation to keep you warm. Taking good care of this layer will extend the lifetime of the garment.

How often to wash your jacket will depend on how often and how harsh you use your jacket. After a period of use, the down inside your down jacket might start to cluster and lose its puffiness (or “loft”). This will inhibit the performance of the insulating properties of the garment. 

To revive the performance of the down, it is important to wash your down garment to fluff the down back to its original shape. Down is a natural material, so washing down products will also help prevent the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms.

Poor waste management across many middle- and low-income countries means that these are the main sources of global ocean plastic pollution. Many of these counties relies solely on bottled water to provide clean drinking water to their citizens.

We use 100% mulesing-free Merino wool and all our merino wool is ZQ or RWS certified.

Helly Hansen products are made in a variety of places around the world. You can check the location of your garment by checking the tag on the garment, or see a list of our suppliers here.

It is important to us to use low impact materials, therefore recycled polyester and recycled polyamide are both part of our portfolio. As of 2023, Helly Hansen is GRS (Global Recycled Standard) and RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) certified. This means that we are able to certify certain products as long as we are able to prove a full chain of custody.

DWR stands for durable water repellency - it is a surface treatment on the fabric of waterproof gear. The performance of the DWR will decrease over time and wear. You don’t have to re-apply the DWR after each wash, but should rather reactivate it with tumble drying or ironing, always see the care label instructions for what is possible for your gear.

A good sign that it is time to re-apply a DWR treatment is when the water and rain droplets do not bead off the jacket surface after you have washed and tumble dried your gear.

Applying a DWR treatment is a simple process that takes place after washing your garment and before you tumble dry it. Usually there are two types of applications — a wash-in that involves the washing machine and a spray-on that allows you to apply the DWR treatment without a washing machine.

Whatever product you choose, always read and follow the label and instructions of the manufacturer. Helly Hansen does not have any preferred product, but some leading brands in the market include Nikwax and Grangers.

Here is a list of all our collaborations.

Wool is a natural fiber that has excellent thermal properties, but these fibers can felt (tangle) under mechanical friction, pressure, and heat when humid. Extra attention needs to be given to your wool products during the washing and drying cycles in order to keep the garments in their best condition.

Always check the care label and follow the instructions. However, here are some general guidelines on how to wash woollen products. These should not replace the instructions on the care label. 

We recommend that you always use the ‘wool’ program on your washing machine if the care label instructions mention it. Use wool detergent and avoid standard washing detergents. To help keep the original shape of the garment, lay the garment flat when drying. Do not twist the garment to remove excess water.

If hand-wash instructions are mentioned in the care label, make sure not to rub or agitate the garment when wet and handle with care. Use wool detergent and avoid standard washing detergents.

Do not use heat to dry your wool products.

Not all DWRs are created equal. Historically, most DWRs employed a long-chain (C8) fluorocarbon-based treatment whose by-products are toxic for the environment. The PFCs in DWR are both bad for the environment but also high performing (very waterproof). So, we are constantly working to create waterproof/breathable gear with limited use of DWR treatments. Some of our DWRs are C0, which means that they are PFC free and better for the environment. We are also introducing a new technology for our FW20 Collection that is waterproof/breathable without the use of DWR treatment. We will continue to innovate our technologies in order to minimize our negative impact on the environment.

In general, all textile production from raw materials, fiber production, yarn spinning, fabric manufacturing, wet treatment, drying/ finishing, garment making and transportation is very dependent on the use of chemicals. Throughout the production processes, there are many chemicals that can be used to either to impart a function or finish on the fabric (e.g. colorant, stabilizers, DWR treatment) or to assist the making and finishing process (e.g. solvent, catalysts, lubricants, needle oils etc.), other chemical can also accidently occur.

No matter the level, we control and monitor the chemicals we use in our supply chain via bluesign partnership and a risk based chemical management process.

Since 2008 we have been members of bluesign® – a widely recognized and independent system that acts as a global guiding tool for the entire textile industry’s value chain. The process starts from the ground up, and it’s not about testing finished products, but rather ensuring that the process is done right all the way from its first stage. All components from chemistry applied with raw materials and dye stuff, to textile manufacturers, should meet the criterias set by bluesign®. The goal is to ensure that products are produced using best practice when it comes to chemical management and that they pose no health hazards.

Always check the care label and follow the instructions. However, here are some general guidelines on how to wash Lifa® products. These should not replace the instructions on the care label. 

– Lifa® products are machine washable; follow the care instructions for temperature and cycle. We recommend using the wool program for these products.

– Do not tumble or heat dry. Only air/hang to dry.

– Always use the least amount of detergent as possible and if the base layer contains wool (Lifa® Merino), please use wool detergents.

Due to the nature of these products, we can recommend to hand wash directly after each use in lukewarm water to avoid bacteria and odor build up.

At Helly Hansen, we have begun making strides for better packaging. As per today, there are no perfect solutions for achieving zero impact from packaging we rely on. All shopping bags in our retail stores are made from FSC certified recycled paper, and from February 2024 the bag handles will be of paper as well for easier recycling for our customers. All our hangtags are made from FSC certified paper. From 2021, we introduced 100% recycled content to all our polyethylene (PE) bags and removed most of the ink on them, and in 2023 we made sure this was all from post-consumer waste. We are continuously working with industry peers to reduce our use of single-use plastics. See European Outdoor Group EOG: Knowledge Hub for more information: https://www.europeanoutdoorgroup.com/knowledge-hub