Description
VAUDE is a family-owned German maker of outdoor clothing, backpacks, tents and bike bags, based at Obereisenbach near Lake Constance. It is known for its environmental work: PFAS-free products, recycled and renewable materials, and its own Green Shape standard. It is an alternative to outdoor brands that use toxic water-repellents and make gear that is hard to repair.
Albrecht von Dewitz founded it in 1974, and his daughter Antje von Dewitz has run it since 2009; the family owns it entirely. In 2025 it had about 500 employees in Germany and €127 million in revenue. About 5 % of products are made at its own site in Germany, the rest by partners in Europe, Taiwan, China, Vietnam and South Korea. VAUDE has been a member of the Fair Wear Foundation since 2010 and has regularly held its top “Leader” rating since 2015, though Fair Wear says membership is no guarantee of a risk-free supply chain.
More than 80 % of the winter 2026 collection carries the Green Shape label, which requires more than half renewable or recycled materials; Green Shape is recognised by the state Grüner Knopf textile label, and a 2023 Greenpeace study of brands’ own labels rated it best. VAUDE also produces an audited common-good balance sheet (Gemeinwohl-Bilanz). Its repair service works regardless of warranty and takes two to three weeks in all, and it publishes repair guides with iFixit. In April 2024, falling bike-bag sales led it to put 70 staff on short-time work.
Strengths
- Durable gear with a repair service open regardless of warranty, and repair guides with iFixit.
- No PFAS in its products, and more than 80 % of the winter 2026 collection certified Green Shape.
- Fair Wear member since 2010, with its top rating, and an audited common-good balance sheet.
Weaknesses
- Expensive, like most quality outdoor gear.
- About 95 % of the products are made by partners abroad, mostly in Asia, with long transport.
- Some items, such as shoes, sleeping mats and some bike bags, can’t be repaired.
Who it is for
Hikers, cyclists and campers who want gear that lasts and can be repaired, from a company that reports on its social and environmental record.
Sources
- VAUDE: home, Green Shape, Reparieren, Globale Lieferkette, checked November 2026
- Wikipedia: Vaude