Choosing a backpack that aligns with your vegan and eco-friendly values can be a rewarding experience. But with so many brands vying for your attention, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Here’s a detailed look at 10 top vegan and eco-friendly backpack brands in the US, helping you find the perfect match:
1. Patagonia: A household name for outdoor enthusiasts, Patagonia champions sustainability with their “Build Soil, Build Quality” philosophy. They offer a wide range of recycled-material backpacks, from technical hiking packs to everyday styles. Patagonia is also a certified B Corporation, ensuring they meet rigorous social and environmental standards.
2. Cotopaxi: This adventure-focused brand crafts durable, all-weather backpacks using recycled materials like water bottles and repurposed fabric scraps. They’re known for their vibrant colors and commitment to social impact, partnering with various initiatives to empower communities worldwide.
3. Fjällräven: Renowned for their iconic Kånken square backpack, Fjällräven prioritizes timeless design and eco-friendly materials like organic cotton and recycled polyester. They go beyond just backpacks, offering tents, sleeping bags, and apparel with a focus on minimizing their environmental impact throughout the supply chain.
4. Tentree: This brand plants 10 trees for every backpack purchased, making a tangible impact on reforestation efforts. Their backpacks use recycled materials or organic cotton, and they champion ethical and sustainable practices throughout their operations, earning them B Corporation certification.
5. Herschel Supply Co.: Known for their trendy backpacks and accessories, Herschel caters to a wider audience with their diverse styles. They’re committed to using recycled materials like water bottles and post-consumer waste in their backpacks, and their efforts extend to eco-friendly packaging, reducing their carbon footprint.
6. Matador: For travelers and minimalists, Matador offers lightweight, packable backpacks made from recycled nylon and ripstop fabrics. They prioritize sustainability with bluesign® approved materials, ensuring minimal environmental impact during production.
7. Topo Designs: This brand creates versatile and durable backpacks for everyday use and adventure travel. They utilize recycled materials in many of their bags and are committed to ethical manufacturing practices, ensuring fair wages and good working conditions throughout their supply chain.
8. Everlane: This minimalist brand offers sleek and modern backpacks made from recycled nylon and innovative leather alternatives like cactus leather. They prioritize transparency in their supply chain and ethical production, ensuring you know exactly where your backpack comes from.
9. Kånken: This Swedish brand has achieved iconic status with their simple yet functional square backpack. Kånken uses recycled and recyclable materials in their bags, and they’re actively involved in reducing their environmental footprint and supporting social responsibility initiatives.
10. O My Bag: This brand caters to the fashion-conscious vegan with their stylish backpacks and accessories made from natural and recycled materials like cork, organic cotton, and recycled PET bottles. They’re passionate about sustainability and ethical production, ensuring their products align with your values.
