Is Zaful Ethical? Think Twice Before Buying

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Zaful, founded in 2014, is an online Chinese fast fashion retailer creating cheap men’s and women’s clothing targeted at teens and young adults.

The brand’s popularity has risen rapidly over the previous years, owing to its heavily targeted social media ad campaigns and large GEN-Z following on social media.

We ask the question, is Zaful Ethical?

Ecothes Opinion: Zaful Overall Score

Is Zaful Ethical?
Overall, we give Zaful a very poor score of 0.5/5.
Zaful produces huge quantities of low quality garments which are destined to end up in landfills. In addition, the brand doesn’t disclose any information about its suppliers or the treatment of its garment workers or any information on animal welfare policies.

Is Zaful Fast Fashion?

Zaful sweatshirt

Yes, Zaful is a fast-fashion brand, similar to fast fashion retailer Shein.

The Chinese clothing company produces vast quantities of garments from cheap, low-quality material and sells the clothing at a low price.

Zaful has over 7700 women’s clothing garments and over 4400 men’s garments on its website, much of which may end up in landfills if not sold.

The brand Zaful has been called out for taking designs from other designers and creating low-quality versions of those designs.

The brands fast-fashion business model promotes overconsumption of clothing because the clothing is of poor quality and cheap.

The brand has even received criticism doubting whether Zaful is legit due to its products’ poor quality and poor reviews.

What Materials Does Zaful Use?

Zaful uses materials such as virgin polyester, cotton, and viscose.

There is no indication of any Zaful products using low-impact or sustainable materials such as organic cotton or recycled materials.

Where are Zaful Clothes Made?

Zaful clothes are made in China. However, the brand does not disclose the 128 suppliers or factories it works with.

The Zaful website says it “ensures a safe working environment for its garment workers”; however, this is just an empty statement. Furthermore, there is no brand transparency or evidence into Zaful auditing these suppliers against any codes of conduct or whether the brand is aware of any child labor or human rights violations.

Is Zaful Cruelty-Free?

There is no information given on Zaful’s animal-welfare policy.

Sustainable Alternatives to Zaful

For Sustainable Swimwear

Kitty and Vibe Juju bikini

Kitty and Vibe

Sustainability: Size inclusive swimwear made ethically from recycled materials.

Best For: Vibrant printed swimsuits, bikinis, and beachwear

Price: $$

Kitty and Vibe sustainable swimwear

For Ethical Activewear

Girlfriend Collective sustainable activewear leggings and top

Girlfriend Collective

Sustainability: Chic sustainable activewear is made ethically from recycled plastic bottles.

Best For: Cool co-ord sets in dreamy colors, sustainable leggings, and sport bras

Price: $$

For Loungewear

ethical alternative to zaful

Organic Basics

Sustainability: Ethical clothing in minimalist styles created from organic cotton

Best For: Sweatpants, hoodies, sweatshirts

Price: $$

Organic Basics Sustainable activewear

For Dresses

Whimsy and Row alternative to Zaful

Whimsy + Row

Sustainability: Gorgeous dresses from eco-friendly materials, ethically made in Los Angeles

Best For: Satin slip dresses and jumpsuits

Price: $$

Wrapping Up: Is Zaful Ethical?

We hope you enjoyed the article. Check out our other brand ratings such as Blushmark, Cider, Zara, and more!

Bethany
Bethany

Bethany Worthington BSc (Hons) (she/her) is the Sustainable Fashion Editor and Co-founder of Ecothes. She has a passion for the environment, and a long love of all things clothing, and combines those two interests with Ecothes. In her free time she loves dancing, hiking in the countryside, and laughing with friends.

Articles: 207

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