Eddie Bauer Guide Pro Sustainability Report

The Eddie Bauer Guide Pro combines a thick nylon-spandex fabric with reinforced stitching for a tough and weather-resistant build. The fabric maintains its shape over time and resists pilling better than most alternatives. These pants will hold up well under regular trail and climbing use.

Choosing durable outdoor gear is perhaps the most effective way to reduce environmental impact—the longer it lasts, the less it needs to be produced. Our proprietary longevity rating evaluates overall build quality based on factors such as materials, fabric denier, component durability (including zippers and toggles), real-world performance as reported by our field testers, and our experiences with the brand. Overall, we feel strongly that reducing overall consumption is a cornerstone of sustainability.

The Eddie Bauer Guide Pro pants do not contain recycled materials.

Outdoor gear can be made partly or entirely from recycled materials, the most common being nylon, polyester, wool, and down. Some products include a single recycled component or a partially recycled fabric, while others are 100% recycled (generally excluding accessories like zippers, Velcro, toggles, etc.). For our sustainability ratings, we evaluate the amount of recycled materials in a particular product and assign points accordingly.

The Guide Pro is made with 95% Bluesign-approved nylon fabric. In a 2021 press release, Eddie Bauer stated its goal of sourcing 50% Bluesign-approved fabrics by 2025 and 100% Bluesign-approved fabrics by 2030. We have not yet seen an update on progress toward this goal.

Bluesign Technologies, based in Switzerland, operates a third-party textile certification system that ensures materials are manufactured to strict environmental, chemical, and worker safety standards. A Bluesign-approved material indicates that it has undergone a rigorous vetting process based on the criteria above. A Bluesign Product goes the next mile, containing at least 90% Bluesign-approved fabrics and at least 30% Bluesign-approved accessories.

We could not confirm whether the Eddie Bauer Guide Pro pants use a PFAS-free durable DWR treatment.

The DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finish is a product’s direct defense against outside moisture, and commonly contains PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). These synthetic compounds, known as "forever chemicals,” are found in a range of gear categories, from jackets to footwear. They resist water, oil, and heat exceptionally well, making them ideal for outdoor use, but their nearly indestructible nature also means that they take an extremely long time to degrade in nature, if at all. PFAS can eventually end up in everything from soil to drinking water and have been linked to a range of health issues.

While Eddie Bauer requires that all its factories be independently audited by a third party, its practices do not meet our criterion for responsible manufacturing. To meet our responsible manufacturing criteria, we require brands to be part of a third-party program that provides certification and/or annual audits of factories to ensure safe working conditions, fair wages, and a decreased environmental impact. Eddie Bauer’s efforts do not include annual audits or certifications.

This criterion evaluates a brand's commitment to fair wages, safe working conditions, and reducing its environmental impact throughout the production process. Responsible manufacturing is most commonly demonstrated through certifications and membership in programs such as Fair Trade Certified, Fair Wear Foundation, Worldwide Responsible Accreditation of Production, and the Fair Labor Association. We also recognize brands that prioritize local production, such as those that manufacture primarily in the United States or Europe, to reduce carbon emissions, maintain better oversight of working conditions, and comply with strict social and environmental regulations.

Eddie Bauer uses recycled packaging, but we could not confirm the exact amount. In a 2021 press release, Eddie Bauer set the goal of reducing its product packaging weight by 30% and using 50% post-consumer recycled packaging and 100% Forest Stewardship Council-certified packaging by 2025. We have not found an update on progress toward doing so.

Packaging can add significant waste to an outdoor gear purchase and often ends up in landfills. Many brands are using recycled packaging and/or making efforts to reduce packaging altogether. For example, they may use a certain percentage of recycled cardboard or make efforts to use less plastic or paper across their packaging operation. In some cases, brands also use Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper products, which helps to ensure sustainable sourcing of forest materials.

Eddie Bauer does not offer repairs for its products. However, for products covered under Eddie Bauer’s guarantee, the company may provide a reimbursement for repairs done through a third-party provider. While we appreciate this service, it does not meet our criterion for repair services, as repairs are not facilitated through Eddie Bauer.

Repair services extend the lifespan of outdoor gear and reduce overall consumption. Some brands offer comprehensive repair programs that can fix a wide range of issues, while others have more limited capabilities. If a brand's warranty policy only covers replacement, rather than repair, these programs usually do not meet this criterion.

Eddie Bauer briefly offered a resale program in the past, but it no longer does.

Resale and recycling programs help keep outdoor gear in circulation for longer and out of landfills. The most common form is a trade-in program, where consumers can exchange items for store credit, which is then resold. Some brands accept products back for recycling at the end of their life, thereby reducing waste. Occasionally, some do both.

Better Trail has not been able to confirm the status of Eddie Bauer’s greenhouse gas tracking efforts. In a 2021 press release, the brand set the goal of measuring its emissions by 2023 and setting targets thereafter. It has not published an update or data outlining its progress.

This criterion evaluates whether this brand measures its greenhouse gas emissions, along with its commitment to reduction and transparency in reporting. Typically, we require brands to follow established frameworks such as the Higg Index, Greenhouse Gas Protocol, or The Change Climate Project. Most companies use the widely recognized scope categorization system for measuring brand emissions. Those who earn the most points in this category have emissions reduction goals verified by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a global organization that helps companies set greenhouse gas reduction targets in line with the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C. To verify their goals through SBTi, companies undergo a rigorous assessment process and continual follow-up to ensure consistent progress towards achieving their targets.

Neither Eddie Bauer nor its parent company, Catalyst Brands, publishes an annual impact report.

An impact report is an important step toward transparency and accountability on the sustainability front. These reports vary in form but generally cover topics such as material sourcing, greenhouse gas emissions tracking, waste and water usage, supply chain analysis, and packaging efforts. For our sustainability ratings, we evaluate this criterion based on the depth and quality of the information provided in the report, and how often it is produced. Some brands produce their own impact report, while others are published by their parent company. In practice, we’ve found that reports produced by individual brands include more detailed information about their sustainability efforts.