Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol Sustainability Report

The Z Lite’s closed-cell foam construction makes it nearly immune to backcountry damage. It can be dragged, scorched, or gouged and still work as intended. If you prioritize longevity above all else, it’s hard to beat the Z Lite.

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 Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol doesn't include any recycled materials. In 2022, Therm-a-Rest updated some of its sleeping bags to use 100% recycled ripstop nylon certified to the Global Recycled Standard. However, the brand doesn’t report the total amount of recycled materials it sources.

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 Z Lite Sol doesn't use any Bluesign-approved materials. Therm-a-Rest isn’t a Bluesign System Partner. However, its parent company (Cascade Designs) aims for 100% of its softgood products to be compliant with Bluesign chemical standards by 2030.

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 20% Bluesign-approved accessories.

Cascade Designs, Therm-a-Rest’s parent company, owns facilities in Seattle, Washington; Reno, Nevada; and Cork, Ireland, where it manufactures most of its products. These facilities are subject to strict labor and environmental regulations, and products made in the U.S. and Europe typically have lower carbon footprints due to reduced transportation between global factories.

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.

In 2018, Therm-a-Rest minimized waste by using reusable stuff sacks to package its self-inflating sleeping pads. Additionally, Cascade Designs uses recycled paper packaging and soy-based inks whenever possible. It doesn’t detail whether its other packaging materials are recycled or reduced, though.

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.

Therm-a-Rest offers in-house repair services for its products. In 2021 (the most recent year for which data is available), Therm-a-Rest’s parent company repaired nearly 60% of the items it received.

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.

Cascade Designs tracks its subsidiaries’ greenhouse gas emissions across all scopes. The company aims to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% and its Scope 3 emissions by 25% by 2030, compared to its 2022 baseline. It’s also working towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. These targets are aligned with guidance from the Science Based Targets Initiative, but the organization hasn’t verified them. Cascade Designs hasn’t reported whether it’s made progress towards its targets either, since it doesn’t share year-over-year data.

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 Therm-a-Rest nor Cascade Designs 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.