The 20 Best Sustainable Alternatives To Levi’s Jeans

Levi’s is one of the oldest and most well-known denim companies in the world. Usually when I find sustainable alternatives and compare brands, I’m talking about harmful and problematic fast-fashion brands. In this case, Levi’s is not so much fulfilling the same role as they are making an effort to become more sustainable. However, there are many smaller denim companies who have had sustainability as their main priority since their inception and are continually innovating ways to make jeans better for planet and people. The initiatives of these sustainable brands are often drowned out by advertisements from big brands, while they are actually a lot further along on their sustainability journey than Levi’s is. In this post, I analyse 20 Levi’s jeans and present to you similar ones that are more responsibly-made. And before you think they will be way outside your budget: half of them are around the same price and some even cheaper. So if you can afford Levi’s, you can also afford these more sustainable ones.

I often get asked for recommendations and sustainable alternatives, and sometimes it is hard to refer my readers to clothing brands that are a lot more expensive than the fast-fashion brands they are used to because it can be a big difference. But it is a little different with jeans. Jeans are some of the easiest items to replace with sustainable versions, especially if you live in Europe because you will see in this article that there are many European brands who have similar prices to Levi’s. You also tend to not buy new jeans often because they are timeless, versatile and can be worn very frequently. This staple fashion item will last you years so the investment in a good quality pair usually feels like it’s worth it.

Some of Levi’s Sustainability Practices

This post does not include a full analysis of Levi’s business practices and how sustainable the brand overall is, because that would be enough for a whole separate post. Instead I will give a quick overview of some of the things Levi’s has already undertaken to reduce the environmental and social impact of their products.

Levi’s states their plans and partnerships are focused on three main pillars:

Climate

Water use: The production of jeans is a highly water-intensive process. To reduce water usage, Levi’s created Water<Less®, a flagship initiative to maximize water efficiency. They have saved almost 13 billion liters of water as of 2020. They also established Recycle and Reuse Guidelines, an objective that requires facilities to recycle more than 20% of the water used in manufacturing.

Energy use: Levi’s claims they regularly conduct energy audits at their manufacturing facilities with the goal of becoming more energy efficient. Some of the things they do is modernize heat production, reduce their use of natural gas, choose LED lighting and update HVAC systems.

Chemical use: Producing jeans involves the use of toxic chemicals. After being called out by Greenpeace in 2012, Levi’s pledged to reduce the hazardous chemicals used during their production process. They achieved their goal to eliminate hazardous chemicals by 2020 across most of its supply chain.

Production locations: Levi’s used to produce their items locally in the USA, which is exactly what brands should do if they want to be more sustainable. Unfortunately, most Levi’s are now imported from developing countries in Asia since the early 2000s.

Fabric materials: They claim 83% of their cotton came from sustainable sources in 2020, including Better Cotton, organic cotton and recycled cotton. But on the product pages for their jeans, they don’t specify which type of cotton is used for those pairs of jeans. So you won’t know if you’re buying jeans that has organic cotton, BCI cotton or just regular cotton. They also use some more sustainable fibres, but they often add only a small percentage of the sustainable material while the vast majority is still cotton. You will see examples of this in the list below.

Circularity

In Levi’s own words: “Designing clothes for circularity means using recyclable and renewable materials that can be made again, and limits the use of resources in the production process.”

Levi’s SecondHand: This is their own buy-back and recommerce program where you can buy and sell preloved Levi’s items. This reduces waste and consumption.

Circular jeans: They have created some upcycled and repurposed collections and “a fully circular version” of their 501 Original Jeans where they also improve the recyclability of all elements: labels, threads, trims, etc. This is great, but these jeans still consist of 60% cotton. You will also see examples in the list below where Levi’s adds recycled cotton, but only in small percentages. There are brands who are already able to use higher percentages of recycled content.

Worker well-being

In this area, Levi’s still has a lot to improve, despite their claim that community empowerment and worker well-being is one of their three main pillars. According to Good On You, a company dedicated to rating fashion brands, almost none of Levi’s supply chain is certified by labour standards and they have made little progress towards ensuring the payment of a living wage for the workers. They also chose not to sign the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry. This is a legally binding agreement created for the protection of garment workers. Many fashion companies signed the agreement, including some fast-fashion brands, but not Levi’s.

20 Better Options

The conclusion is that Levi’s has already made great progress towards becoming a sustainable clothing brand, but there is still room for improvement. Until they have fully caught up, you can show the following 20 brands a little support. For each of the brands, I took one of their jeans and compared them to a similar style from Levi’s. Note that these are only examples and the brands have many more options on their website.

I initially only wanted to include brands that focus on denim, but to give you some more options, I’ve added a few that are not denim brands but do offer denim items, if you know what I mean. I always encourage you to shop as locally as possible, so the 20 brands are categorized into the continents where they are based. You can use the table of contents below to go straight down to one of the continents. And the order in which the brands are listed is based on price range, starting with the brand that offers the cheapest jeans down to the more expensive brands.

NOTE: this post includes some affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission when purchasing through the links. This doesn’t cost you anything extra but helps me to continue putting together these posts.

Europe

It seems Europe is the place to be for the most affordable sustainable jeans. That’s why I chose to start with 10 European brands. The price range of Levi’s jeans in Europe around the time I wrote this article is: €69 – €590.

ARMEDANGELS

German brand ARMEDANGELS has a wide selection of clothing for men and women, including jeans. Click here to learn more about the brand and all their sustainability efforts.

Levi’s Middy Straight Jeans in a medium blue colour are made in Cambodia with 100% cotton.

For just five cents less, ARMEDANGELS offers similar mid waist, straight leg jeans. They are made closer to home in Tunisia, and the name of the specific manufacturer is even mentioned on the product page. Instead of regular cotton, they are made from organic cotton. ARMEDANGELS also calculated the carbon footprint of these jeans and concluded it is 28% less than similar products.

Dawn Denim

Another German brand, but this one focuses on denim products for women.

The 501® Levi’s® Crop Jeans have a high rise and straight leg. What we know about these jeans is that they are made from 100% cotton, and the country of origin is Turkey.

You might be surprised by this, but the more sustainable alternative is cheaper. Dawn’s dark blue, high rise and straight leg jeans are not manufactured locally but here is why I still consider them to be more sustainable: in addition to organic cotton, they also include hemp, one of the most sustainable textile fibers. These jeans are made in their own factory in Vietnam. Dawn Denim is a leader brand of the Fair Wear Foundation, which means the conditions and quality standards in the factory are checked annually. For transparency, Dawn jeans carry a QR code from Retraced. This allows you to view the entire supply chain, the certificates and the suppliers.

seventy + mochi

seventy + mochi is also a denim brand for women, but based in the United Kingdom.

Levi’s Ribcage Straight Ankle Jeans in a worn-in black colour are super high rise and have a straight leg. They are manufactured in Cambodia with cotton and 1% elastane.

A better and also cheaper choice is seventy + mochi’s Mabel Jean in a washed charcoal colour. They are also high rise, although not as high as Levi’s ribcage style, and they are also made from cotton with a bit of elastane. But they use organic and recycled cotton and eco-made elastane instead. The fabrics are third-party certified: GOTS for the organic cotton, and GRS and RCS for the recycled cotton. When you no longer want your jeans, you can send them back through their Circle Back Program, and seventy + mochi will ensure they are recycled to give them a new life.

Kuyichi

Kuyichi is a Dutch sustainable denim brand who also have similar prices to Levi’s. Read more about this brand and their sustainability efforts here.

The 726™ High Rise Flare Jeans from Levi’s in a dark indigo colour are made in Turkey with several materials, including sustainable material TENCEL™ Lyocell. Levi’s emphasises the usage of this material in the description of these jeans, but it’s only 7% so you can hardly say they are much better with this addition.

Kuyichi’s high rise Lisette Flare jeans are made with organic cotton and two stretch fibres, one sustainable and one not. T400 Eco-Made is a biobased and recycled stretch fibre. The fabric and jeans are produced in Turkey/Türkiye, and the specific fabric supplier and clothing manufacturer are mentioned on the website. The factory is audited by Fair Wear & BSCI to ensure good working conditions.

1083

1083 is an eco-friendly denim brand based in France and they offer clothes for men & women.

The blue 501® Levi’s® Original Jeans for men are made in Pakistan. The jeans are dyed with fade-resistant Future Indigo™ and Levi’s says this colour does not fade. The fabric of these jeans is one of the better ones used by Levi’s. 36% is Modal by Lenzing which is categorized as a sustainable material.

For a euro less, you can get similar blue straight leg jeans that are made locally from 100% organic cotton. You can check the entire production process of these jeans on their website, including the suppliers and manufacturers that are involved. The yarns are made in Turkey and the rest of the process takes place locally in France. The dyeing process is GOTS certified, and as well as Levi’s jeans, 1083 claims this dye does not fade.

Kings Of Indigo

Another Dutch sustainable denim brand for men and women is Kings of Indigo.

I’m bringing the 501® Crop Jeans back again, but this time in the colour Ethereal Ecru Cream. These 100% cotton, high rise and straight leg jeans are manufactured in Cambodia.

As a comparison, we have the Liora Cropped jeans from Kings of Indigo in the colour holo optical white. They are only €10 more expensive but a lot more ethical. These high rise, straight leg jeans feature recycled metal trims and a vegan brand patch on the waistband. Instead of regular cotton, these jeans are completely made from recycled cotton. The production process of these jeans is shown on the website, and Kings of Indigo has certifications for fair working conditions in the factories. Furthermore they say: “No hazardous chemicals are present in the final product, and if used in the manufacturing process, the handling and disposal is done responsibly.”

MUD Jeans

The third and final denim brand from the Netherlands on this list is MUD Jeans. You can learn more about this brand here.

Levi’s blue Baggy Dad Jeans are mid rise and have a loose fit, and are made in China. The fabric includes 21% of the sustainable material Tencel.

Probably the coolest things about MUD Jeans is that they allow you to lease jeans instead of purchase them. For €10.80 per month, you can lease their Loose Jamie jeans shown below. If you prefer to buy them, you will still be able to save €10 compared to Levi’s version. These jeans in the colour Sunny Stone are made in Tunisia and the specific manufacturer is mentioned on their website. 40% of the denim fabric is recycled cotton and the rest is organic cotton.

Nudie Jeans

Nudie Jeans is a denim brand for men and women based in Sweden. Click here to read more about what makes this brand sustainable.

The men’s 568™ Stay Loose Jeans from Levi’s in a worn-in black colour are made in China with 100% cotton.

The alternative from Nudie Jeans is also a 100% cotton pair of straight leg jeans in a similar colour, Mountain Grey. However, the cotton is in this case grown organically while Levi’s doesn’t specify anything about the cotton cultivation. The jeans have a Jacron patch on the back. You can read this article to learn about this material. They are made in Tunisia and you can see the entire production process and locations on the website. They also provide data on the environmental impact: the average CO2 emission for producing this product is 7.6 kg, and the average usage of water is 340 liters.

Tomorrow Denim

Tomorrow Denim is a sustainable brand based in Denmark who offers mostly denim items for women.

Levi’s 724™ High Rise Straight Crop jeans are classic high rise and straight leg jeans. The country of origin is Pakistan, and the fabric is made of cotton, polyester and some elastane. They also mention on the product page that these jeans are “Made with Water”, whatever that means.. Perhaps that was a typo.

The TMRW Teresa Jeans have a similar style with a high waist, straight leg and a mid blue colour, but they are slightly more expensive. An FSC certified paper patch is used on the back of the jeans, and they also carry certifications from the Nordic Swan Ecolabel & The EU Ecolabel. The jeans are washed without any harmful chemicals and they’re made in Turkey. The fabric consists of the same three materials as Levi’s jeans, but more sustainable versions: organic cotton and recycled polyester.

HNST Studio

The last European brand on this list for eco-friendly alternatives to Levi’s jeans, is Belgian brand HNST Studio. You can learn more about the sustainability of this brand here.

Levi’s 80’s Mom Jeans have a dark indigo colour, are high-waisted and have a tapered leg. They are made In Cambodia, and my favourite thing about these is that Levi’s says these jeans are “sustainably made with recycled cotton”. Sounds impressive, you might think. Well, actually there is only 5% (!) recycled cotton to be found in this fabric while 95% is just regular cotton. Classic greenwashing.

HNST offers a more sustainable pair of mom jeans without the greenwashing. Their Eliza Mom Fit jeans in the colour Midnight Blue are made from recycled cotton, organic cotton and Tencel. The origins of all the components are mentioned on the website, and each component has at least one certification. All materials are sourced within Europe, except the brass buttons. They use eco-friendly washings and HNST ensures the products are recyclable. Compared to industry standards, these jeans require 91% less water and 47% less CO2.

North America

At the time of writing this article, Levi’s jeans on the American website cost between $59.50 and $275 USD, and on the Canadian website: $84.95 – $420 CAD.

Yoga Jeans

Canadian brand Yoga Jeans is the most affordable sustainable denim brand I was able to find in North America. They offer denim items for women.

Below are the dark wash 725 High Rise Bootcut Jeans from Levi’s. Not much is shared about the production process or location of these jeans on the product page. Instead, Levi’s focuses on explaining how these jeans lengthen your legs and are pre-distressed before they’re even worn. Oh, and they also made sure to emphasise these jeans include the sustainable material Tencel, but always check the percentages: only 7% is used.

For nearly 30 Canadian dollars less, you can get a pair of locally made bootcut jeans made from a better fabric. These Alex Bootcut dark indigo jeans have a vegan leather patch on the back. They are made from BCI Cotton, which is a more ethical type of cotton, and the jeans are manufactured in a certified factory in Canada.

EDWIN USA

Denim brand EDWIN USA offers ethical denim products for men and women.

Levi’s 311 Shaping Skinny Jeans have the same fabric composition as the previous jeans. One of the four materials used for these dark wash, mid rise, skinny jeans is a sustainable one, Lyocell, but a low percentage like 7% isn’t going to do much. But hey, at least the jeans have a “tummy-slimming panel”.

The jeans from EDWIN are more expensive, but you’ll get a more responsible product. The Bree Slim Skinny jeans are also blue mid rise skinny jeans, but they are manufactured in a B Corp-certified factory. They assess the environmental impact of their products: these jeans were made with 72% less water, 71% less energy and 64% less CO2 compared to industry standards. You’re also able to send them any unwanted jeans and they will make sure they are given a new life.

Outerknown

This American brand doesn’t solely focus on denim. Outerknown offers different types of clothing for both men and women, including jeans. You can read more about what makes this brand sustainable here.

Below are the 511™ Slim Fit Flex Jeans from Levi’s. These dark wash men’s jeans are made from three harmful materials: cotton, polyester and elastane. But there is something positive about these jeans: Levi’s claims this garment was made using recycled water. The production of textiles and fashion is very water intensive, so it is good when brands make an effort to reduce this.

These Levi’s jeans are some of the cheapest ones they have. The Ambassador Slim Fit from Outerknown cost twice as much but are also more eco-friendly. These indigo slim fit jeans are made from organic cotton and a little stretch spandex. The denim fabric for this pair comes from a mill in Italy, and the names of the mill and production factory are also given on the website. When you have an item you no longer want to wear, you can sell your pre-loved Outerknown clothes on their own Outerworn resell platform. This brand is also accredited by the Fair Labor Association, which means they uphold the FLA Principles of Fair Labor and Responsible Sourcing.

ÉTICA Denim

ÉTICA is another denim brand based in the United States. They primarily offer denim items for women, with also some non-denim things.

501® Original Fit Jeans is a classic high rise, straight leg jean. The material is 100% cotton, which is actually better than some of the other fabrics used by Levi’s from this list because it’s not mixed with synthetic materials like polyester and elastane. They are distressed for an “authentic vintage-inspired feel and lived-in style”. Why are we distressing jeans on purpose before they’re even worn? I love me some pastel coloured jeans, but no information is given on the dyeing process to achieve this Purple Rose colour.

Sustainable jeans aren’t all the same blue or black colours. The Carine High Waist Straight jeans from ÉTICA Denim have a beautiful Cyclone Violet colour. And this time, we do know some information about how the colour is achieved. A low impact wash process is used with a natural dye in a shade of lavender. These jeans require 90% less water, 70% less energy and zero harmful chemicals compared to industry standards. They are produced in an ethical factory certified for its commitment to social responsibility and clean production practices, and a quarter of the fabric content is Tencel.

Eileen Fisher

Eileen Fisher is not a denim brand, so in addition to their denim section, you can also find other womenswear pieces from this brand.

The Wedgie Straight Fit jeans from Levi’s come in many colours, including this white ‘In The Clouds’ colour. They are high waisted with a straight leg. We know they are made from 100% cotton. Not many other data points are given on the product page, apart from the information that these jeans highlight your curves and “give your butt an extra lift”.

A better alternative would be the Undyed Denim Straight Jean from Eileen Fisher. These high rise, straight leg jeans are unbleached and undyed to reduce chemical usage, and organic cotton is used instead of regular cotton. The production locations are shared: the fabric is woven in Turkey, and the jeans are manufactured in Indonesia.

unspun

The most expensive brand I chose for North America is at the same time also the most innovative company. Unspun is based in the United States and they offer jeans for men & women.

I’m featuring Levi’s Baggy Dad Jeans for a second time on this list, but this time in a black ‘Boot Barn’ colour. They have a mid rise with a straight leg. All we know about these jeans is that the fabric is 100% cotton, of which 12% is recycled. I appreciate the addition of a more responsible type of cotton, but 12% is still a very low percentage.

I know the jeans from unspun are almost double the price, but let me explain why they are worth your investment. These mid rise, broad straight leg jeans in a vintage black colour are from B Corp certified company unspun. They developed a 3D weaving technology which is a circular and zero-waste production process that allows them to make clothes within minutes. This process prevents the creation and storage of unsold inventory and waste. The jeans are custom and made-to-order. This means they are only produced after they’re ordered, and you can buy jeans that fit your body perfectly. Unspun uses a 3D body scan to design custom jeans for you. The material is also much better because it’s 100% recycled, instead of just 12%.

Oceania

The last four brands on this list are based in Australia. The price range of Levi’s jeans on the Australian website is currently around $99.95 to $420 AUD.

Outland Denim

The most affordable of the four Australian sustainable brands I was able to find is Outland Denim. They offer denim items for both men and women, but mostly women.

Levi’s 501® Original Cropped Jeans have a high waist and a straight leg, and here they are shown in the colour Black Sprout. The only information given about this product is the materials used for the fabric: cotton and two stretch fibres.

For 16 dollars less, you can get a similar high rise, straight leg jean that was made more responsibly and is from a brand that is more transparent about the production process. The Abigail High Rise Girlfriend Jean from Outland Denim in the colour Aged Black is made in their production facilities based in Cambodia. The materials used are organic cotton and recycled cotton, and they have a document on the website in which they list all the suppliers they work with.

ELK

ELK is not a denim brand, but they do have some jeans. You can read more about this Australian womenswear brand here.

Below you can see Levi’s Mile High Super Skinny Jeans. These skinny jeans with an extra high rise are made using Levi’s Water<Less® Techniques. In the beginning of this article, I gave a quick explanation about these techniques. Water usage is a big problem in the fashion industry so it is good when companies try to change this. Unfortunately the fabric is not yet sustainable and no further information is shared about the production location and process.

ELK shows more transparency about their jeans. The Oslo Skinny Leg High-Rise Jeans are made in a sustainable and certified factory in Vietnam, and the cotton for this fabric is sourced from the USA. In 2023, they donated 1% of all sales to environmental non-profit groups and $2 for every online order went to a tree planting organization. The locations and names of their suppliers are shown on the website.

Afends

This is another brand that doesn’t only focus on denim, but they do offer quite a lot of jeans for both men and women. On this page, I explain what makes Afends a sustainable brand.

The Baggy Dad Jeans make an appearance once again. This time in a mid blue colour. These mid rise, loose fit jeans have 21% of a sustainable fibre, Lyocell. And that is all information shared about the product.

Afends offers a pair of jeans that is similar to Levi’s dad jeans. The GIGI Flared Jeans also have a high rise and loose fit, and the colour is Worn Blue. And they are even 10 dollars cheaper. Similar to the Levi’s, the fabric consists of nearly 80% cotton, although in this case it’s organic cotton. The other 22% is hemp, which is one of the most sustainable materials. All their suppliers and manufacturers are mentioned on the website, and the garments are packed in cornstarch bags that are 100% home compostable.

Nobody Denim

Brand 20/20 is Nobody Denim. They are based in Australia and have jeans for men and women, but mostly for women. They are also featured on the Brand List. Discover more about them here.

The only data point given about Levi’s 511™ Slim Jeans for men, is that they are made from cotton and 1% elastane.

The Jimmy Slim Blue Mist jeans from Nobody Denim are a similar slim fit style. They are also made from cotton and 1% elastane, but 11% of the cotton is recycled. The fabric is sourced from Turkey, and the jeans are manufactured locally in Australia in line with Ethical Clothing Australia accreditations. They are active members of the Australian Fashion Council, and they work with Sustainability Victoria. They regularly visit their factories, and the suppliers regularly undergo third-party audits.

Sources

Levi’s. (2023, December). Sustainability. Retrieved from www.levi.com: https://www.levi.com/US/en_US/features/sustainability

Clean Clothes Campaign. (2022, May 13). Levis and IKEA are still putting their factory workers’ lives at risk nine years later. Retrieved from cleanclothes.org: https://cleanclothes.org/news/2022/levis-and-ikea-are-still-putting-workers-lives-at-risk-nine-years-later

Jacobs, M. (2022, August 10). How Ethical Is Levi’s? Retrieved from goodonyou.eco: https://goodonyou.eco/levis-ethical