The right set of ethical throw pillows can instantly transform your space — they can add rich textures, bring in fresh colors, and celebrate artisanal heritage.
What Are Sustainable or Ethical Throw Pillows?
As always, there is no black-or-white answer and there are multiple considerations and layers at play. You may not necessarily find a brand that meets all of these criteria but generally speaking, some elements to look for are:
Ethical Manufacturing:
Does the brand follow transparent and responsible production practices? Do they have third-party verifications (not necessarily required, but can be an added bonus)? Do they pay living wages and offer benefits? What do they do to ensure a safe and healthy workplace?
Cultural Preservation:
In many areas in the world, traditional art forms and craft techniques are at risk of dying out or even going extinct. How is the brand supporting and celebrating the continuation of these generations-old traditions? (This includes paying artisans fair wages so that they can actually provide for themselves and their families with their art.)
Materials:
Does the brand use thoughtfully sourced natural materials like organic cotton, hemp, or linen? Do they use plant-based dyes or at least azo-free and non-toxic dyes?
Other Sustainable Practices:
Does the brand use renewable energy? Do they recycle their water and waste? Do they have eco-friendly packaging? What other ways are they working to minimize waste and emissions?
Ownership:
Who is behind this brand? Who is making the decisions and who is profiting? You may want to look for a Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color (BIPOC)-owned business, a Woman of Color (WOC)-owned business, or LGBTQIA+-owned business for instance.
Where to Find Sustainable Throw Pillows
The brands in this guide all meet multiple criteria listed above. Next to each brand description, the Conscious Qualities section will specify which criteria the brand meets.
Before we dive in, note that some of these brands have throw pillow covers that come without pillows inside. For eco-friendly pillow filling options, check out Carolina Morning, a woman-owned brand with fillings like buckwheat hulls, buckwheat pillows, and Kapok.
Oh, and for more responsibly-made design inspiration, check out this guide to ethical home decor and this one to eco-friendly furniture.
This guide includes partners and affiliates, which helps us continue creating free resources like this one! As always, all brand selections are vetted for their sustainability and ethics and our brands we love.
1. Zuahaza
Passionate about natural textiles, sustainable production, and indigenous craftsmanship, Tatiana Ordoñez founded Zuahaza in 2019. The brand, based in Bogota, Colombia, revitalizes heritage crafts by collaborating with women artisans in Colombia to create modern textiles made using organic fabrics, natural dyes, and traditional techniques.
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade, Cultural Preservation, Organic Fabrics, WOC-Owned
Price Range: $$
2. Passion Lilie
As a Fair Trade Federation member, Passion Lilie is committed to ethical production practices, including paying living wages, ensuring healthy working conditions, and investing in artisan communities. The brand’s fair trade pillows are made by artisans in India using traditional art forms like block printing or ikat weaving and dyeing techniques.
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade, Cultural Preservation, Natural Fibers
Price Range: $
3. The Citizenry
Neutral yet bold, The Citizenry’s ethical pillows are handcrafted with unique details and stand-out patterns but come in versatile hues that can transition through the seasons. The brand’s pillows are hand-loomed from natural fibers by master weavers in workshops around the world who earn wages double the fair trade requirement.
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade, Slow Made, Cultural Preservation
Price Range: $$ – $$$
4. Soil to Studio
As the name suggests, Soil to Studio follows sustainable and ethical practices from the fiber they source to the final touches made on their products. Soil to Studio uses eco-minded fibers such as linen and organic cotton, partners with artisans who set their own prices for their pieces, and utlizes sustainable manufacturing practices such as solar power energy and rainwater recycling.
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade, Organic Fabrics, Sustainable Practices, WOC-Owned
Price Range: $$
5. MINNA
MINNA works closely with their artisan partners, collaborating with family-run workshops and independent co-operatives to ensure sustainable employment and fair trade practices (artisans set their own prices for their work). To support the continuation of the ancient crafts of these artisan communities, MINNA pairs contemporary design with indigenous techniques for their ethical throw pillows.
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade, Cultural Preservation, Natural Fibers, LGBTQIA+ Owned
Price Range: $$$
6. Bolé Road Textiles
Born in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, the brand’s founder Hana is passionate about sharing her culture and heritage with the world while supporting Ethiopian artisans and revitalizing local economies. Bolé Road Textile’s ethical throw pillows are handwoven from 100% handspun Ethiopian cotton using ancient weaving techniques.
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade, Cultural Preservation, WOC-Owned
Price Range: $$$
7. Kiliim
By pairing modern designs to the time-honored techniques for their ethical throw pillows and other textiles, Kiliim is sustaining and reviving the ancestral Egyptian craft of kilim making in Fowwa, Egypt. Kiliim also follows fair production practices —their artisans work in safe environments that align with World Fair Trade Organization’s guidelines and earn incomes 50% higher than average.
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade, Cultural Preservation, Natural Fibers
Price Range: $$
8. VISO
VISO bold, abstract home textiles are like looking at pieces of art in a museum! Each dynamic, vibrantly printed throw showcases exceptional design “executed by artisans who pour their expertise and vision into every product.” The brand is sold on Black-owned and B-Corp certified marketplace GOODEE.
Conscious Qualities: Natural Materials, Slow Made
Price Range: $$
9. VivaTerra
VivaTerra has a beautifully eclectic selection of eco-friendly pillows, from textured and neutral-hued floor pillows to seasonal holiday-themed decorative pillows. The retailer sources pillows that follow different values — like natural, artisan-made, or made in the US, so look for the ones that best align with your lifestyle and priorities.
Conscious Qualities: Natural Fabrics, Cultural Preservation (varies by product)
Price Range: $$
10. 54kibo
Founded by Nana Quagrain, who was born in Ghana and raised in South Africa, 54kibo showcases the creativity and talent of artisans from the African diaspora to the world. 54kibo has eclectic throw pillows inspired by the rich cultural heritage of Tunisia, South Africa, West Africa, and Haiti.
Conscious Qualities: Black-Owned, Ethical Production, Cultural Preservation
Price Range: $$
You May Also Want to Check Out:
Ethical Home Decor Brands to Curate a Beautiful Conscious Home
Artisinal Fair Trade Rugs to Elevate Your Space
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