At ORTOVOX, everything revolves around protection. Protection in the mountains through innovative products and the sharing of knowledge – and the protection of nature through socially and environmentally sustainable actions. Founded in 1980 with the invention of the “F2”, the first ever double-frequency avalanche transceiver, the South German company produces emergency equipment, backpacks and functional apparel for discerning mountain athletes.
To this day, innovative equipment and the comprehensive training measures offered as part of the ORTOVOX SAFETY ACADEMY, with its practical courses and digital training tools, all contribute to saving lives by making mountain sports that much safer.
Protection and a pioneering spirit also characterize the functional wool clothing that ORTOVOX has been producing since 1988. Today, ORTOVOX provides a comfort system for each season, and this natural material is used sustainably in every layer to suit the product’s specific requirements. ORTOVOX’s merino wool comes from Tasmania. The ideal living conditions of the merino sheep form the basis for the especially high quality of the fine wool fibers. Since 2011, robust wool collected from local farmers across numerous Swiss valleys has also been used in insulated products.
Sustainable thinking shapes every area of ORTOVOX’s activities. The PROTACT2024 sustainability strategy combines existing standards with binding goals for 2024 at all levels of the company. Since 2017, ORTOVOX has been making its mark in the industry with its own wool standard, the ORTOVOX WOOL PROMISE (OWP), for the protection of its wool suppliers, sheep and the environment. The OWP is stricter than common auditing standards. It guarantees the protection of the sheep by banning mulesing, focuses upon sustainable agriculture, and addresses the significance of friendly relationships with farmers, and ensures complete transparency of the development process of the products. All of the merino wool ORTOVOX sources from Tasmania is OWP certified.
In addition, ORTOVOX is also committed to the protection of people: ORTOVOX does more than pay lip service to dealing fairly with employees, customers and business partners. ORTOVOX has been a member of Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) and the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles initiative since 2015. The company’s commitment to fair working conditions was recognized in 2018 when ORTOVOX was awarded Fair Wear Foundation’s Leader status. ORTOVOX has retained this status, which is reviewed annually, ever since.
From the Bavarian Alps to high mountain terrain, from ski and freeriding tours to alpine climbing routes – ORTOVOX sees itself as the voice of the mountains and embraces mountain sports and the responsible enjoyment of nature.