Last Updated on June 30, 2022
I used to be a huge fan. The first bag I invested in over 10 years ago was from Matt & Nat, and since then, almost all of my bags have been Matt & Nat. But I won’t be buying from them again.
First of all, I do love their styles and that they’re vegan. The bags can be good quality (although the quality seems to have diminished over the years). I used to recommend them for all these reasons, but have stopped promoting them and removed them from my brand directory. Here’s why:
They’re not transparent and I can’t get any information about Matt & Nat’s manufacturing.
A few years ago I was looking for a backpack and checked out Matt & Nat. Reading through their website, I had some questions about their transparency page and manufacturing process. I don’t like companies that use vague/general statements like “the conditions of the workers developing it are up to par with our standards” so I sent them an email asking for more information about their ethical/labour standards, whether they worked with a lot of factories or just a few, and asked them to elaborate on their SA8000 certification, because the website only says that “One of our factories operates by the SA8000 standard“. I got a response saying, “I have forwarded your inquiry to the appropriate representative who will be able to give you more information on this“, and then… Nothing. After a few months I sent another email, and again, no response.
I also took part in Fashion Revolution’s #WhoMadeMyClothes campaign asking Matt & Nat “Who made my bag?” which, unsurprisingly at this point, also got no response.
Is Matt & Nat Greenwashing?
I ended up buying the backpack because it was the style I was looking for, but regretted it not long after. Doing some more research I learned that:
The majority of their bags are made from PVC, but this info is hard to find.
We know that synthetic vegan leathers are not good for the environment, but PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is one of the worst as it has a negative impact throughout its production and life cycle and may also possibly be hazardous to our health. On Matt & Nat’s website they even say that “PU is always preferred over PVC, as it is less harmful for the environment“, so I assumed that most of their bags were PU.
They present themselves as being an eco-conscious company, heavily focusing on their use of recycled bottles and cork, but it turns out a lot of their bags are still PVC. The bag’s outer material is also not included on their website listings, so it’s very difficult to know whether or not a bag is made from PVC.
I checked the tags on my bags, and most of them, including the backpack, are PVC. At the time of publishing Matt & Nat’s ‘Dwell’ and ‘Vintage’ collections – which make up the majority of their bags – are made from PVC.
Update: Matt & Nat has also received a warning from the Advertising Standards Authority about exaggerating their use of recycled materials.
Finally, Project Just (sadly no longer available) also released a profile on Matt & Nat that confirmed my worries about their transparency; their investigation also found that there is no information about whether or not Matt & Nat monitors any of the environmental impact of their supply chain.
So until they offer more information about their manufacturing process and their current and future use of vegan leathers/PVC, I don’t feel comfortable supporting them and can’t help but feel there is greenwashing going on.
UPDATES – Matt & Nat is even shadier than I Initially Thought
- It’s been mentioned in many comments (check them out below) that Matt & Nat does not seem to treat their employees well and has a lot of negative and worrisome reviews on Glassdoor.
- I spoke with a store owner who used to stock Matt & Nat. They told me the bags come shipped in excessive plastic packaging and when dealing with Matt & Nat they weren’t very transparent with answering questions about their product and manufacturing.
- Matt & Nat reached out to me saying they read this post and wanted to answer my questions. While they did provide more information, some of their answers were confusing/vague and I never received a response to my follow-up questions. They also offered to gift me a bag to “restore my faith in their brand” which bothered me – I want answers to my questions, not a free bag.
- I spoke with a former employee who confirmed the transparency, material disclosure, and packaging waste issues, as well as brought up some other issues/concerns which I’m looking more into
Looking for better alternatives? Check out my round-up of sustainable bag & purse brands!
Jane
Thank you for sharing this. Will be more careful when buying vegan backs in the future and due some due diligence first. Matt & Nat shame on you!
Keti suarez
Dreadful company.
Poor quality.
I was given as a present a pair of boots that had the zip broken after two weeks.
Poor quality and faulty.
As they were expensive I contacted customer service that evaded any responsibility because I could show a receipt (obviously can’t if a present) .
No professional or emphatic with their customers.
Don’t buy from them
Yoshi
I bought their purse at $90 which was such a bad quality and the color was also totally different from them. I loved the idea that it’s “vegan” but the purse looked like something i could find on a street stand in NYC for $15-20. It just didn’t feel right and didn’t feel that it was made with care.
I immediately contacted them for a return. No response.
It took a while and finally got one response.
I returned the purse per their instruction, received no confirmation, and never received a refund. I have been contacting them since then but I have not received a single response.
I have read similar experiences on internet.
I am going to report this to FTC and Internet Crime Complaint Center. I know they are Canadian company but the return address was in NY. If there’s anything we can do please let us know.
Lyn Y
I recently emailed them (with pictures) to show the straps of a bag I was gifted less than a year ago have started cracking with not-even everyday use – that while their cruelty-free message may be credited, the poor quality of their products simply contributes to landfill, given that it has broken down in less than a year & cannot even be donated to a thrift store. Their reply was to provide instructions on a warranty claim (not interested as I do not want another M&N bag) and did not address the quality issue at all. As a consumer there are many choices out there, will not be choosing M&N.
Katy Pedelty
They also have really major quality issues and terrible customer service!
I received a bag from them that won’t even close fully without pulling REALLY hard on the lid. It’s also already showing a circle around where the magnet is behind the fabric.
So, of course I just want my money back. But after I finally get in touch with customer service (difficult to do already), they tell me there’s a $12 fee for returning the bag for a refund, on top of the fact that I also have to pay my own shipping. I knew about the shipping cost from their online documentation about returns, but the $12 fee ISN’T DISCLOSED until you actually contact them about a refund!
Their lack of honesty and my inability to reach them to discuss the fee on top of the poor quality purse have made me totally do a 180 on my previous opinion of them. Which sucks because good vegan leather brands are important.
Violeta
I agree that their return policy is really bad BUT I just want to mention all 4 bags I have from Matt & Nat are in great a quality. I am using one backpack almost every day for 5 years now and it’s condition still is like new. Obviously as a client after reading this post and comments I am concerned, but I am not sure if there are better alternatives on market, if here are, I would love to get brand names.
Verena Erin
Angela Roi is a great alternative with similar styles and you can also check out more of my sustainable purse/bag brand recommendations here: https://mygreencloset.com/sustainable-bags-purses/
Emma
Wow, reading this just reaffirms my opinion on the brand and its abysmal quality that has plummeted over the years. I was a huge fan for a long time but have had 3 defective bags in a row that needed to be warrantied. Learned my lesson the hard way and will never be buying from them again. Thank you for sharing!
SC
Definitely this whole post is to hate on a company that is trying to do their part in the environment.
This brand alone opened doors for people to be aware about what kind of materials are used within common products and how can we support the environment.
I have bought a few products and honestly say the quality and service were amazing. They are doing their best as a company and so are we as people.
There seems to be a bias within the writer she is expressing her opinions that seem personal to the owner. Rather than expressing the fact this company has started a movement of creating eco-conscious consumers.
Waste of my reading time honestly
Verena Erin
There is something to be said about a new, small brand “trying their best”. But a huge brand like Matt & Nat who has been around close to 30 years with a large budget and many resources to work with, I expect a lot more from. If they were actually trying their best they wouldn’t be purposely hiding things like their use of PVC and would be transparent about their manufacturing. It stinks of greenwashing.
M
How is majority of products made with PVC supporting the environment? Plus the fact that over the years they never made it clear enough that the materials were pvc? Why is that considered hating? You made it sound like it’s a small startup company being ethical that’s being scrutinized and hated on, when it’s an established company using vegan as an excuse to make cheap PVC products in opaque factories. How’s that hating and not their greenwashing? You are the hater hating on the facts because you cannot provide facts to prove otherwise.
Katy
Your experience is different from a lot of people’s. Not sure why you think they’re “doing their part for the environment” when this post makes it clear they’re not. Maybe you need to give it another read.
Sandra
Thank you so much for this post. I had just put two items in my shopping basket online with Matt and Nat and thought I would quickly google ‘Matt and Nat reviews’. Boy oh boy, I am so glad that the search brought me to your post.
It is absolutely shocking that this company are hiding behind such gross misrepresentation and wearing and eating animals with their profits. Needless to say, I will not be purchasing anything from this company. Thank you for enlightening me and many others.
Kiran
They set up a fundraiser for Indian farmers during their protest and they promised anyone that donated $100+ a wallet. To this day, I have never received a wallet. I’ve spent over a year contacting them trying to get the wallet too. Scammers. I bet you they used this money was a tax write off somehow with the exchange of their products.
Rs
I just need to get this off my chest in terms of M and N, the owners and his family are from montreal, they are well known here. However, the owner manny promotes veganism etc yet the entire family has expensive leather goods. They all wear gucci and best of all have chanel bags. So how exactly are you living to the company standards you set? Is hypocrisy at its best. Promote what you want to make money, but go behind and buy lambskin leather goods.
Chloé
I really wish I had read this article and all the comments on others sites before buying these shoes…
I bought a first pair in shop in October, which I had to exchange because there were fingerprints printed in the rubber (so indelible). In December I got my new pair back, I have worn them less than 10 times, less than 2 hours each time and now the sole on the left heel is coming off!
At first I didn’t regret paying a high price thinking I was encouraging ethical and responsible practices, instead I feel like I’m fattening up yet another rich businessman practicing greenwashing!
Cara
Man this is so disappointing. I live in Brooklyn and have used Matt & Nat bags to commute for YEARS. They make the perfect medium sized – not too big – zipper or flap secure – crossbody bags! I’ve struggled for a while with weighing the impact of leather vs vegan leather – and still have yet to come up with an answer.
Viky
Oh boy… I wanted to buy a new bag and came across mat and nats bags. This brand had great feedback and people said that the quality was great. But after reading this I no longer want it. If it means that I will support their unethical work policy then thank you, no thank you. Great post!
robin
I was a first-time shopper, and regrettably did not look up any reviews. My complaint has to do with their return policy. Evidently if shoes are on final sale, you cannot return them. I didn’t think to look up their return policy since almost all shoe sellers have a generous return policy given the trickiness of purchasing shoes online. So my money basically went down the drain since the shoes don’t fit. I even offered to pay the shipping fees. Nope, no compromising on their part. Not a good way to treat a brand new customer.
Caroline
They also have terrible customer service! And their exchange policy is extremely strict and unhelpful to customers.
Tasha Banack
I agree, my bag would fall apart walking, I returned it in December 2020 and here it is The middle of February and they have not bothered to send me a replacement, saying that they are out of stock of the item I’ve chosen. They did not contact me at all. I had to email them and say… What’s going on. That is only a small part of why I am upset with their customer service. I am a busy person who doesn’t have time to be harrassing a business about their sub par product. Who is paying for my time to have to deal with this complaint? I have never purchased anything and had this much trouble exchanging it. Can’t even get my money back, even though that is what I would prefer.
Océanne
I had a similar situation, I bought a bag the 10the of January and paid 12 dollars for the shipping but Fedex lost my package. I contacted matt and nat care for help and they didn’t do anything. Fedex are the ones who contacted me to inform me that they had lost my package and that I should contact matt and nat for a refund. So, I did and they keep pushing away the problem, we are now the 14the of march and I still have not been refund. Their costumer service is the worst I have ever seen.
Anna Vu
So true. I happened to me as well and they always try to push away the issue by saying “kindly advise” or “sincerely sorry for….” but no offering resolution. The issue escalated when I kept emailing them, and at the end, all they said was “we fulfilled our responsibility and we are not responsible for your (lost) package. Therefore, we can’t make a refund.” Sucks!!!
Sam
As someone that used to work there, I can tell you the quality is crap and they used to force us to sell them as environmentally friendly but if you read about the materials they use #1 low quality and harmful to the environment #2 they are selling you a bag that is not made ethically in China people need to blast them on social media and reviews. The CEO and the family that runs the business eat meat and also wear designer shoes such as Gucci which I doubt that Gucci is considered “Vegan” horrible company the owners treat people like slaves or like we are back in the stone age and they pay very little money it’s not worth getting yelled at by them. Even the customer service people hate working there they quit so often no one sticks around because we know our rights as workers and this is Canada and the owners live in the past. This is why in their stores they have a no money back policy so you’re stuck with the bag even if it’s crap. I don’t know why this company is successful they are the worse and the owner is more worried about being a social media star, so if you know people that want to buy this brand just tell them to boycott it !!!
Drew
Truly desapointed that my handbag does not last in time when Matt and Nat says on their website that they want “to improve our sustainable and eco-friendly ways, while still producing high quality products”. Nothing sustainable or high quality here if vegan leather lasts a year or so. Not only the seams are already tearing, but the material itself is tearing. My shoemaker cannot do anything about it. Sadly, I will stop buying shoes, wallets and handbags from them. Greenwashing indeed. I will buy local craftsmen leather products. Over all, it will be more sustainable.
Carine
I’m so happy I found this article before purchasing from Matt and Nat, it’s been so hard finding a good vegan backpack that’s also sustainable… I guess I’ll keep on searching!
Verena Erin
Hi Carine, you can also check out my sustainable bag round-up, there are quite a few backpack options! 🙂 https://mygreencloset.com/sustainable-bags-purses/
Oktawia
Thank you for this article <3 Now I know why I have why I had mixed feelings fot this brand…
Sarah
Has anyone decided to boycott Apple? May not be solely manufactured in China, but it is not a good company.
Stef
It might not be a good company either, but the items they are producing do not have as many alternatives as f.e. backpacks, especially when it comes to phones and operating systems. It is a choice between plague and cholera.
K
Hi!
I stumbled across your post and was very compelled to reply. I’m really happy that you are taking the time to ask important questions about companies that make claims about being eco-conscious and sustainable when so many companies are unclear and dishonest. I am a recent store employee with Matt and Nat and can confirm that they are not ethical and sustainable as they claim to be. The bags are primarily made with either PVC or PU, and are made in factories in China. I was told that one of their factories are at the SA8000 standard and we were told to emphasize that they were “working towards making all of their factories up to that standard” when asked by customers.
If you would be interested in any additional information about my experience working in the store please feel free to reach out, quite honestly even when I’ve asked for more information throughout my time there they have always told me that they would “look into it” but never got back to me. I don’t know a whole lot about the manufacturing of their products but I can tell you about the bags and the culture of working at Matt and Nat.
Anna
Hi, thanks a lot for your article. I bought recently sandals from matt&nat. When I unpacked the box I saw on the sole of the shoes that they are made in China… What a disappointment. Also I found their customer service rude and not responsive. They reimbursed me for the return but not for the shipment that I paid for when I placed the order which is against consumer rights and European Union. Not even mentioning that I paid twice the price for shipping the return and paid for customs fee. The customer oriented businesses have deals with shipping couriers that cover customs fees. It is not the case for Matt&Nat.
JJ
I agree their quality has gone down. I bought a bag a couple years ago and the strap started to crack within a year. I thought, I could live with it, as it was only on the side that goes on my shoulder, but now chunks have come off and it is on both sides. It’s lime when a plastic bottle breaks. Must be the PVC material.
Thank you for all the other information, I didn’t know it. Very well written. You tried to give them opportunity to show their brand is great and instead they tried to buy you off.
Won’t be buying from them again.
Addie
PIXIE MOOD, way better and actually ethical and sustainable. Doesn’t hurt that they have super cute styles too. I believe they are Canadian as well.
Verena Erin
Are they actually ethical? They have so little information on their manufacturing available.
Yasmin
Ive been looking for a good vegan leather alternative for a long time and was super excited by Matt and Nat (I am also Canadian). Being a conscious and well informed consumer, I was dismayed and appalled by the amount of PVC being used by Matt & Nat (as well as other vegan/’eco’ brands).
I recently invested in a beautiful cork leather bag by a French company, Bobobark and I love it sooooo much. They ran a super successful Kickstarter campaign last year (I backed it) and the bag I received is amazing quality. Since they are a new and small company, they are not very popular yet, so I wanted to let people know about them 🙂 I am not being paid for this post! I’m just super happy with my bag. I’m a thrifty shopper, so it was expensive for me (around $300). All anxiety around my purchase was alleviated once I received my bag.
It’s great to see a company finally using real ethical and environmentally friendly leather alternatives. I’m excited to see where new research into apple and pineapple leather will take us!
Claire Watson
But…. Bobobark are also not transparent about their manufacturing anywhere on their website. Yes, they’re sustainable, but they’re very vague about their manufacturing in China. Very disappointing.
natou
wish i read your article a few hours sooner.. just bought a bag. Thabk god i can return it.
Stephanie
Thank you for your article, I was just about to look for a Matt and Nat bag until I came across your blog! So now I’m looking for alternatives from the UK… Please can you tell me the advise and tell me the difference between your recycled and vegan recommendations in your directory, for example, Grunbag I think it recycled and vegan?
Verena Erin
While Grunbag has many great vegan bag options they do also use leather in some of their styles so they’re not a totally vegan brand.
sarah
Googled “Matt and Nat” so I could go purchase some shoes from their website and this article popped up. I will not be buying from them now that I’ve read this. Appreciate the work you do!
Jen
thats very disappointing to hear. I’m a M&N fan myself. I don’t use anything thats made of real leather anymore so i was really happy when i first discovered M&N. I also thought they were a Canadian brand. Thank you for letting everyone know about the truth. 🙂 Companies shouldn’t be able to hide behind a facade of fake morals and make money by doing the opposite.
Lorraine
Tried buying boots on sale for my daughter at Christmas,her request.Bought them first thing as it was sales and the black version were sold out.My transaction didn’t go through,ERROr flashed on my screen.Fine,try again.Second time worked and confirmation email sent to me.Unfortunately I noticed a small 2 next to my order.One from 6:48 am the next 7:04am Two orders billed separately so I was paying 14$ shipping twice for an order on one bill.I know shit happens,but I tried to contact them to maybe at least get my shipping back.No answer.My daughter then tried.No answer.I had hoped they’d at least discuss .There site promises free shipping over 100$.My bill was 220$.Its too bad cause my daughter liked the products and had purchased a few already.were pretty loyal if we’re happy.Wouldnt buy from them again.I now get tons of Matt and Nat ads but no customer service.oh well.
Haley Williams
Thank you so much for diving deep into this company’s supply chain and not just stopping at the usual website greenwashing. I just found your page and can’t wait to read more – I work in sustainability and am constantly irritated by vague claims made by companies about how products are “green”, pretty much always untrue, and even worse how the human beings who make products are rarely spoken about. You’re doing such valuable work by educating consumers about what questions they should be allowed to ask and receive answers to!! I was shopping for a Matt & Nat bag and won’t be purchasing from them now that I’ve read this.
Tim B
Bought a GUNAS bag as a gift for a girl i just started seeing. The bow fell off within a week due to terrible quality control. Thier customer service suggested i havemy friend take the bag to a tailor for repair and they would reimburse up to $20. I have NEVER been embarassed to give a gift before abd I will NEVER buy crappy GUNAS products again.
Lynn
Thanks so much for this post! Was deciding between trying them and another brand, and this makes it a clear choice.
Anna
Wow what a shocker! Thank youu for this post. Was honestly looking to buy a Mat & Nat bag until I read your post. So unsatisfying seeing what companies are now doing and really unjust.
Nina Chahil
Disappointed to read this. I’ve purchased a couple of bags from them recently but this has put me off getting anymore
Eileen
Thank you for this information. I choose to shop ethically and it’s important to me that a company is transparent when making ethical choices. I will now take your advice on your excellent research.
J
That is very disappointing to hear. Please update with what they replied.
Verena Erin
They unfortunately never replied to my last email.
Manuel Vargas
I’m glad I came across to your blog post. I was planning to buy some men sneakers from Matt & Nat, as I have not seen cool designs from vegan brands. I even though of buying an additional weekender bag.
I will not pursue my purchase until they come forward with proper answers to yours and other’s valid and honest questions.
Casey
I bought a backpack from them and one of the straps unraveled in less than 2 years. Bear in mind that it was my occasional bag so it was very gently used. I tried to reach out to customer service for repair help and they basically told me they only guarantee their products for 1 year and do not offer any kind of repairs for their products. I was really bummed about it because I chose their bag to based on the sustainability efforts they promote but now that’s just gonna go in the trash. It’s definitely one of those GREENWASHING companies!
Casey
I also want to add that I left a review on their facebook regarding my experience and they were so quick to delete it :/
Celine
Thank you for this! I had an item in my cart but found it odd that they don’t have reviews on there website. Googled to see if I could find one elsewhere and this is one of the first sites that comes up. I’ll be shopping from your recommended list now.
Jovanka
I have several Matt & Nat bags and they are all excellent quality, no problems whatsoever. However, I live in the EU and have bought them through EU online shops, and from what I can see they are all older models – some of which don’t even seem to be available anymore on the US/Canadian Matt & Nat site. From reading the comments here, I’m guessing that I’ve been Lucky to get the older ones, and that the quality might have dropped after that.
Kim Buining
I once bought a bag and i bought it just like you because I believed in the brand.
Well only after one time using it, the hem of the sides was coming of. Still have the bag but never used it again. Rally regret this purchase and feel stupid that I didn’t kept the receipt 😭
Stacy
Been contemplating this for a while based on reading about their products. Thank you for this post, both eye opening and informative.
Sarah
Their shoes are garbage… I bought a pair of their boots and the sole fell off it within a week. I went back to return it and they gave me a new pair. The exact same thing happened after a week of wear! Terrible…
Tanya
Sadly, my experience with Matt & Nat was so bad that it completely turned me off of investment pieces for a long, long time.
Years ago, my husband bought me one of their wallets as a gift, and I loved it so much that I decided to invest in the matching handbag. I’d never spent anywhere near that kind of money on a purse before, but it was a stunning sunshine yellow and I simply had to have it. Imagine my disappointment when, less than a week after I purchased it, the handles started peeling.
When I took it back to the store, the sales associate refused to help me and even tried to convince me that they had never carried that bag to begin with, never mind that I had a receipt to prove it.
Since the store was an independent retailer, I was unable to claim any sort of warranty directly from the company, and when I took it to a local repair shop they told me that repairing it would be a waste of money and my best bet would be to try to cover over it with fabric paint in the same colour.
I did my best to make it look presentable, but a few months later the body of the bag started peeling as well, and a that point I just gave up. I’ve been warning friends and family off of them ever since.
Maris
hi! I was actually considering buying a purse from them for school. which purse did you buy? I wanted to invest and it seemed like a good company so I was wondering if I should even bother looking at their stuff further.
Liza
As so many of you before me, I was about to buy my very first backpack. So, I checked online and went through different pages, fortunately I came along and read your article. Thanks for making this lack of transparency visible. Also thanks to all the others to tell their stories, it helped me understand looking deeper into what to buy and what not.
Grace
Thanks for this, I had looked into Matt and Nat and considered them for the past year and a half. Nope, not shopping from them. I was turned off by their lack of product reviews and lack of ethical/eco transparency. Thank you for your post!
On my list of honest Canadian companies are Poppy Barley, Franc and maybe Twigg and Feather.
Laura
I bought a pair of shoes from them and they ripped the first time that I wore them in!! Outrageous. I complained and they did nothing. awful. Another pair of shoes in the landfill is no joke!
Clara
I was actually just doing some online shopping to buy a Matt & Nat handbag when I (fortunately) fell onto your article. Safe to say I will not buy from them. So glad I read this. Thanks for the post!
debra denniston
Thank you for including HFS Collective in your list of sustainable bags! We make all of our bags in a family run shop in Los Angeles, where we know each person who works on our bags by name. We know they are happy, healthy, are paid a fair living wage and love their jobs. We use only sustainably certified materials (NO PVC EVER) and design each bag ourselves. Thank you again!
Nina Chahil
Disappointed to read this. I’ve purchased a couple of bags from them recently but this has put me off getting anymore
Mary
Matt and Nat has beautiful, vegan products – but nothing more. They are literally selling plastic bags for huge amounts of money that are being made in China, with no human rights oversight, environmental oversight, or ethics. They have figured out how to capitalize on the “vegan” market and it worked.
Buy your bags at Everlane. Do not give Matt and Nat anymore money.
Verena Erin
I also think Everlane is questionable – their “radical transparency” actually isn’t very transparent, especially considering how much they promote it.
JJ
Thanks for this article. I have been wanting to get a matt and nat bag for ethical reasons but nevermind! I did watch a review with a girl talking about only one of their factories is aligned with their standards and that they were in the process of making the rest the same. That did raise a flag for me since they are such a huge brand. I would love to buy Angela Roi but shipping and custom costs make it too expensive for me in Canada.
Fernanda
Wow, this is very informative. I have been finally investing more into High-quality vegan brands even though it is more expensive ( most of the time). I was just about to buy my first Matt and Nat work backpack for the first time and after reading this it is clear that I have to do some research… I am in the fashion industry and I had no idea that they manufactured in China…
Mel C.
I am very disappointed too! I saw a light blue Matt and Nat backpack bag in the Oprah magazine and loved the look and idea of it…and that it was vegan. So, I checked on it and for my birthday in March, I purchased it. I would say within 3 weeks the silver pulls started to rub off and turn pink like a cheaply made bag might do. I contacted the company several times, but they kept telling me that it was not a warranty issue. We went round and round and finally they are at least sending me new zipper pulls for me to figure out how to replace. Their customer service ppl are very snippy and not very professional. They act like it’s my fault the bag is having issues. The threading is starting to fray, but dare I mention it … it will fall on deaf ears. It’s very unfortunate as I won’t be buying from them again either.
Helen
Any thoughts on LaBante London? I have a wallet from them I quite like and their customer service was great.
Grace
Thank you so much for this thoughtful and thorough review! You answered my concerns, but unfortunately I am left not knowing where to buy a high-quality, environmentally positive, and human rights supportive laptop bag… Any recommendations?
Verena Erin
Hi Grace,
I have some bag brands in the directory linked at the top of the site. I hope that’s helpful.
Update: I also just posted a round-up of 12 sustainable bag & purse brands 🙂 https://mygreencloset.com/sustainable-bags-purses/
Kate
I have been buying Matt and Nat for ages for my daughter and I for all the reasons stated above. This Christmas as
always I bought us both Matt and Nat purses from the Matt and Nat store at Sherway Mall. I spent $400.00 on 2 bags
only to discover when I got them home that the clasps were not working on the bags. I immediately called the store
and was told “the clasps are not suppose to work, people keep returning them, but believe me that’s the way the bag
is suppose to be” Really?????!!!!!!! Because any purse I’ve ever bought is suppose to close. I took them both back to the
store and again was told that’s the new way they make the bags. Who buys a purse that won’t close. Come on! Any way
I returned them both but was not given my money back and given a gift certificate. With the poor customer service and
the cheap state the purses were made, I don’t even want Matt and Nat bags any more, also to hear they are made in China it actually makes sense, why they are so cheap and just NOT the Matt and Nat I used to buy. So sad!!!!
Simon
Would you be able to publish Matt & Nat’s response please?
Verena Erin
I was planning on sharing it but their initial response was vague and confusing and they unfortunately still haven’t responded to my follow-up questions and requests for clarification.
Layla
I am DONE with Matt and Nat, they have the WORST customer service like Gunas (another terrible company i tried to support) and in both cases I get bitchy emails and no one trying to make anything right. Both have crap quality and crap customer service.
MS
Both companies are shady. I spent so much money on supporting both of them in the past.
Gunas unlike Matt & Nat, don’t use PVC. But believe me the quality of their bags are horrible and they call themselves “luxury” bags. They have no idea what luxury products are supposed to look like. Gunas’s bags are priced high because they spent silly on marketing/affiliate marketing. Their bags are in fact very cheaply made in Korean. Not to trash Korean factories – there are amazing factories producing expensive products in both Korea and China. But Gunas and Matt&Nat are not expensively made, thet are cheaply made.
I’m like you – don’t with both brands. Just shady, green washing, bad customer service, rubbish products!
Eric Messe
Agreed GUNAS is glued together junk marketing itself as luxury. A coach bag doesnt fall apart if it gets hot or slightly wet but GUNAS sure will
Helen
Omg yes – Gunas customer service is TERRIBLE! Glad to find someone who agrees.
I have had a great experience with Angela Roi – any thoughts on them?
Poppy
I met one of the creators of Angela Roi in NYC. He lacked passion and was a complete ass, while his partner was the creative force behind the brand. In fact, they are not vegan for ethical reasons, and I highly doubt they are completely transparent and ethical in other ways.
Lisa
This makes me so sad. I have been purchasing for 14 yrs. I actually still have my 1st purse as it looks great. I will say the quality has been declining. My last knapsack the handles cracked really quickly – yet my previous one the zipper broke based on my over stuffing. I was just looking up their site and thought to look up reviews. So here I am. This was really informative as were the comments. I am pissed at my own naivety. I thought I was buying a proud product and being Canadian made me even happier from my home town.
Cat
As a clarification, I used to work at Matt & Nat and they *did* make their products in Montreal, Canada when they first started. As they grew, a common issue for customers was the price, which was even higher than it is now. The founder made the decision to move production to China to make the bags accessible to more people. My understanding was that he was quite involved in quality control at that time. It sounds from the glassdoor reviews that the company has now changed hands, and it hasn’t been a positive change, which is too bad, because I always found the founder was trying his best to make the world a bit better.
Montana
Thank you for publishing this, I wish I had read it before I dropped $100 on a pair of ankle boots from them. You would think spending money like that means the shoes will last at least one year, right? Apparently not. I guess I’ll fix them myself and wear them for now, but I’m not going to be a repeat customer. I love supporting companies that make vegan products! However from the company reviews and the reviews of everyone else who has had their products fall apart on them, Matt & Nat is not the company to support.
Lisa
I wish I had seen these comments before I purchased. I’ve been looking for a good quality vegan bag with sustainable production which is not easy to find. I went to the store in NY and liked the styling and the quality so I ordered three bags online. Before I even received my bags, two went on sale so I contacted them to have the discount applied. They told me they have a 24 hour price adjustment policy and would not honor my request. All three bags are going back and now that I read all these comments I’m glad I’m returning them. I even wrote to the president but no reply. Horrible customer service.
Rachel Estrada
So does anyone have any suggestions on quality brands that are PU and not made in China and vegan that are priced similarly?
Verena Erin
Check out my brand directory! Under “accessories” there are some bag brands. 🙂
Rachel Estrada
Where can I find your brand directory love?
Verena Erin
It’s linked at the top if you click “Directory”
Cloudburst2k
If you are not opposed to buying pre-loved, Stella McCartney is my go-to. The bags I have of hers are polyurethane and re-cycled polyester. Now Stella McCartney is waaayyy too expensive new but I guess because they are vegan, they don’t hold their resale value. I have bought bags in new condition from reputable re-sale sites (ex fashionphile) for over half of their original price. And the quality is soooo much nicer than anything Matt or Nat ever made. And I did have a couple MAtt and Nat back when they were still made in Canada and YES, they were originally made in Canada. They were decent quality at that point (still nothing compared to SM quality though). I even met the original owner of Matt and Nat. However, I had not had a Matt and Nat bag in quite a while after the original purchases. Anyhoo, about three years ago, my SO got me a Matt and Nat bag and and the quality was atrocious…it looked and felt like plastic covering cheap cardboard. I was stunned by the vast decrease in quality. I think the company was sold and the new owners want to do everything more cheaply, thus much lower quality products. I am also not okay with the not being able to find out if the bags are produced ethically in China. I also dislike that the production moved from Canada to China to begin with. The lack of transparency makes me think they are not so I told everyone not to buy me any more Matt and Nat.
Barbara
Thank you for this post. I bought my first Matt and Nat bag in 2004 for $49. I’ve bought countless bags since then even the company rebranded themselves to be “high-end” and the prices are now probably triple what they once were. I feel that they are just capitalizing on the vegan trend, I know that is why I purchased their bags (and for the minimalist design), but now I no longer want to support the company. There are moe and more options available to those who want to support vegan, sustainable and transparent companies.
Natalie
Thank you for this post and everyones comments. I recently stumbled across this company thinking they produced an environmentally friendly product, but after reading everything concerning their product materials, lack of transparency, ethics and accountability I am now taking my business elsewhere.
Gisle
Thank you so much for posting this as I’m a vegan. And I have 2 oMatt & Nat models in black & thought they were still made in Canada but had my doubts. And I”m perturbed that they their bags come of as PU but are actually PVC. And if they are made in China that means that they are manufactured in factories that put out more toxins in the air, so much so it makes L.A. air seem like thee rainforest. And the conditions are wretched for these forced labourers in China who often don’t receive pay & work 24/7 – 7 days a week. If 1 of the individuals gets tired &if their head hits the assembly table they are removed & even jailed in a false charge & their families aren;t allowed to visit them because they aren’t even around sometimes as their organs are harvested for uber rich people around the world who don’t want to wait for transplants inter respective countries. Also often shoes & boots & bags & clothes, expensive Shampoos like Aveda state that they are made in Canada -right! When they are assembled in China – so technically made there but we pay the same price like with Pajars, Clark shoes & boots etc..as when they were made here those those Co’s outsourced & in doing so cut jobs here & still charge the prices like they are made here. They are made for probably !/10 or less of the cost as making or ‘assembling’ them here.
Kelso
As a former Aveda employee, I can attest that Aveda products are NOT made in China. The company is honest, ethical and very transparent about all of their ingredients and manufacturing practices, and are always seeking to improve the quality of their products.
Indre
I am not buying again! They do not have customer service! I ordered a wallet which came to me fully cut and damaged! Although Ive sent photos and tried to contact customer service, nothing happened. They said they would do a change or a refund when they get back the damaged order. Yet no one is willing to book a carrier. Horrible. Will try to return the wallet att my own expense, but I lost hope that I am getting a refund.
Gayle
I am stunned. I was told they manufactured products in Canada. I knew nothing about their use of PVC which is horrible. No more for me!
darlene
Hello,
Thanks. I too will spend my money elsewhere now. But where? Please advise. Where can I buy vegan shoes/boots/bags????? That are ethical and enviromentaly kind?
darlene
Theresa
Have a look at this brand from Amsterdam: https://www.osier.studio/
Nagg
The best thing you can do for the environment is have a small closet and stop buying all this crap! You only need one high quality leather bag to last you a lifetime.
SP
Thanks for posting this and pressuring them to give you a proper response. I contacted them after the straps on my favoirite bag started cracking. No response. I got another and the same thing happened. I realised that perhaps their vegan leather straps just aren’t sturdy so I contacted them again to ask if they repair or sell replacement straps. No response. I called and was given the runaround. Both bags went to landfill. I stopped purchasing their merhandise just based on that but had no idea they are such a nefarious company. I ended up buying a vintage leather bag that outlasted the two Matt and Nat bags combined. I’m done with them.
How To Identify (And Avoid) Greenwashing – ETHICAL UNICORN
[…] lining (You can read a full blog post on Mat & Nat and why I no longer purchase their products here). To me leaving out key information, like that your product is made from PVC but then promoting […]
Ashley G
DO NOT buy their products! I had been a customer for over 10 years and this company definitely does not care about customer loyalty. Because they do not have a phone number they very easily just ignored my email asking to speak to a supervisor/manager. Also because many of their products are not sold in their actual store they do not come with a warranty. (Many stores that sell their products do not seem to know this). I just lost so much money recently buying a purse and sunglasses that wore out and broke after just 2-3 months of use. I treat my things as carefully as I can so this is pretty ridiculous.
I am shocked that a company with such terrible practices is still thriving. We have to spread the word!!
Ace
I have also had horrible experiences with Mat and Nat. I will never shop there again! On my first and only experience with them, the cashier misinformed me of their return policy (which is non-existent) and I ended up wasting 100+ dollars because they wouldn’t return an item. They have given me a gift card that does not even work. I really wanted to like them but after reading all of these comments I see that I am not the only one with negative experience in a variety of categories.
KA
The one sentence I’m stuck on in your post is that they moved their production from Canada. I worked at Matt & Nat in 2004 and they made everything in China then…I don’t believe that they ever produced anything in Canada. There were rumors when I worked there that they removed “made in China” stickers from their merchandise though, so possibly that’s where the misconception comes from. I wouldn’t put it past them. I will say that all the Glassdoor bad reviews are true…it’s a dismal employer. I’m confident that if they treat their Canadian employees the way they do, then the situation in China must be awful.
Hiba
Hi KA, I’m doing some research on vegan brands and have spoken at length to Verena about her post. It would really help if I spoke to you about this as well. If you could reach out to me on this email address I can explain further: greeninitiatives.work@gmail.com
Patricia
Thank you for this post. I was looking into this brand because they are vegan. However, after learning more about this company I will gladly take my money elsewhere. If you have found a better alternative, please share!
Carolyn
This is so disheartening to read. As a vegan and Montrealer, I guess I put way too much blind trust simply because they were vegan and “local”. I did have a not so good customer experience ordering online now that I live in Europe(they charged my card for a confirmed purchase, even though the items were actually out of stock and they didn’t process the return very quickly…I have worked in payment processing, so I know the time it takes for the refund with the financial institution), but most companies suck when they try to go international with online sales, so I just shrugged it off.
sarah krupnik
They don’t care about their customers. I received a handbag as a gift from my kids. I was happy with the purse for 3 months at which point I noticed that the vegan leather (pvc) on all the corners was wearing off.I sent a email and photos to the company. They were not understanding in the least and told me that it was just normal wear and tear.I asked if I could exchange the purse and was told that they only exchange defective items.The corners have gotten worse and I need to figure out a way to fix it maybe I should ask Matt & Nat if duct tape would be a good fix!??
Victoria
I am so disappointed to hear this! For a few years now, I have happily worn my Matt&Nat bags and sandals, proud that I could have such fashionable, good quality products NOT made of leather. About a year ago, I did look into PU and PVC, and was a bit put off when I found out that a ton of their products were made from PVC. I remember looking at their environment page and thinking it was a bit vague! Since then, I haven’t been able to shake that voice in the back of my mind saying… “but think about the plastic!” I’m also disappointed to hear about how badly they treat their employees, and how sketchy they are about their factory standards.
Shopping has been so difficult since learning about PVC because there are companies that use leather products, but compared to Matt&Nat, they are seriously transparent about their ethical and environmental standards. I’m so torn because I want to buy something that is good quality and will last. The vegan side of me doesn’t like the idea of leather at all, but the environmental side of me hates plastic. IT’S TOUGH.
In order for more sustainable materials to become popular, companies like Matt&Nat will have to be exposed. So many people (5 minutes ago, I was one of them!) don’t know about the negatives! Thanks for posting this!
Magsey
I have been searching long and far for a good quality vegan bag. Can’t recommend Gunas at all – horrible customer service and my bag is fraying. The stitching is low quality.
As for Matt & Natt, I haven’t purchased from them yet but they seem equally as bad.
The rest of the brands seem to damage the environment a lot, or have very poor factory conditions, no transparency, bad workplace environments etc. They’re mostly all made in China which alone rings bells in my head in terms of quality control and production.
I don’t even know what to do at this point.
Verena Erin
Check out my sustainable bag roundup! https://mygreencloset.com/sustainable-bags-purses/ There’s a bunch of different options I’ve found. 🙂
Also made in China isn’t a bad thing if the brand takes care to manufacture in an ethical and fair way. The idea that made in China is poor quality is outdated. China is leading in many areas with specialized sewing and technical fashion and accessory production. Obviously there are some brands that don’t care about quality and want to produce as cheaply as possible, but many Chinese factories are highly skilled and have equipment that is difficult to find elsewhere. I’ve actually heard from many brand owners that they have the opposite problem of finding the same quality production more locally.
Kiara
Great summary! To add my experience, I was also in love with their sleek photos and stylish products, but have been very disappointed. The warranty on their products is only 1 year; this says something about what they know of their own quality. Sure enough, at about 14 months, 1 strap on my backpack started cracking severely. I only use the backpack to go to and from work about 2-3 times a week at most. The cracking has gotten so bad I no longer use it, and Matt and Nat will not warranty it or replace the strap. The bag is now destined for the landfill, which defeats the whole ‘ethical’ marketing platform on which they claim. They are mass-producing items that are destined to be garbage just after 1 year! There is clearly a design flaw in their products and they could care less. At this price point, spend your money elsewhere!
Petar
I bought a Matt and Nat briefcase earlier this year because I enjoyed the style and it was present in a fully vegan store in Melbourne, Australia. I feel guilty hearing all the cases about this company as I was beginning to really look forward to purchasing more of their products. I am glad that I didn’t and that I have found a wonderful blog. Thank you so much for this post!
Christina
Thank you so much for posting this! I’ve also been wondering the same things about materiality, considering how bags that are technically made of plastic should be marked up to $125+. It would make sense if they were produced in SA8000 factories of all recycled, or at least safe PU, but to be selling PVC bags for 100+ is such a rip off. It seems like they’re just capitalizing off vegans without actually being an ethical company.
Returning my order from them today because the color was SO off (quality control, much?) and then came across this.
I’ve recently come across
Christina
*recently came across the brand Von Holzhausen, who seem to hit sustainability, durability, luxury, and vegan with their “tehnik-leather” bags.
https://vonholzhausen.com/pages/about
Wynnie
I also worked at Matt and Nat, a LONG time ago – closer to 14 years ago. I can confirm everything the Glassdoor reviews say and more. In your post you mentioned that they ” moved their production from Canada” – as far as I know, their production was NEVER in Canada. When I worked there 14-15 years ago it was all China. Perhaps at that time they were able to be even less transparent, which may have led to consumers thinking their items were made in Canada. The owners of this company are definitely not people you would want to be friends with! If this is how they treated their staff in Canada, you can only imagine how it is in their factories.
R
They are constantly posting job positions on employment websites. Without a doubt they are one of the most unethical companies around. Their base does business by manipulation and selfishness. They don’t have the correct people working in important roles at H.O which will continue to result in a steep decline of quality people leaving if someone doesn’t speak up to the base soon.
Annie
Ahhhhhh… this is extremely disappointing. I was about to buy a bag from them finally and they seem to be one of those vegan bags that is supposed to have quality and minimal sleek design. Maybe should stick to my current second hand for a while…
Ashley Gaujean
DO NOT purchase anything from this company. I had purchased their bags for years and they could not care about customer loyalty or honouring anything resembling a warranty for the price you’re paying. Since they do not have a phone number they also ignore your emails. I have wasted too much money on this unethical company. Please spread the word!!!
Anastasia
I too have been buying Matt & Nat since about 2008 and just made another purchase today (250.00). Boy was I shocked when I saw a comment on a You Tube channel about their Glassdoor reviews. Absolutely deplorable. The sad thing is is that if that does start to hurt their business they will simply have company shills post positive reviews. It happened with a company that I worked for. When its that many negative its not just a disgruntled employee or two. Sad
Hannah
Such an amazing and thorough article! Thanks so much!
I’ve been plant based for the last 10 years, and recently decided to replace my real leather items. I found a used Matt & Nat Wellington bag for $15 (I never buy new. I think it’s wasteful and I’d rather not support a large company), sooo I bought it. I gotta say…it’s NICE, and so far it’s been holding up really well.
If anyone out there wants to support a rad human and buy a NEW, SUPER LEGIT vegan bag, I HIGHLY recommend Crystalyn Kae bags. They’re super nice, and extremely durable. My sister bought one over 15 years, and she isn’t even vegan. It’s still going strong!
Shahrzad
Thank you for sharing this. Do you have any alternative suggestions?
Laura
Thanks for bringing my attention to this, I accidentally stumbled over this post whilst trying to find local stockists as I was about to purchase the Bee crossbody bag, but will now look for alternatives. Really disappointing!
Evelina Utterdahl
Oh darn!! I fell in love with the brand too for their style and being vegan. But I have to admit after I got it I realised I read the text inside that says the lining is from recycled plastic too fast, cause I thought it was the whole bag that was from recycled PET. I also then realised I knew nothing about the actual making of the bag. Of course by this point I had already used the bag and was about to leave Barcelona, Spain where I bought it.
Guess I should put some pressure on them and ask about their making of the products and the PVC…
Cause DAMN their products are beautiful
Victoria
I have worked with Matt &Nat at one of their branded retail stores, in Canada we have 4 of them, and they are the worst company I have ever worked for. No care or compassion for staff, the owner of the company claims to be vegan and then always is wearing leather Gucci shoes, has leather seats in his luxury Tesla. The products are almost all entirely PVC because the bags made with PU fall apart within a few months. The manufacturering is done super cheaply- you might buy a bag for $145, but it only cost them $10 in China to make. They are VERY cryptic about their manufacturing because it is only 1 factory that abodes to standards. The products are actual shit- we saw SOOO many come back for ‘warranty’ for bad construction that the company wouldn’t honour. These people would make you sick
sarah
I received a Matt & Nat handbag from my kids for mother’s day.They decided that I needed a more structured bag. It’s a nice bag and fits all my stuff. After 3 months the material on corners started to wear and the material under the pvc started to show through. I sent them a email and photos about how dissatisfied I was with their workmanship.I also asked if I could be able to exchange the bag.They apologized and told me that the damage was normal wear and tear and that they only give exchanges on defective merchandise. I argued that the bag was only a few months old but they just didn’t care.Since then more of the pvc has worn away .Maybe I should ask Matt & Nat if duct tape would be a good fix?!
Hiba
Hi Victoria, can you please me email at greeninitiatives.work@gmail.com?
Judith
Do you know any alternatives? I’ve looked at Denise Roobol.
MC
I’ve long known they use plenty of PVC and they choose not to explicitly say they do – they are much less of a green company they have touted themselves to be.
They use green washing and clever marketing to maintain their brand image – funny how most online vegan bloggers would in the same article criticising vegan products made of PVC but support and recommend Matt&Nat which most products are made of PVC!
They are also completely overpriced, I know the extortionate markup they put on their products made from those Chinese factories capitalising on their brand image.
There are lots of lovely, honest vegan companies who don’t use any of the above techniques but who actually care about the environment too.
Mathilde
I’m so glad I read this post! Would you be able to give me some names of good vegan and environmentally conscious companies? I’m looking for a good vegan backpack
Jolene
Angela Roi, LeBante London, JW Pei, and Gunas are all great.
Hiba
Hi MC, can you please email me at greeninitiatives.work@gmail.com?
Mirjam
I don’t find that the quality is that good either. My bag is now 1 year old and the “leather” is already wearing down quite a bit. Combined with this information from you I don’t think I will purchase from them again. I am going to look for a nice secondhand bag instead.
angie b.
Mirjam, initially, I loved both the quality and chic appearance (I received many compliments on it) of my Wellington satchel. However, in addition to its heavy weight (it feels like lead), the “leather” also began showing signs of considerable wear after about a wear, which is quite disappointing. So, one again, I’m on the hunt for a high quality vegan bag. I’ve seen/read good reviews for Angela Roi’s bags. So, I may give them a try.
angie b.
After about a *year*
Marie Reymond
Thank you very much for your post. It is a real shame, considering the quality of their products. I look forward to your next posts!
Verena Erin
It’s SUCH a shame. I’ve had (and still have!) so many great bags from them, and definitely gave them the benefit of the doubt more than I would with another brand. The fact that I can’t get any kind of response from them besides my email being sent to someone else is such a bad sign though. Their lack of transparency is so shady 🙁
Andrea Wodtke
Thanks for this post! Really helpful and confirms feelings I’ve gotten about them after running across their Glassdoor employee reviews. I finally decided to try to get word out about the Glassdoor when someone shared your post with me. It all seems to add up to them being a company to avoid supporting.
https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Matt-and-Nat-Reviews-E1008043.htm%EF%BB%BF
Harri L
Ouch! Good catch. I’ve just read through those as well and, if anything … it does confirm quite a bit..
Andrea W
The original link I posted seems to be bad now, so here is an update:
https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Matt-and-Nat-EI_IE1008043.11,23.htm