A great, time saving, resource
The Ethical Consumer website makes it so easy to make a more informed decision about where I am spending by time and money. Very helpful.

Ethical Consumer is an independent, not-for-profit organization that empowers consumers to make informed ethical purchasing decisions. Founded in 1989 and based in Manchester, the company operates as a multi-stakeholder cooperative with open membership, focusing on providing comprehensive resources for ethical spending. It offers independent product guides, research, and analysis related to various consumer goods, particularly in the food and beverage sector, including tea and coffee. The platform serves ethically-minded consumers who seek to understand the impact of their purchases on social and environmental issues. By providing detailed comparisons of brands, ethical certifications, and sustainability practices, Ethical Consumer helps individuals leverage their spending power to promote positive change. Users can access materials such as score tables, Best Buy recommendations, and in-depth reports to navigate their choices effectively.
Reviewers consistently report positive experiences with Ethical Consumer. Customers often highlight ethical, consumer, ethical consumer, companies.
A minority mention drawbacks around israel, companies, ethical, these. Overall sentiment is strongly positive with an average rating of 4.7 stars across 60 reviews.
Summary generated with AI from recent reviews
Each source counts by its number of reviews. Only reviews written by people are scored.
| Source | Rating | Reviews | Weight | 6-mo | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trustpilot Imported Trustpilot reviews | 4.7 | 60 | 100% | ● Low |
Monthly average rating from reviews written by people · latest review May 2025.
| Month | Average | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 24 | 5.0 | 1 |
| Jan 25 | — | 0 |
| Feb 25 | — | 0 |
| Mar 25 | — | 0 |
| Apr 25 | — | 0 |
| May 25 | 4.0 | 4 |
Share of positive (4–5★) and negative (1–2★) reviews mentioning each topic · based on the 60 most recent reviews.
“The Ethical Consumer website makes it so easy to make a more informed decision about where I am spending by time and...”
Same method for every company: overall rating, legitimacy checks, the average rating of reviews mentioning each area and the 6-month trend · Electronics & Technology.
| Company | Overall | Legit | Website & app | Service | Trend | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.7 out of 5 (good) | 100 out of 100 | 4.4 out of 5 (good) | 4.3 out of 5 (good) | — | 60 | |
| 4.1 out of 5 (good) | 100 out of 100 | 4.1 out of 5 (good) | 4.6 out of 5 (good) | — | 1,060 | |
| 4.5 out of 5 (good) | 100 out of 100 | 4.3 out of 5 (good) | 4.8 out of 5 (good) | — | 1,060 | |
| 4.7 out of 5 (good) | 100 out of 100 | 3.5 out of 5 (good) | 4.6 out of 5 (good) | — | 1,000 | |
| 4.0 out of 5 (good) | 100 out of 100 | — | 3.7 out of 5 (good) | −1% | 1,000 |
Bottom line: Ethical Consumer is #2 of 5 on overall rating in this group. On service, Mazuma Mobile scores higher (4.8 vs 4.3).
60 reviews of Ethical Consumer. Filter by what matters to you.
Over a year ago
The Ethical Consumer website makes it so easy to make a more informed decision about where I am spending by time and money. Very helpful.
Over a year ago
I have subscribed to EC for a number of years. The information they provide has helped me to break through the nonsense of corporate marketing to make more informed ethical comsumer decisions. Inevita... See more
Over a year ago
Ethical Consumer are one of the few organisations that are trying to help people make decisions that are as fair as possible for the planet and the people that live on it. When the prevailing economic... See more
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The Ethical Consumer website makes it so easy to make a more informed decision about where I am spending by time and money. Very helpful.
I have subscribed to EC for a number of years. The information they provide has helped me to break through the nonsense of corporate marketing to make more informed ethical comsumer decisions. Inevitably, there will be differences of opinion from time to time and I accept that, as a small team, EC cannot cover everything but, thanks to them, I am a much more conscientious consumer. Thank you.
Ethical Consumer are one of the few organisations that are trying to help people make decisions that are as fair as possible for the planet and the people that live on it. When the prevailing economic system is one of inherent inequality, it is vital to highlight which organisations and businesses are trying to buck the trend and allow consumers to vote with the main thing corporate interests will take notice of; their wallets. The website is easy to use and is a vast repository of knowledge, which is being updated all the time. I cannot think of another database for consumers which takes into consideration so many aspects of a product or service and allows readers to make an informed choice.
I am a subscriber and many times in the magazines and online I am told which companies and banks have connections with Israel and should therefore be boycotted. I am opposed to the misogyny, homophobia and theocracy of hard-line Muslim states. I would like similar advice about companies with connections to these autocratic regimes, where women live a Handmaid's Tale existence. I have raised the issue with Ethical Consumer and on each occasion I am given a woolly response and am told they are following BDS campaign guidelines. The general public needs information to make ethical choices. Only highlighting one side for political reasons is unacceptable. As a member of the LGB community I want to know my money isn't going to countries where my sexuality would be illegal. Israel is NOT such a country. UPDATE: 15 May 2025. The response from Ethical Consumer is: "We believe there is good reason to give more focus to Israel" They say that Israel is under investigation for genocide and apartheid but clearly they feel the way women and members of the LGBT community in many Muslim countries is acceptable and they are not prepared to change their exclusively anti-Israel position. Shame on them. UPDATE: Ater the latest comment from Ethical Consumer where they say: "we believe these are good reasons for the research we do on companies and their links to Israel. We have seen a great increase in civil society wanting to learn about these topics, which we are responding to." Given there is a conflict between Israel and the Palestinians (and Islam) it is incumbent on Ethical Consumer to present both sides, or neither - otherwise how can 'civil society' learn about these topics? Just to target Israel is unacceptable. UPDATE: In the Jul/Aug magazine they're at it again. One-sided journalism as its worst. I am given no advice as to how I can avoid using companies which support or invest in misogynistic, homophobic dictatorships. I am a gay man and Ethical Consumer does not provide me with any information to ensure my money does not help these theocratic regimes. Absolutely appalling journalism. The Jul/Aug issue is full to the brim with antisemitic sentiment. They bash Israel at every opportunity. I don’t know how anyone with ethics could support countries with the homophobic and misogynistic policies of the Axis of Evil - yet EC clearly does. Shocking and EC’s vitriol is getting worse.
Allows me to make informed choices before making purchases (particularly big purchases) and looks beneath the veneer and corporate bullshit that many (particularly large) companies spout about themselves, or that conform to poor quality 'ethical" bodies, which are often created by the industries themselves. Really makes a difference for those prepared to make the effort to be ethical.
Some useful information, but the scoring can take a very limited perspective. For example in the energy issue, it seems truly bizarre to rank energy suppliers without calculating and discussing the carbon content of the electricity they supply. In discussions on food, whether the food is ultraprocessed (and hence unhealthy) is not considered. Finally, if an organisation collects my subscription by direct debit I expect an annual reminder before the subscription renews - not just a reminder after the first year.
Wish there were more online resources like this one.
This is to endorse the poor reviews posted previously by J.B. and Thomas. Although I have been buying the EC magazine since a year or two after it was extablished, I have had issues with its ranking system. My partner and I have written to the magazine a few times, highlighting glaring discrepancies, but neither of us has ever received any reply. I think my last email was regarding their top-rated investment funds, which also held shares in one of the companies that they had rightly ranked very poorly. As another example, Lily's Kitchen Ltd organic pet food company is a certified B Corp, but because it was purchased by Nestle three years ago, EC magazine has given it a ZERO score out of 20! This is despite the fact that Lily's Kitchen works at arm's length of Nestle, is still run by its old CEO, and still employs ethical processes for its function. How buying ethically-sourced, organic, palm-free ingredients from a B Corp company with good credentials can be more damaging and should rate below buying goods from another company that mistreats animals, the environment, its workers etc is simply beyond comprehension. Under Lily's Kitchen Ltd company profile, EC states the same negatve credentials as those of Nestle's. To say, for example, that Lily's Kitchen is responsible for water extraction in California is beyond ludicrous. As mentioned in the beginning, others have outlined similar issues. Far more care is required by EC's staff in ranking products and companies. In short, EC seriously ought to revisit and overhaul their scoring system.
Thanks to Ethical Consumer I’ve found a lot of help to find ethical alternatives to my way of consumption
I subscribed to Ethical Consumer earlier in the year and I am finding the print magazine and online review tools very useful in my decision making for all manner of purchases. I recommend to anyone seeking to buy better where they can whether it's in your supermarket, renewing an insurance policy or buying a new tshirt as examples.
Essential reading for anyone who wants to learn more about the impact of your shopping choices on society and the environment.
I have been subscribing for a few years and have been really happy and appreciative with all the information provided. I do feel like they need to update more frequently, not only on reports they've done in the past but adding to the companies they have reviewed. I'm more and more often surprised and disappointed that they don't have any information on a company I search for on their site. It seems like they had a first push of reports, mainly the big and obvious companies, then stopped.
An incredible database formulated by researchers that dig deep into brands to see what our money is funding. An essential asset for those that are conscious and want to remain conscious of what they are paying for. Already I have made actionable changes like no longer using Amazon and leaving Barclays bank. There are many other changes to be made and I'm thankful that Ethical Consumer exists to streamline the process. There have been so many instances where I've discovered seemingly innocent brands being owned by the worst, most unethical companies. It's both sad to see how much exploitation is happening with all these companies but inspiring to see people are willing to learn and change. I'm grateful that this resource exists.
Have subscribed to this for years. In depth analysis of companies and products and their ethical impact and related info. Makes it easy to make good choices
I very much agree with an earlier review about criticising EC for plugging smart meters. Apart from huge profit for these companies, I don't believe they are needed. Also, even more importantly, research has shown many people exposed to them get ill. I personally know several people who have become seriously ill if they live near phone masts or strong wifi. Smart meters are the worse. No, not their imagination. One woman had no idea why she was so ill until she moved away.
Ethical Consumer is an essential source of information for anyone interested in creating a better, fairer world.
Ethical Consumer Ethical Consumer gives excellent guidelines on the ethical background of anything you want to purchase or invest in, through well-researched reports and comparison tables.
I really enjoy reading Ethical Consumer as I learn so much about the way companies operate and can then choose who to buy from.
I really trust the reviews and use the magazine and online to keep up to date and to make spending decisions
Ethical Consumer provide well researched information and ethical ratings on a wide range of items and topics. A valuable source of information for those trying to live more ethically.
Ethical Consumer is an independent, not-for-profit organization that empowers consumers to make informed ethical purchasing decisions. Founded in 1989 and based in Manchester, the company operates as a multi-stakeholder cooperative with open membership, focusing on providing comprehensive resources for ethical spending. It offers independent product guides, research, and analysis related to various consumer goods, particularly in the food and beverage sector, including tea and coffee. The platform serves ethically-minded consumers who seek to understand the impact of their purchases on social and environmental issues. By providing detailed comparisons of brands, ethical certifications, and sustainability practices, Ethical Consumer helps individuals leverage their spending power to promote positive change. Users can access materials such as score tables, Best Buy recommendations, and in-depth reports to navigate their choices effectively.
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