Framework

How ethical is Framework?

Framework is a computer manufacturer which has achieved The GOOD Shopping Guide’s ethical benchmark on our Ethical PCs, Laptops & Tablets Ratings Table. With a score of 77 out of 100, Framework demonstrates a strong commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices across the majority of criteria assessed by The GOOD Shopping Guide, earning recognition as an Ethical Innovator.

Framework has not yet received The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation, an editorial endorsement awarded to brands which achieve a high ethical score across our multi-criteria assessment. Receiving this endorsement would strengthen the brand’s standing as a recognised ethical choice for consumers in the computers sector.

What does Framework do?

Framework Computer Inc. was founded in San Francisco in 2020 by Nirav Patel and is a leading proponent of the right-to-repair movement in consumer electronics. The company designs and manufactures modular, repairable, and upgradeable laptops and desktops that are built to be disassembled, repaired, and upgraded by users rather than discarded. Components including ports, mainboards, batteries, and displays are all replaceable using standard tools. Framework publishes open source hardware documentation and firmware, and sells products direct to consumers across 32 countries.

Why does Framework perform well ethically?

Framework achieves good ratings across the majority of criteria assessed by The GOOD Shopping Guide. The brand receives good ratings for environmental reporting, fossil fuels, and packaging, reflecting its commitment to environmental transparency and responsible materials use. Framework receives good ratings for animal welfare, armaments, political donations, human rights, and other criticisms. The brand has achieved recognition as an Ethical Innovator, reflecting its modular, repairable laptop design as a genuine contribution to reducing electronic waste — one of the most significant environmental challenges in the consumer electronics sector.

What could improve Framework’s ethical positioning?

Framework receives poor ratings for code of conduct and conflict minerals. These are meaningful gaps for a hardware manufacturer whose products contain components sourced from complex global supply chains. A published code of conduct governing supplier behaviour, and a formal conflict minerals policy addressing the sourcing of materials such as cobalt and tantalum, would address these gaps and extend Framework’s ethical commitments from product design into the supply chain from which its products are built.

Framework also receives a poor rating for eco labels. Despite its sustainability-focused mission, the brand does not currently hold formal environmental certification for its products. Pursuing recognised eco certifications would substantiate Framework’s environmental credentials with independent verification and bring this rating in line with the strong performance demonstrated across other environmental criteria.

Obtaining The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation would provide editorial recognition of Framework’s ethical standards and make it easier for consumers to identify the brand as an editorially endorsed choice in the computers sector.

Framework is a strong choice for consumers seeking a repairable, upgradeable laptop from a brand with a genuine commitment to reducing electronic waste. Consumers can explore how Framework compares to other brands on our Ethical PCs, Laptops & Tablets Ratings Table and learn more about how we rate brands on ethical criteria.