FAQ

Elkline is a sustainable clothing label from Hamburg, whose journey began in 1999. With a vision of sustainable, high-quality, and functional fashion for all ages, reflecting our passion.

With our values, we want to raise awareness for sustainable clothing and show that we are part of a large community. Our love for nature and travel is reflected in our clothing and all our actions. Our brand DNA consists of the values reliability, conscious action, curiosity, and openness.

Nowadays, the production of even comparatively small quantities of textile products depends on complex supply and sub-supply chains. However, we at Elkline still consider it our duty to be fully informed about the origin of all products and preliminary products. We insist that fair working conditions prevail at all our business partners.

We attach great importance to products from European production sites. Nevertheless, we are open to fair production partnerships all over the world.

For us, social responsibility also means having cotton grown in India processed into fabric and then into a shirt locally. This not only strengthens the local economy and secures socially responsible jobs, but also optimally utilizes the existing know-how regarding the raw materials used.

We want to contribute to improving the living and working conditions of the people involved in the manufacture of our products. And we want to help create awareness of high social standards wherever we act as business partners.

To this end, with the Open Sourcemap, we disclose the supply chain of almost every product and all its components – for full transparency.

You can find Elkline clothing both locally in our Elkline Store in Hamburg, as well as at over 150 retailers in Germany and throughout Europe. An overview of all stores that carry Elkline clothing can be found in the Elkline Storefinder. There is sure to be a store near you where you can experience Elkline quality firsthand.

The newsletter registration form can be found at the bottom of every page in the online shop.

In every newsletter, you will find an unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email content. For further questions, please send a message to Elkline Customer Service via the contact form.

Nowadays, the production of even comparatively small quantities of textile products depends on complex supply and sub-supply chains. At Elkline, however, we still consider it our duty to be fully informed about the origin of all products and preliminary products. We insist that fair working conditions prevail at all our business partners.

We attach great importance to products from European production sites – not least because of EU occupational safety laws. Nevertheless, we are open to fair production partnerships worldwide.

Social responsibility for us therefore also means having cotton grown in India processed into fabric and then into a shirt on site. This not only strengthens the local economy and secures socially responsible jobs, but also optimally utilizes the existing know-how regarding the raw materials used.

We want to contribute to improving the living and working conditions of the people involved in the production of our products. And perhaps even help a little to create awareness for high social standards wherever we act as business partners.

To this end, with the Open Sourcemap, we disclose the supply chain of almost every product and all its components – for full transparency.

At Elkline, we work daily to make our clothing as sustainable as possible. How sustainable our products are depends not only on the materials we use, but also on the selection of our producers and thus the entire supply chain. You can find all the details in the Sustainability section. Feel free to browse through it.

For 20 years, we have been committed to using sustainable materials in our products. The quality of the product plays a special role for us, because clothing that you wear for a long time because it simply lasts is sustainable, as less needs to be produced and thus fewer raw materials are consumed. In addition, we rely on environmentally friendly materials, which you can find an overview of under Responsibility for our products.

Since 2011, Elkline has refrained from using water-repellent finishes that contain per- and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), as well as solvent-based membranes. We exclusively rely on fluorocarbon- and paraffin-free finishes, which derive their water-repellent functional principles from nature.

You can find out whether an Elkline product has a PFC-free impregnation on the product page under the "sustainable" icon.

Most Elkline functional materials are certified according to the bluesign® standard. Based on a holistic approach, bluesign® tracks and assesses each individual textile product throughout its production process – from manufacturing to the end product. This includes aspects such as occupational safety, consumer protection, water and emission protection, and resource productivity. The seal therefore stands for environmentally friendly, health-conscious, safe and, above all, pollutant-free production of materials.

At Elkline, we use bluesign® certified materials in many functional styles, such as rain jackets, winter jackets and also fleeces, which are therefore particularly low in pollutants. You can find information about bluesign® certified materials on the product page under the material composition and in the "sustainable" icon.

Since 2018, we have been using recycled polyester in Elkline apparel. For the recycled fabrics we use, we attach importance to a GRS certificate (Global Recycled Standard), which verifies the exact proportion of recycled material in an item. Furthermore, GRS includes guidelines for environmental management and social responsibility.

It is also crucial for us that the recycled polyester offers comparable quality to non-recycled polyester. We only use recycled materials if this is the case. After all, what good is using recycled polyester if your garment pills quickly or is simply less durable? You can recognize all Elkline items that use recycled polyester by the "recycled" icon. You can also select "recycled" in the filter to find Elkline apparel with recycled polyester.

At Elkline, we try to use organically grown cotton whenever possible. The advantages of biodynamically produced cotton are obvious:

• No use of synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilizers, and other toxic agricultural aids.
• The seeds used are not genetically modified.
• Cultivation does not involve monocultures, but rather soil-preserving crop rotation.
• Water consumption is lower than in the cultivation of conventional cotton.

Since 2019, you can now also find organic cotton in sweaters, in addition to most Elkline shirts.

A large part of Elkline clothing made with organic cotton is also GOTS-certified. This ensures that the entire supply chain meets high environmental and social standards.

Bamboo is not something one immediately associates with textiles. More with building materials. But nowadays, a base material is produced from bamboo cellulose, from which viscose is then made – that soft and smooth fabric used in all sorts of clothing. Due to its extremely short cellulose fibers, bamboo is not spun but processed into a mass, which is then pressed through fine nozzles to create the fiber.

As a natural material, bamboo also has the advantage that it grows back very quickly and is naturally highly resistant to bacteria and pests. At Elkline, we therefore use bamboo viscose fibers in selected shirts.

Waterproof jackets, in contrast to water-repellent jackets, have fully sealed seams and other elements such as backed zippers or accessories that ensure moisture stays out even during prolonged use. A multi-layer fabric containing a hydrophilic membrane and a high water column of at least 5,000 mm/m2 is also a prerequisite for waterproofing. A water-repellent impregnation supports the function of waterproofing, but is used in both waterproof and water-repellent jackets. Whether an Elkline jacket is waterproof or water-repellent can be recognized by the "waterproof" or "water-repellent" icon, by which you can also filter the products.

To prevent heat and moisture from building up under clothing on the body, the clothing must allow water vapor to pass outwards. The term breathability is therefore a synonym for the water vapor permeability of a material.

For the principle of breathability to actually work, you should ensure that all layers you wear are as breathable as possible and not only absorb moisture but also transfer it to the surface.

You can recognize the breathability of Elkline functional materials by the "breathable" icon and the corresponding description. You can also filter by breathable Elkline products.

Multi-layer functional materials usually contain a hydrophilic membrane. This ensures that water vapor and thus air can escape from the inside out, but not from the outside in. This membrane reliably keeps the wind out and thus counteracts the wind chill effect. Windproof jackets or fleeces therefore also ensure that your body does not cool down additionally due to penetrating wind.

You can recognize windproof Elkline jackets and fleeces by the "windproof" icon. You can also simply filter for windproof items.

Elkline jackets and fleece with the Button-in icon can be combined with other compatible Button-in products: Waterproof rain jackets and coats can be easily connected with fleece jackets that also feature the Button-in icon using a loop in the neck. The loop with a Button-in button holds both garments together, allowing you to easily put them on and take them off simultaneously, effectively creating an all-season jacket. When it gets warmer, you can then wear both the rain jacket and the fleece separately as complete jackets.

Some Elkline styles feature reflective elements such as zipper pullers, seam tape, or logo prints. These are design elements that can slightly improve visibility in the dark but in no way replace reflective protective gear.

The reflective details we use are far too subtle to serve as protective gear for optimal visibility in the dark and in traffic. Therefore, for your safety and that of your child, please only use official reflective protective gear designed for these purposes.

The waterproofing of your Elkline jacket should be refreshed after about 4–5 washes or if you feel that rain no longer beads off the fabric effectively.

A recommendation for a particularly environmentally friendly waterproofing spray would be, for example, Textile Guard Econ from Fibertec, which uses a biodegradable PU-based active ingredient. The spray is simply applied and then distributed and activated by heat. You can follow the instructions on the packaging (please note the care recommendations for your Elkline item).

For both washing and impregnating, we recommend products like those from "FIBERTEC", which are biodegradable and free of bleaches and softeners. However, you can also get advice on a special detergent for outdoor clothing at an outdoor store of your choice.
In general, as with all outdoor products: wash as little as possible and only as often as necessary. Light soiling should rather be removed with a damp cloth.
Wash your Elkline item at the temperature recommended on the care label and at a low spin speed, always keeping zippers and Velcro fasteners closed.
Some experts recommend that dirty outdoor clothing should be washed twice to get it really clean again, as the gentle washing method sometimes doesn't remove everything.
You can simply try this out.

The textile chain does not end with the purchase of a garment; rather, it considers the entire life cycle – from the production of the first fiber to the disposal of the garment. Thus, the way we wear and wash clothes not only contributes to the lifespan of an item but also significantly influences the ecological footprint we leave with that product.

On the Textile Care page, you will find five tips for environmentally friendly garment washing.

If you want to impregnate your waxed Elkline pants, which are therefore slightly water and dirt repellent, or refresh an old impregnation, we recommend impregnation wax. Rub the material with the wax and warm it (for exact application, follow the instructions on the packaging!) – done. You can find a suitable impregnation wax at outdoor retailers or online.

Lagerei & Spedition Dirk Vollmer GmbH

c/o Elkline Returns

Am Schlepelsberg 8

Halle D1

21629 Neu Wulmstorf-Mienenbüttel

For orders within Germany: We will include a return label with your package for delivery within Germany. With this, we will cover the return shipping costs for your return.

For orders outside Germany: For a delivery address outside Germany, we do not include a return label. In the event of a return, you will bear the return shipping costs yourself.

At Elkline, you can easily return any item within 14 days of receipt. If it takes a few days longer, please inform us within 14 days of receipt using the contact form. You then have another 14 days to send us your exchange/return. It is important that the items are in resalable original condition.

We will, of course, be happy to issue new documents for you! Simply contact us using the contact form.

If you wish to exchange an item for a different color or size, please return the ordered item to us and place a completely new order for the desired color/size in our online shop. This way, you will receive the new item as quickly as possible without having to wait for your return to be processed.

We will always refund using the payment method you originally chose for your order.

The statutory warranty period is 24 months from the date of purchase.

Please send your complaint request to customerservice@elkline.de. It is best to tell us exactly which item it is. You can find the item name on the care label of your Elkline item. We also need information on the color and size, and pictures where the item and the defect are clearly visible. Please also inform us where and when you purchased your Elkline item. If you purchased the item from a retail partner, you can send us the proof of purchase with your message. If you purchased the item in our online shop, please provide us with the details under which the purchase was made (name, customer number, order number).