The Good Trade editors endorse products we’ve personally researched, tested, and genuinely love. Learn more about our methodology and business model here.
A few weeks ago, we reached out to our community of subscribers to The Daily Good to see how we’re all feeling about shopping in 2025, and what we’re thinking about for the holiday season. (How is it late November already?)
We believe that the most sustainable products are the ones you actually use, and we are always excited to hear how you all approach sustainability in your own lives. It’s inspiring for our work, and for our own lives — we have so much to learn from one another.
So first, let’s dive into introductions!
We heard from over 300 readers on their favorite brands, shopping habits, and gained plenty of insight from all the write-in options. Most of our respondents reside in North America, and we had readers from age 18 to 75 and beyond — with an average reader age of around 40 years old. We love being able to reach folks at all ages, what a delight to have you in the community with us! 💛
And we see you too, readers who reside outside of North America! We’re constantly inspired by every comment, response, and share from our global audience and can’t wait to ring in 2025 with more tips on sustainability, slow living, and self-love.
Below are the key takeaways and recos from our readers — keep on scrolling to read about your (and our) favorite brands.
1) Half of your purchases are made from sustainable brands.
The majority of respondents (almost 75%) shared that at least half of their purchases come from sustainable brands — up from 61% last year. We love to see it, especially since, according to Business of Fashion, sustainability isn’t as top-of-mind for fashion execs as things like emerging AI technologies. (Dear brands – don’t slack on sustainability, please!)
Most readers only shop one or two times a month from these sustainable alternatives, so it sounds like the motto of “fewer, better” is really resonating. “I try to buy only what I need and know I will use,” says one reader. Yes!! While many of you prioritize sustainability in your purchases, you take your time to find exactly which products will fit into your lifestyle.
“I try to buy only what I need and know I will use.”
– The Daily Good Reader
When you shop online, almost half of readers like to visit the brand directly — tending to stay away from places like Amazon — and cutting out those additional costs. But we hear how convenient marketplaces and Amazon alternatives are, and wish there were more in-store options as well. We heard from many readers on how important it is to shop locally or secondhand in order to reduce shipping costs and packaging waste.
One reader shared their hesitation with all the waste that online shopping can bring: “It would be nice to have an article done on local grocery store or drugstore options when it comes to sustainable brands that I don’t have to order online and can buy physically in store to reduce my online shopping.”
Remember, it’s a marathon and not a sprint and we’re all doing the best we can. Keep going, friends.
2) You would prefer to shop vintage, whenever possible.
One of our favorite findings was how much you all love to thrift and hunt for vintage and secondhand treasures. Many answers you submitted as write-ins included a mention of thrifting, and you’re certainly in good company.
“I thrift or buy most things vintage at antique shops,” writes one resourceful reader. “Everything else, I try to make myself.” Such a cool outlook — we’re bringing that energy into 2026 for sure. Thrifting can still be prohibitive for folks who are plus size, in more remote/rural areas, and even folks in larger cities, where thrifting can be more expensive.
We love to hear you treat yourself occasionally! When and if you can, allow yourself grace to give yourself love. (Psst — thrifting in and of itself can be a fun solo date!)
“I shop sustainably by going to local markets and purchasing in-season, local produce, buying locally made spirits, buying gifts from markets, and avoiding buying new whenever I can!”
– The Daily Good Reader
3) When it comes to organic and sustainable materials, the kitchen matters most.
We asked you about where you prioritize nontoxic, organic, and sustainable goods the most — and weren’t surprised that the kitchen took the top spot. From supplements to cookware to cleaning supplies, here are your favorites:
- Lodge takes the cake when it comes to your favorite cookware and bakeware, and materials like stainless steel and cast iron were frequently mentioned as your faves
- Your top recommended supplements come from Garden of Life, MaryRuth Organics, and Thorne — think brands that offer a wide range of selections at more affordable price points
- When you’re not shopping at the local farmer’s market, Thrive Market is your favorite source for getting organic snacks and grocery essentials
- You prefer the range of nontoxic cleaning options at Grove Collaborative, and of course, homemade cleaners like baking soda and vinegar
Almost equally important was the bathroom; hair care and skincare are such intimate parts of our routines that it’s no wonder we’re wanting to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals there too. Shoutout to shampoo bars and plastic-free care items showing up on the survey several times — less plastic in 2026, pls!
While nontoxic wardrobes and bedrooms weren’t as high on the list, we noted that of the sustainable products you’re saving up for, bedding and furniture were most frequently mentioned. Bedding, mattresses, and furniture all make sense to save up for, as they’re big-ticket items that you’ll likely keep for years to come. (Psst — with Black Friday coming up, you’ll want to keep an eye on mattress and bedding brands for sales.)
Surprisingly, this year you also mentioned you’re saving up for quality cookware more than in past years. Can we come over for dinner? We’ll bring the wine and NA apertifs!
4) Not surprising: Patagonia is your favorite sustainable brand.
It’s no surprise that Patagonia was the most-loved brand in this whole survey and the most beloved fashion brand — for the fourth year in a row! As one of the earliest defenders of environmental ethics in the industry, Patagonia continues to expand its commitment to labor ethics as well. (Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, gave away the company to fight the climate crisis as of 2022.) Patagonia also has a secondhand shop, Worn Wear!
Pact and Etsy were named #2 and #3 as our readers’ top responsible fashion brands, especially thanks to their availability and price accessibility (and of course, all the secondhand options available via Etsy!) Dozens of write-in answers also mentioned thrift stores, both online and local, were your favorite places to shop. Quince is another fan favorite thanks to its range and affordability; you can see our editor’s review of that brand here.
Other runners-up were Sézane and Reformation — looks like combining ultra-practical garments with super stylish pieces is hitting the sweet spot these days. We also discovered plenty of smaller brands from the write-in options; excited to dive more into those in 2026!
5) When it comes to home goods, you shop for accessible quality.
West Elm was named our readers’ favorite place to shop for a wide variety of home goods, at reasonable prices, while supporting increasing levels of sustainable and ethical sourcing. One note on West Elm — remember to use advanced filters to find pieces that have the most sustainable certifications when you’re shopping. We were also excited to see that Avocado took the number two spot on your list; our team toured the Avocado factory in Southern California last year, and got to see the production of the brand’s zero-waste furniture collection. (And some previews of what’s to come, too — get excited!)
Coming in at number three on your list of favorites was Etsy, a top-listed brand for the fourth year in a row. If you want a good place to get started, check out this roundup of our 99 favorite Etsy shops! The marketplace supports a move to more affordable and accessible retailers for sustainable wares.
6) The best in clean beauty goes to ILIA. 🏆
But you still impressed us with how personal beauty is for each of you. This was the category with the most write-ins, from well-known drugstore brands down to small handmade skincare goodies (and some DIY in your own home!). In fact, there were more write-ins than any votes for individual brands we shared for consideration!
Outside of the write-ins, ILIA topped the charts again this year. We especially love its dewy Super Serum Skin Tint, which comes in 30 shades and offers SPF 40 coverage — you can read our editor’s review of that and some other ILIA products here. OSEA was the second favorite, and cocokind followed closely behind — showing us that you all prioritize clean ingredients whether you have a big budget or a small skincare stipend. (Read our reviews of OSEA and cocokind for more info.)
7) When splurging on sheets, our readers think these linens are worth every penny.
Your most recommended bedding brand was none other than Avocado. This is a reader fave thanks to the quality of its bedding, and the dedication the whole brand has to making sure everyone sleeps sound and snuggly.
Avocado’s bedding is made in India and features long-staple GOTS Organic-certified cotton, alongside both MADE SAFE and OEKO-TEX certifications. We especially love that the queen sheet sets start at $135, which is great for folks who want a long-lasting product that fits a little better into the budget. Avocado is also truly a one-stop shop for everything you need for a cozy bedroom, including mattresses, toppers, and protectors. (All of the mattresses are handmade in Avocado’s California factory!)
Notable mentions included organic sets from Pact and Boll and Branch, once again showing that balancing nontoxic materials and quality is the name of the game. You can read our full review of the top nontoxic bedding brands here — we’ve tested them all!
8) You’re leaders, not followers (of course you are!). But here are some great sustainability influencers to follow anyway.
When we asked for your favorite ethical fashion influencers, the majority of you told us you didn’t have a go-to account that you like to follow. But if you are in the social media space, the rest of our readers suggested so many great creators — here are the three that came up most frequently. (Be sure to hit follow!)
9) When it comes to the holidays, you want to give homemade goodies.
You love to shower your loved ones with unique and personalized homemade items — not surprising. But so many of you noted that you want only to gift experiences, time spent together, or consumables that leave a smaller footprint once they’re gone. A couple folks even listed skincare and wellness tech in your write-ins, which usually don’t cross our minds as frequently due to how personal they can be.
Most of you prefer to give homemade presents, experience gifts, and things like coffee, tea, or chocolate. We love how universally loved many of these items are!
10) You want to receive experience gifts…and also cozy consumables.
While handmade gifts did not make the top placement for items you want to *receive* (they were a close second), ephemeral experience gifts like subscriptions, event tickets, or other cultural activities ranked the highest this year.
Coffee, tea, and chocolate came in at the number three most popular types of gifts you want to receive — losing ground to handmade gifts for the first time in the four years we’ve run this survey. Fashion, including jewelry and snuggly things like slippers and robes, rank higher than larger-ticket home goods and travel accessories. Sounds like we’re all keeping it simple at home this year!
(If you’re still stuck, we do have a list of gifts for her and gifts for him, and your picks for the best jewelry shops were on Etsy and Mejuri.)
Overall, you may want to avoid gifting *or* requesting makeup and skincare products unless you know both parties understand each other’s routine well — most people already purchase the beauty products they love most for themselves.
Thank you, all, for sharing your insights with us and inspiring us as we head into 2026. We consistently share your feedback, notes of encouragement, and recommendations with each other in The Good Trade Slack channel. We learned even more than what we shared here, and we can’t wait to deliver you all the very best in sustainable products and responsibly sourced products in the new year.
Wishing you all a warm, safe, and loving conclusion to 2025, and offer a reminder to share kindness, grace, and empathy whenever you can. We all need it right now.
Emily McGowan is the Editorial Director at The Good Trade. She studied Creative Writing and Business at Indiana University, and has over ten years of experience as a writer and editor in sustainability and lifestyle spaces. Since 2017, she’s been discovering and reviewing the top sustainable home, fashion, beauty, and wellness products so readers can make their most informed decisions. Her editorial work has been recognized by major publications like The New York Times and BBC Worklife. You can usually find her in her colorful Los Angeles apartment journaling, playing with her cat, or crafting. Say hi on Instagram or follow along with her Substack, Pinky Promise.
The post Hundreds Of Readers Share The Sustainable Brands They Love Most appeared first on The Good Trade.
