Berghaus refreshes free repairs service

British outdoor brand Berghaus has announced that it is championing repairs over replacing with a relaunch of the free repairs service it has offered since established 56 years ago.

The ‘Repairhaus’ service will see the brand attempting to repair any damaged Berghaus clothing, footwear, or pack accessory, “however old, worn or weathered the item is,” led by the repair team based at the brand’s headquarters in Sunderland, England.

“Nature can be tough on even the toughest clothing. So, when the elements do their worst, we bring out our best,” states the Repairhaus team on the Berghaus website.

Berghaus notes that while the repair service is free, it is asking consumers to pick up the cost of sending their gear to them. The team aims to return the item back to the customer within 21 days of receiving it.

If the kit is unrepairable and has come to the end of its life, Berghaus gives consumers two options: a like-for-like replacement for products still covered by the guarantee, or the choice to upcycle the unrepairable items and receive a 30 percent discount on a new product.

The outdoor brand states that Repairhaus is not only a cost-effective solution for consumers but extending a product’s life is one way of reducing environmental impact. Data from Berghaus’ internal tools shows that, on average, repairing rather than buying a new like-for-like product generates 50 percent less kilograms of CO2e.

Berghaus brand director Charlie Pym said in a statement: “Berghaus products are built to last, but of course, one of the risks of outdoor adventure is your kit. As well as years of general wear and tear, products can get damaged in various ways. We’ve always offered the repair service and our in-house team has a treasure trove of stories about how they’ve helped keep much loved Berghaus kit out there in action.

“Repairhaus is a fundamental pillar of our positive business strategy. By extending the life of products for as long as possible, they don’t need to be replaced. We look at the full life cycle of kit – from our approach, product development, manufacturing, and packaging through to end-of-life options. We also work with Dirtbags Climbing, who repurpose kit into new and different products.”