Heist
Rated: Good
Price: $$
Location: UK
Quick verdict
Best for anyone seeking premium, innovative tights and hosiery with genuine comfort innovation (their patented adaptive waistband and seamless 3D-knitted construction have earned devoted fans. The sustainability story is nuanced: select products use verified recycled nylon from reputable Italian suppliers, but the majority of the range still uses conventional virgin synthetics. Heist is refreshingly honest about these limitations, which counts for something) but it's not a fully sustainable brand.
Key info
- Headquarters
- London, United Kingdom
- Founded
- 2015
- Product categories
- Underwear, Accessories
- Price range
- $$
- Key certifications
- No brand-level certifications. Uses third-party-certified recycled yarns: Q-Nova® and Q-CYCLE (Fulgar), Roica Eco-Smart™ (Asahi Kasei)
Heist sustainability rating
Our ratings are based on a scale from 1 (We Avoid) to 5 (Excellent). How we rate
Rating breakdown
The sustainable sub-line uses Q-Nova® and Q-CYCLE recycled polyamide (from Fulgar) and Roica Eco-Smart™ recycled elastane, all reputable, verified materials. However, core bestsellers like The Eighty (92% virgin polyamide), all shapewear, and all underwear still use conventional petroleum-based synthetics.
98% of production happens in Italy, a low-risk country with robust labour protections. Maintains close relationships with factory partners. However, there is no published Code of Conduct, no factory audit reports, no supplier list, and no living wage commitment on record.
Credit for recycled materials in select products, recycled packaging, and a Smart Works charity donation programme. But there are no carbon data, no water metrics, no microplastics strategy, and the promised recycling/take-back programme has not materialised despite being announced years ago.
Blog post "Sustainable tights? Easier said than done" is unusually candid about the challenges. But formal transparency is limited: no sustainability report, no supplier lists, no factory certifications, no chemical management data. Transparency is editorial rather than structural.
At £26–£35 ($34–$44) per pair, significantly more expensive than mass-market tights but comparable to luxury competitor Wolford. Many reviewers say durability justifies the premium. "Buy 3, Save 15%" bundles and seasonal sales (up to 70% off) help.
What they do well
- Genuinely innovative product design: patented adaptive waistband, seamless 3D-knitted construction, and 5,000 spirals of nylon per inch of elastane (10× the industry average) deliver measurably superior comfort
- Verified recycled materials in the sustainable line: Q-Nova®, Q-CYCLE (Fulgar), and Roica Eco-Smart™ (Asahi Kasei) are legitimate, third-party-certified recycled yarns, not greenwashing
- Refreshing honesty about sustainability limitations: acknowledging tights are "the plastic straw of your underwear drawer" sets Heist apart from brands making overblown claims in an inherently difficult product category
- Inclusive shade range built from data on 100,000 women, with sizes UK 6–22 and a nude-matching quiz
Room for improvement
- Most products are not sustainable, only the dedicated "sustainable" tights sub-line uses recycled materials. Core bestsellers, all shapewear, and all underwear remain conventional virgin synthetics. No B Corp, GOTS, or OEKO-TEX certifications.
- No functioning circularity programme despite years of stated ambition. The promised take-back/recycling scheme has not launched. Microplastics shedding from synthetic hosiery, a significant environmental concern, goes unaddressed.
- Limited supply chain transparency, no published supplier lists, no factory audit reports, no Code of Conduct, and no carbon, water, or chemical management disclosures. For a venture-backed brand that raised $7–$8.7M, the absence of formal sustainability reporting is notable.
About Heist
Heist was founded in 2015 by Toby Darbyshire (ex-Bain & Company) and Edzard van der Wyck, who observed that women's hosiery was designed for aesthetics rather than function. They spent 12 months working with 67 women and creating 196 prototypes to develop seamless, 3D-knitted tights using Italian sportswear technology. The brand attracted investors including Natalie Massenet (Net-a-Porter founder) and JamJar Investments (Innocent Drinks founders), raising $7–8.7M across multiple rounds.
In 2018, they hired Fiona Fairhurst, designer of the Speedo LZR Racer swimsuit, as VP of Innovation. The sustainable tights line uses Q-Nova® and Q-CYCLE recycled polyamide from Italian supplier Fulgar, and Roica Eco-Smart™ recycled elastane from Asahi Kasei. The Thirty-Five Sustainable achieves 75% recycled polyamide plus 25% recycled elastane, the most fully recycled product in the range. However, core products like The Eighty and The Fifteen use conventional virgin synthetics.
98% of manufacturing happens in Italian factories, and Heist donates leftover products to Smart Works, a UK charity supporting unemployed women. Shipping is free in the UK over £70, in the US over $100. On Trustpilot, the brand holds 4 stars from 2,785+ reviews, with consistent praise for comfort and durability.
Product highlights
The Sixty Opaque Tights
60-denier opaque tights with 87% recycled polyamide (Q-CYCLE); patented adaptive waistband
~$39/£27–£30
Bestselling sustainable option and one of the most eco-friendly opaque tights available from a premium brand
The Thirty-Five Semi-Opaque Tights
35-denier semi-sheer with 75% recycled polyamide + 25% recycled elastane
~$36/£26
The most fully recycled product in Heist's range, using both recycled nylon and recycled elastane
The Eighty Opaque Tights
80-denier winter-weight with luxurious double-covered yarn; not recycled materials
~$41/£30–£35
Engineered for maximum durability, an indirect sustainability play through longevity
The Secondskin Scoop Back Body
Bodysuit from the underwear range; seamless, second-skin construction
~£75
Represents Heist's expansion beyond tights into full foundationwear
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