Lafuma is a French company based in

Anneyron Anneyron () is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Drôme department A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivation ...

, Drôme, specializing in outdoor clothing,

backpack A backpack, also called knapsack, schoolbag, rucksack, pack, booksack, bookbag, haversack, packsack, or backsack, is in its simplest frameless form, a fabric sack carried on one's back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders; b ...

sleeping bag A sleeping bag is an insulated covering for a person, essentially a lightweight quilt that can be closed with a zipper or similar means to form a tube, which functions as lightweight, portable bedding in situations where a person is sleeping o ...

footwear Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serve the purpose of protective clothing, protection against adversities of the environment such as wear from rough ground; stability on slippery ground; and temperature. *Shoes and si ...

, and camping furniture. Founded in 1930 by Victor, Alfred, and Gabriel Lafuma, the company is known for its durable, performance-driven products used in hiking, mountaineering, and other outdoor activities. Lafuma’s brands include

Eider The eiders () are large seaducks in the genus ''Somateria''. The three extant species all breed in the cooler latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The down feathers of eider ducks and some other ducks and geese are used to fill pillows and qu ...

and

Millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most millets belong to the tribe Paniceae. Millets are important crops in the Semi-arid climate, ...

, and it is part of the Swiss Calida Group.

History

Lafuma was established in 1930 by brothers Victor, Alfred, and Gabriel Lafuma in

, Drôme, initially producing backpacks. In 1936, the company introduced a metal-frame backpack, significantly expanding its market. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Lafuma supplied equipment to the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

and, under

German occupation German-occupied Europe, or Nazi-occupied Europe, refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly militarily occupied and civil-occupied, including puppet states, by the (armed forces) and the government of Nazi Germany at ...

, to the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

. Post-war, it resumed civilian production and diversified into camping furniture in 1954. Facing bankruptcy in 1984, Lafuma was restructured under Philippe Joffard, a grandson of the founders. The company began producing sleeping bags in 1985 and relocated some manufacturing to

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

in 1986 and

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

in 1992. In 1995, Lafuma acquired the

and Le Chameau brands, though Le Chameau was sold to Marwyn Management Partners in 2012. Lafuma went public on the

CAC Small The CAC Small (formerly the CAC Small 90) is a stock market index used by the Paris Bourse. It is a small-cap index which represents all main-market French equities not included in the CAC 40, the CAC Next 20 or the CAC Mid 60. Together, these 4 i ...

market in 1997, reducing the founding family’s stake to approximately 15%. In 2004, it acquired the jeans brand Ober, and in 2005, it purchased

Oxbow __NOTOC__ An oxbow is a U-shaped metal pole (or larger wooden frame) that fits the underside and the sides of the neck of an ox or wikt:bullock, bullock. A bow pin holds it in place. The term "oxbow" is widely used to refer to a U-shaped meand ...

. In 2013, the Swiss Calida Group acquired Lafuma, integrating it into its portfolio of outdoor and apparel brands. By 2017, Lafuma sold Oxbow to focus on its core outdoor brands.

Products and brands

Lafuma produces a range of outdoor equipment and clothing, including backpacks, sleeping bags, footwear, and camping furniture, designed for activities like hiking, camping, and mountaineering. Its products incorporate advanced materials for durability, weather resistance, and comfort, competing with brands like

Patagonia Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...

and

Columbia Sportswear The Columbia Sportswear Company is an American company that manufactures and distributes outerwear, sportswear, and footwear, as well as headgear, camping equipment, ski apparel, and outerwear accessories. It was founded in 1938 by Paul Lamf ...

. The company’s portfolio includes: - Lafuma: Focuses on outdoor clothing, backpacks, and camping furniture. -

: Specializes in mountaineering equipment and apparel. -

: Offers technical outerwear for skiing and outdoor activities.

Operations

As of 2025, Lafuma operates manufacturing facilities in France,

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

, and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, with its headquarters in Anneyron, Drôme, and administrative offices in

Annecy Annecy ( , ; , also ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Haute-Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, regi ...

. Approximately 60% of its sales are generated in France, with growing international markets in Europe, Asia, and North America. The company emphasizes sustainability, using recycled materials and eco-friendly production processes.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1930 establishments in France Clothing companies of France Companies based in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Outdoor clothing brands Sporting goods manufacturers of France French brands