FAQs

Do you have gift certificates?

We do! Go here to buy an electronic gift certificate and for instructions on how to use it.

I have a discount code. What do I do?

When you check out, there will be a box where you can include a discount code before you purchase the product.

How do I return or exchange my bag?

Go to our Shipping & Returns page to find out more about our shipping policies and returns information.

How do I clean and protect my new product?

See our Warranty and Product Care page for more information about protecting and cleaning your Otter Pass product.

Can I order a custom product?

Not right now. We’ve put each of the products through a rigorous design process and it takes several months to order and manufacture each item. We’ve designed them so that they are innovative and easy to use in a variety of ways—each of the pockets on the Bag Insert can be used for multiple items, the Dad Dopp Kit can fit both snacks and toiletries, the Travel Case can be used for diapers, small books, or computer cords. The possibilities are endless! We like to think that every Otter Pass dad is customizing these products in a way that works best for his life!

I’m not a dad and I want to use these products.

Listen, we are not here for stereotypes or strict categories. While we designed these products with dads in mind, we also wanted them to work for anyone who wants to use them. Women and men, parents and grandparents and non-parents, these products are versatile and durable. They’re great for work and life in whatever capacity you’d like.

I would love to work for Otter Pass!

Aw, thanks! We’d love to hear from you through our Contact Us page. Right now, we are not hiring, but you’re clearly a great person if you want to work for us and we’re sure we’d have fun getting a beer and chatting about dad life!

Where did the name Otter Pass come from?

It’s the English translation of the name of Jonathan's favorite fishing lodge in Brazil. That's where Jonathan’s dad used to take he and his brothers to go fishing for piranhas (yes, piranhas—it was intense). In Portuguese, the lodge was called Passo do Lontra. See the story behind the name for more about it.

I would love to feature my dad or write for your Notes and Noteables section.

We are so excited you’re interested in our Notes and Noteables! We intend for this to be one of the most important tools for dads as we provide in-depth articles, insight, and community in today’s complicated, complex world. The editor-in-chief and content strategist for Otter Pass is co-founder Jessica Goudeau. She has written for the Atlantic, The Washington Post, Teen Vogue, Vox, Huffington Post, and other publications. She has as PhD in literature from the University of Texas and worked as an editor for years. She’s currently writing a book about refugees for Viking Press to be released in 2019. She would LOVE to hear from you. If you have a suggestion for an article, want to connect her to someone for an interview or feature, or if you’re interested in writing for Otter Pass, please reach out to her through our Contact Us page.

I’m interested in ethical fashion. Tell me about your product line and your supply chain.

We are very invested in the ethics of fashion and are committed to being as transparent as possible while we grow. Fashion is a complicated industry and there can be competing ethical values for every product. A big part of our ethical view of fashion is that slow fashion is a strong response to fast fashion: high-quality products that last for years are better for the environment and for our lives than fast products replaced every season. There are other considerations we've weighed as well. For example, in order to be vegan, many products have a higher pollution impact on the environment than products using natural materials like leather and cotton. We are launching our company with a limited run of products made from leather and cotton materials made by a manufacturer in China with a very high reputation for treating their workers well and for having a transparent supply chain. We’re proud to have our products shipped by Sauceda Industries, which provides living wages to its employees here in Austin. We'll keep you updated on our practices as we grow so you can know exactly where we're going. 

Our commitment to ethical fashion has deep roots. Before Otter Pass, we co-founded a nonprofit that adhered to fair trade principles selling products made by Burmese refugee artisans in Austin for seven years. Even with fair trade practices, It was almost impossible for the refugee artisans to make enough money weaving bags or making jewelry to provide a full-time salary. They were understandably much more interested in jobs that could be competitive and teach them job skills they can use for their new lives here. For that reason, we decided to switch our model—rather than making fair trade products by refugee artisans, we will sell products made in a transparent supply chain in order to provide jobs for refugees here in the States. As we grow, we are committed to finding opportunities to employ refugees at every stage of the company. We will begin by making sure that 10% of the revenue of each purchase goes toward supporting nonprofits we know that work with vulnerable refugees in Austin. See our Giving Back page for more information about where that money goes.