Business
Understanding Sportswear MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity)
Why sportswear factories set minimum order quantities, how MOQs differ between sublimated teamwear and cut-and-sew products, and how to work with minimums when you are starting small.
MOQ (minimum order quantity) is the smallest quantity a manufacturer will produce for one item. It is one of the first numbers buyers ask about and one of the most misunderstood. Understanding why minimums exist makes it much easier to plan around them.
Why factories set minimums
Every production run has fixed costs that do not change with quantity:
- setting up patterns and markers for cutting;
- preparing print screens or sublimation files;
- buying and dyeing fabric — mills have their own minimums;
- sampling and approval;
- setting up the sewing line and inspection.
Spread over 500 pieces, those costs are small per piece. Spread over five pieces, they can cost more than the garment itself. The MOQ is the point where the order makes sense for both sides.
Per design, per colour or per style?
The unit matters more than the number.
- Per design — common for sublimated teamwear. Ten shirts in one design, any mix of sizes.
- Per colour — common for solid-dyed products. Fifty hoodies in black and fifty in grey count as two minimums.
- Per style — one product type, sometimes with colours split inside it.
Always confirm whether sizes can be mixed within the minimum. For teamwear they nearly always can.
Why sublimated teamwear has low minimums
Sublimation prints onto white polyester that is kept in stock, so there is no fabric dyeing minimum. The design is a digital file, so there are no screens to make. That is why sublimated kits can often be made from around ten pieces per design.
Why cut-and-sew products have higher minimums
A hoodie in a specific colour usually needs fabric dyed to order, and dye houses have their own minimums. Embroidery, custom trims and branded packaging add their own set-up. That is why lifestyle and private label products typically start higher — commonly around 50 pieces per style per colour, and sometimes more for custom-dyed fabric.
Each product page on our site lists its current MOQ.
How to work with minimums when you are small
- Reduce colours, not styles. One hoodie in two colours is easier than four hoodies in one colour each.
- Use stock fabric colours. Standard colours avoid dye-lot minimums.
- Choose sublimation where possible. It allows small runs and full design freedom.
- Mix sizes freely within the minimum.
- Share a design across teams or age groups — one design, many players.
- Plan reorders. Your second order is usually easier, because sampling is already done.
What happens below the minimum?
Some manufacturers accept smaller quantities at a higher price per piece; others cannot, because the fabric minimum is fixed by the mill. Ask — and ask what the price looks like at the minimum and at twice the minimum, so you can see where the savings are.
