If you’re launching a new activewear brand or expanding your sportswear line, one of your biggest hurdles is finding a quality factory that offers low MOQ (Minimum Order Quantities) without sacrificing quality.
While the internet is full of suppliers promising the dream and quote they make for top brands with MOQ’s as low as 100 pieces per style, you need to proceed with caution. The reality is: credible sportswear factories rarely offer such low MOQ’s unless there’s a reason, and often, that reason should send up red flags.
In this article, we’ll explain why ultra-low MOQ’s can be a trap, how to spot reputable activewear suppliers, and how Blue Associates Sportswear can help you bridge the gap between startup ambitions and professional production capacity.
Understanding MOQ and Why It Matters
MOQ stands for Minimum Order Quantity, and it’s a vital metric in the manufacturing world. It’s the smallest number of units a factory is willing to produce per style, per colour, or per SKU. MOQ’s help manufacturers optimise production runs, minimise waste, and hit the minimum requirements imposed by fabric mills and trim suppliers.
When you see a sportswear factory offering 100-piece MOQ’s, you need to ask: How is that even possible? Why would they offer this? What’s the quality like? How will they make any money on such a small MOQ? Is this too good to be true?
Why You Should Be Wary of Extremely Low MOQ’s
Let’s be honest, manufacturing 100 units of a performance legging or technical sports bra is not cost-effective for any professional factory. To hit that MOQ, something has to give, either quality, performance, lead time, or transparency.
Here’s why you should walk away from ultra-low MOQ offers from a sportswear factory:
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Idle Capacity = Red Flag
Reputable activewear factories are usually busy. If they have room for tiny orders, ask yourself why. Most established sportswear suppliers are already working with larger brands and are fully booked months in advance. Offering a 100-piece MOQ may mean they lack stable business, which could signal financial instability or inexperience. If you find a factory that claim to make quality products and offer 100pcs per style, ask for proof of past orders and don’t accept photos of garments, these can be easily pulled from the net. Ask for shipping documents or photos of the production in their factory.
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Quality Compromises
Producing at such low volumes often means working with leftover fabrics or trims, or cutting corners on construction techniques. This results in inconsistent sizing, poor durability, and garments that simply don’t hold up in the competitive activewear market.
At Blue Associates Sportswear we have picked up so many customers that have received a great sample and the bulk is completely different to the sample. The factory basically use quality fabrics and trims on samples to get the order and then shop for left over cheap fabrics for bulk production.
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No Access to Technical Support
Small factories willing to accept ultra-low orders may not offer in-house pattern development, grading, or technical design support. You could be left handling all the development work yourself, adding cost, complexity, and risk.
- Potential for Child or Bonded Labour
You need to make sure your factory have relevant audits in place and work with reputable brands that also conduct audits of their own. Big brands that promote quality cannot afford to be associated with factories that have low ethics or bad working conditions.
Hidden Costs of Low MOQ’s: The Surcharges You Need to Know
Let’s assume you’ve found a supplier willing to offer a low MOQ—maybe 200 units per colour, which is a more realistic minimum for serious factories. What they may not tell you upfront is that low MOQ orders come with extra charges.
Common Surcharges for Low MOQ Orders Include:
- Fabric Minimum Surcharge: Fabric mills typically have a minimum dye lot (3000 meters per order). If your fabric order falls short, expect a dye surcharge or to pay for unused fabric. This varies from mill to mill but usually costs around $500-$1,000 per fabric that will be added to the cost of the garments.
- Trim MOQ Surcharges: Zippers, elastics, labels, and heat transfers all have their own MOQ’s. If you only need 300 labels but the minimum is 1,000, you’ll pay for the whole batch or face another surcharge.
- Cutting and Sewing Inefficiencies: Producing small batches requires more setup time per unit. This inefficiency is passed on to you via higher cut-and-sew costs.
- Development and Sampling Fees: Factories that take on small orders often charge higher development fees to cover their time investment, including sampling, tech packs, and revisions.
Many EU factories charge a flat fee per style to help cover the development of styles.
So, What Is a Realistic Low MOQ for Sportswear?
At Blue Associates Sportswear, we’ve spent years developing strong relationships with leading sportswear factories across Asia and Europe. Through these relationships, we’ve negotiated much lower MOQ’s, not because we push for tiny orders, but because we act as a trusted intermediary between our clients and the factory.
We typically offer MOQ’s starting at 300 units per style (150 units per colour), which strikes the balance between flexibility for startups and operational efficiency for manufacturers.
We’ve earned these terms by doing extensive due diligence on every brand we work with. Factories trust that we only bring them clients with potential for growth, ensuring a win-win relationship for everyone involved.
Learn more about our services at Blue Associates Sportswear.
Why Credible Factories Don’t Work with Just Anyone
Here’s the truth many new brands don’t want to hear: good factories aren’t desperate for your order. Especially in the activewear space, where fabric types, stitching techniques, and performance testing require expertise, credible factories can afford to be picky.
Many factories won’t even reply to enquiries made by start-ups.
They don’t want to risk working with new brands who may:
- Fail to pay on time
- Have unclear tech packs
- Change designs frequently
- Lack funding or business acumen
- Don’t value the partnership between the supplier and the brand
- Think they can dictate terms and ways of working
- Lack experience within apparel development
This is why many factories won’t respond to inquiries from startups, or they’ll quote unrealistically high prices to deter small orders.
This is where Blue Associates Sportswear comes in. We serve as a gateway, giving vetted startup brands access to world-class sportswear suppliers while helping factories scale with new clients they can trust.
How Blue Associates Sportswear Supports Startups
Unlike many sourcing agents or trading companies, we don’t just pass you off to a factory. At Blue Associates Sportswear, we provide end-to-end support, including:
- Brand development and positioning
- Fabric and trim sourcing
- Tech pack development
- Prototyping and sampling
- Fitting and testing
- Production management
- Logistics and shipping support
- Website development
- Photography and online advertising
We work with a limited number of startup brands per year because we invest time into ensuring their long-term success. If we believe your brand has the potential to scale, we’ll help you get started with a reasonable low MOQ, and the support needed to grow your orders over time.
It’s in our interest to make sure you succeed so you come back for drops 2,3,4 and 5 and so on.
Interested in working with us? Contact us today at Blue Associates Sportswear.
Tips for Finding the Right Sportswear Factory with Low MOQ’s
If you’re going at it alone, here are a few tips to help you avoid the pitfalls and find a legitimate activewear factory willing to work with low MOQ’s:
1. Ask the Right Questions from the factory
- What is your MOQ per style and colour?
- Are there surcharges for low volumes?
- Do you own your own factory or outsource?
- Can I source and nominate the fabrics and trims?
2. Visit the Factory (or Work With Someone Who Has)
Factory visits are essential to verify capabilities, capacity, and quality. If you can’t visit yourself, partner with a trusted agency like Blue Associates Sportswear who has already vetted the facility.
3. Don’t Prioritise MOQ Over Everything Else
Yes, MOQ matters, but quality, reliability, and communication matter more. A bad production run of 100 units can do more damage to your brand than a good run of 300.
The last thing you need is to invest in 100 units you cannot sell. Trust me, this happens so often.
4. Expect to Pay More for Flexibility
Be ready to pay a premium for low MOQ’s, especially if you want access to high-performance fabrics, sustainable trims, and technical finishes like bonded seams or laser cutting.
Be realistic on your margins. Don’t try and go head-to-head with an established brand and expect to make the same margin. Established brands who order 100,000 units+ receive discounts from mills, trims and factories where you will need to pay surcharges for the same quality and performance.
5 Tread Carefully
Be cautious of sourcing suppliers using platforms like Alibaba. The platform is full of factories promoting themselves with low MOQ’s and quality production they have made for leading global brands.
Factories that make for established brands are under NDA’s and contract NOT to advertise they make for them. Ask yourself why a factory who makes for The North Face or Nike would risk losing a client like this by advertising the same product with a tiny quantity?
Focus on Smart Growth, Not Just Small Orders
Finding a sportswear factory with low MOQ’s is possible, but it’s not just about numbers. It’s about finding a partner who shares your commitment to quality, growth, and long-term success.
At Blue Associates Sportswear, we’ve built a bridge between world-class activewear factories and serious startup brands. We’ve negotiated realistic low MOQ’s because our factories trust our judgment and know we don’t work with just anyone.
So, if you’re launching your activewear brand and looking for a supplier who can offer low MOQ’s without compromising your future, reach out to us today.
Start your journey with Blue Associates Sportswear.
FAQs
What’s a reasonable low MOQ for activewear?
A reasonable low MOQ starts around 300–500 units per style. Anything lower typically involves compromises or quality issues.
Why do some factories offer MOQ’s of 100 pieces?
Usually because they have idle capacity, poor demand, or are hoping to upsell. Be cautious, this often indicates inexperience or poor quality.
Can I mix sizes and colours within my MOQ?
Most factories will allow you to split your MOQ across sizes and colours, within reason. For example, 300 units might allow 2 colours and 5 sizes.
Will I pay more for a low MOQ?
Yes. Expect fabric surcharges, trim MOQs, and higher per-unit pricing. However, this can be worth it if you’re testing the market or launching your first collection.