MOQ stands for minimum order quantity. It is the smallest number of pairs a glove maker will produce for one design. If you have ever asked a supplier for thirty pairs of team gloves and been told to come back when you need five hundred, you have run into an MOQ.
We make custom MTB, BMX, motocross, gym and ski gloves in our own workshop in Sialkot, Pakistan, and we do not set a minimum. This article explains why minimums exist in the first place, what a small order actually costs, and how we handle orders of any size.
What MOQ means for a glove order
An MOQ is usually set per design. A maker might ask for 50, 100 or several hundred pairs of one design, and some also set a minimum per colour or per size. A brand that wants three colourways of the same glove can find that the real minimum is three times the number on the website.
The number matters most to new brands, race teams, clubs and bike shops. They usually need somewhere between ten and a hundred pairs, and they need to see a real glove before they spend money on stock.
Why most glove makers set a minimum
A custom glove has a lot of work in it before the first pair is stitched. The minimum is how a maker makes sure that work pays for itself.
- Pattern making. Every glove starts as a paper or digital pattern for the palm, the back, the fingers and the cuff. A new shape or a new size range means a new pattern.
- Cutting setup. Large runs are cut with steel dies or programmed cutting. Setting that up takes the same time whether the order is twenty pairs or two thousand.
- Print setup. Screen printing needs a screen for every colour, and sublimation needs the artwork laid onto the pattern and tested before production.
- Material in rolls. Palm and back fabrics are bought by the roll, not by the pair. A small order can leave a maker with most of a roll it cannot use.
- Production line time. A large workshop plans its lines weeks ahead. A small order takes almost as much planning as a big one.
None of this is unfair. It is simply cheaper for a big operation to say no to small orders than to fit them in.
Why we don't have one
We are a small team, and we make every part of the glove ourselves: design, patterns, cutting, stitching, printing, quality checks and packing. Because we do not hand any step to someone else, a twenty-pair order does not have to wait for anyone else's schedule.
We also think small orders are where good customers come from. The bike shop that orders fifty pairs to test its own brand this season is the shop that orders five hundred next season, and it will come back to the people who took it seriously the first time.
So the answer to "what is your minimum order?" is that there isn't one. You tell us how many pairs you need and we quote that number.
What a small order really costs
No minimum does not mean that ten pairs cost the same per pair as a thousand. The setup work described above still happens, and on a small order it is shared between fewer gloves. That is why the price per pair goes down as the quantity goes up.
You can keep a small order affordable in a few ways:
- Start from one of our existing builds. Our own range already has patterns and samples, so we only change the colours, the materials and the branding. You can see the full range on our home page.
- Keep the print simple. Fewer print colours means less setup. Sublimation is often the better choice for a short run with a detailed design, because it does not need a screen for every colour.
- Use the materials we work with every day. Most of our gloves use Amara synthetic suede for the palm, Lycra for the stretch back and Neoprene for the cuffs. A special fabric is possible, but it has to be sourced for your order.
- Order the sizes you need in one run. A single order can cover youth sizes up to XXL, so a team does not have to place separate orders for different riders.
There is no design fee. We turn your sketch, tech pack or the old glove you send us into the pattern ourselves.
How a small order works with us
- You send the idea. A tech pack, a sketch, photos, or a glove you already like are all enough to start. Tell us the sport, the colours and roughly how many pairs you need.
- We make a sample. The sample is made and shipped within 4 days once the design is agreed. It is free, you pay only the courier, and we send you the tracking number.
- You test it and ask for changes. If the palm feels too thick or the cuff sits wrong, we change it and send another sample.
- We produce your order. The approved sample becomes the standard, and every pair is checked against it before packing.
- We pack it with your branding. Your logo goes on with sublimation, screen print, silicone print or embroidery, and we can add your own hang tags, polybags and boxes.
Who orders small batches from us
Most of our small orders come from four kinds of customers. New glove and apparel brands want a first run they can sell before they commit to bigger stock. Race teams and clubs want matching gloves with sponsor logos for one season. Bike shops and motocross dealers want a glove with their own name on it. Gyms and coaches want lifting gloves for their members.
If you are one of them, send us your idea and the number of pairs you actually need. A real person replies, and the first sample is on us.