MOQ, Samples and Lead Time: How a Chair Order Actually Runs
What the numbers mean in practice, and where first-time buyers lose weeks without realising it.
What the MOQ is for
Our general minimum is 100 pieces per item. The number is not arbitrary: below it, the setup for foam cutting, upholstery patterning and frame welding costs more than the run. Mixing models across a container is usually the right answer for a smaller buyer, and it is worth asking about rather than assuming the minimum is fixed.
The sample fee and why it is refunded
Samples are made to your specification and the fee is charged up front, then returned when the production order is confirmed. The charge exists because a one-off sample is genuinely expensive to build; the refund exists because a serious buyer should not pay twice.
Where the twenty to thirty days start
Lead time runs from order confirmation, which means after the sample is signed off and the deposit is settled - not from the day the enquiry was sent. First-time buyers routinely lose two to three weeks in sampling that they had mentally allocated to production. Plan the sampling round separately.
Inspection before the door is sealed
Pre-shipment inspection checks production against the confirmed sample, in the quantity and packing ordered. If you are appointing a third party inspector, tell the factory at order stage so the inspection date is built into the schedule instead of bolted on at the end.
Other Guides
- Mesh or Leather: Choosing the Office Chair Your Market Will Actually Buy
- How to Specify a Task Chair So Two Quotations Can Be Compared
- Beam and Link Seating: What to Check Before You Order a Waiting Hall
- Packing and Container Loading for Chair Imports
- Sourcing Gaming Chairs for Retail and Marketplace Listings
- Why Chairs Come From Shengfang: Sourcing From a Manufacturing Cluster
Put This Into a Quotation
Send the specification you have arrived at and we will quote it, with carton data so you can compare landed cost rather than unit price.