Quick answer: MOQ = the smallest order a factory will produce. For activewear, expect ~100 pieces per style per colorway for stock styles + your logo, and ~300 for full custom. Much higher minimums are built for big brands, not startups.
What is MOQ?
MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) is the smallest quantity a manufacturer will produce in one order. It exists because setting up a production line, fabric and trims has fixed costs — below a certain quantity, the factory loses money.
Per style vs per colorway
This trips up everyone. A "100 MOQ" usually means per style per colorway. So 1 legging style in 3 colors = 300 pieces total (100 each). Some factories also set a fabric MOQ (e.g. 500 pcs per custom color) because they must order a roll of dyed fabric.
What's a realistic activewear MOQ?
- Stock styles + your logo: ~100 pcs/style/color.
- Full custom (your tech pack): ~300 pcs/style/color.
- Custom Pantone color: sometimes ~500 pcs/color (fabric dyeing minimum).
How to start small (and smart)
- Launch 2–4 hero styles, not a big range — keep total units low.
- Start with fewer colorways; add colors once they sell.
- Use stock styles + your branding for your first drop, then go custom.
- Avoid factories with 1,000–5,000 minimums — they're not built for you. See why brands switch.
Why low MOQ matters for new brands
A low MOQ means you can test a style without gambling on thousands of units of dead stock. That's the whole point of working with a low-MOQ factory: prove demand small, then scale the winners.
Why MOQs exist at all
MOQ is not gatekeeping — it is arithmetic. A dye lot has a minimum kilogram load; below it, the dye house charges the same money for less fabric. A circular knitting machine needs programming and yarn threading per style; that setup cost divides across however many pieces follow. Labels, elastics and packaging all have supplier minimums of their own. When a factory quotes "MOQ 300," it is passing through the point where these fixed costs stop dominating the unit price. Understanding this changes how you negotiate: you are not asking for a favour, you are looking for structures where the fixed costs are already paid.
The four MOQs hiding inside "MOQ"
Per-style MOQ (total pieces of one design), per-color MOQ (each colorway is its own dye lot — usually the binding constraint), per-size flexibility (sizes within a color are typically free to mix), and fabric MOQ (custom-developed fabrics can require hundreds of kilos regardless of garment count). A quote of "MOQ 300" often really means "300 per color" — always ask which. The cheapest structure for a first order is many sizes, few colors: 300 pieces as 3 colors × 100 will price and schedule better than 6 colors × 50.
How to legitimately get under the number
Stock programs: pre-developed styles in pre-dyed colors — the fabric MOQ and dye lots are the factory's problem, so your entry can drop to 50 pieces with your branding (that is exactly how our 300-style stock program works). Stock colors on custom styles: keep the factory's standard black/navy/grey and you skip lab dips and dye-lot minimums. Consolidation: build three styles on one fabric so the kilos pool. Phased orders: negotiate 150 now + 350 contracted at reorder. What does not work: pleading. What works is removing the fixed cost that created the number — full playbook in the low-MOQ sourcing guide.
A worked example: why 300 ≠ 3 × 100
Say you want 300 leggings. As one color, that is one dye lot, one machine program, one QC setup — the whole fixed-cost stack divides by 300. As three colors of 100, it is three dye lots and three color approvals: the fixed stack divides by 100 three times, and your unit price climbs even though "the order" is the same size. This is the single most common quoting surprise for new brands. The professional move: launch with two colors deep rather than four shallow, then add shades at reorder when each new color rides on proven volume.
MOQs shrink as the relationship grows
Published MOQs are for strangers. After two or three clean orders — prompt payments, consolidated comments, no chaos — most factories quietly flex: mixed-size repeats below the sheet minimum, a small test colorway attached to a bulk run, priority slots in peak season. This is not charity; a known buyer costs the factory less in management time, and the saving gets shared. The fastest route to small-order privileges is being an easy large-order customer first — one more reason to start on a stock program and grow into custom, as laid out in the OEM vs ODM guide.
FAQ
What is a good MOQ for activewear?
Around 100 pieces per style per colorway for stock styles with your logo, and about 300 for full custom development.
Does MOQ mean total order or per style?
Usually per style per colorway. One style in three colors at 100 MOQ means 300 pieces total.