24hQuotation response on every brief
Activewear cost
What activewear actually costs to make.
A straight answer on activewear manufacturing cost: indicative garment-price ranges, what moves the number, and how the full landed cost is built — so you can compare quotes on the same basis instead of a headline unit price with the real costs stripped out.
3–4 daysStock samples · custom first sample in 7
MOQ 100Stock styles · custom 300–500 by style
AQL 2.5Final inspection by our own QC team
~97%Bulk lots passing final inspection first time · 2024–2026
~98%On-time shipment · about 350 bulk orders, 2024–2026
48%New customers reordering within 12 months
106Countries and regions with buyers · since 2019
2,000+Orders since 2019 · our order records
$8.50–18Reference range · leggings · Aug 2026
$4.50–9Reference range · sports bras · Aug 2026
$20–100Sample fee · deducted from bulk
What buyers need to know
How an activewear quote is really built.
A straight answer on activewear manufacturing cost: indicative garment-price ranges, what moves the number, and how the full landed cost is built — so you can compare quotes on the same basis instead of a headline unit price with the real costs stripped out.
Put your product and destination in the same brief.
Send the style or reference, quantity and destination. Ask for the garment price, delivery term and separately charged costs so you can compare quotations on the same basis.
What these ranges are, and what they are not
The figures on this page are indicative market ranges for mid-weight synthetic knit activewear produced in China, observed across factory quotations as of August 2026 — not a SEAMDANCE quotation and not a commitment. They assume a single style at mid-volume with standard branding. The reference ranges do not establish an agreed EXW or FOB delivery basis; the formal quotation must state the Incoterms rule, named place or port and included charges. Fabric choice, construction, quantity, trims and compliance testing move every one of them, in both directions. A real number for your style comes from a real brief: send the specification and the quantity, and the quotation follows within 24 hours.
Confirm the delivery term before comparing prices
EXW and FOB are not interchangeable. EXW places goods at the buyer’s disposal at a named place, not loaded on the collecting vehicle. FOB includes export clearance and delivery on board the nominated vessel at the named shipment port; it applies to sea or inland-waterway transport. Check which sampling, branding, packaging and shipping costs your quote includes, then add only the charges outside that scope.
ICC Incoterms rules 03What moves the number
Fabric, construction, quantity, branding and compliance — roughly in that order of impact. Nylon-spandex and certified yarns cost more than basic fleece; flatlock and seamless cost more than overlock; volume brings the unit down.
Fabric and constructionWhy we do not chase the lowest quote
An activewear FOB below roughly $3 to $4 usually means substandard fabric or corners cut on labour and QC. We would rather quote a fair, real number than win on a headline price you pay for later in returns.
What the sample fee does
Sample fees run $20 to $100 — the lower end for a stock style with your branding, the higher end for a fully custom development — and are deducted from the bulk order payment, so validating the product is not a sunk cost. If no order follows, the fee is not refunded: it paid for pattern work, a cut of fabric, a machine changeover and an operator’s time, and you keep the garment. Courier is billed separately from the fee. Quotation comes back within 24 hours of a clear brief.
Get a quotationPrefer the live catalogue? Every ready-to-develop style, always current, quote list built in.
Check each quotation against the same cost lines
| Cost line | On the factory quote? | What it depends on | Who carries it if you buy direct |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garment price and delivery basis | State the Incoterms rule and named place or port | Fabric, construction, quantity, branding and agreed inclusions | Compare on the same delivery basis |
| Sampling rounds | Partly | Rounds needed, and how many suppliers you sample with in parallel | You — separately with each supplier |
| Minimum order per supplier | Stated per factory | Each factory sets its own; a four-category range meets four separate minimums | You — as stock you did not intend to hold |
| Freight | Depends on the delivery term; confirm origin and destination charges | Mode, route, shipment size and whether orders can be consolidated | As agreed in the quotation |
| Customs entry | No | Charged per entry, not per garment — three shipments means three clearances | You |
| Inspection before shipment | Sometimes, to the factory’s own standard | Whether an agreed AQL and sealed reference exist, and who inspects against them | You — or nobody |
| Rework or replacement | No | Whether the defect is traced to spec or to production, and who is contractually accountable | You negotiate it, per factory |
| Coordination hours | No | Number of suppliers, time-zone gap, how many approval rounds each category needs | You — usually the founder |
| A slipped launch | No | The slowest supplier sets the date for the whole range | You — in lost selling weeks |
01How much does it cost to manufacture activewear?
As an indicative garment-price range: activewear leggings run roughly $8.50 to $18 per piece and sports bras roughly $4.50 to $9, depending on fabric, construction and quantity. Sets stack their pieces. These are reference ranges, not an agreed EXW or FOB offer. A quotation must state its Incoterms rule, named place or port and included charges. Your exact price depends on the specification and volume; we quote within 24 hours of a clear brief.
02What drives the cost of activewear?
Five things move the number most: fabric (nylon-spandex and recycled or certified yarns cost more than basic cotton fleece), construction (flatlock, bonding and seamless knitting cost more than simple overlock), quantity (higher volume lowers the unit cost), branding (custom colour matching, woven labels and packaging), and compliance (tested or certified materials). Activewear sits above standard knitwear because the machinery and QC are more demanding.
03How much are activewear samples, and how long do they take?
Sample fees run $20 to $100 — the lower end for a stock style with your branding, the higher end for a fully custom development. Stock samples come back in 3 to 4 days, a custom first sample in about 7 days. The fee is deducted from your bulk order payment; if no order follows it is not refunded, and courier is billed separately from the fee.
04Why should I be wary of a very low quote?
An FOB quote below about $3 to $4 per piece for activewear usually signals substandard fabric, hidden costs added later, or corners cut on labour and QC. Quality activewear needs fair material and construction investment, and a low unit price becomes expensive once sampling, packaging, freight and duties are added back.
05How do EXW, FOB and landed cost differ?
EXW and FOB are different delivery rules. Under EXW, goods are placed at the buyer’s disposal at the named place, not loaded on the collecting vehicle. Under FOB, the seller delivers the goods on board the buyer-nominated vessel at the named port of shipment and clears them for export; FOB is for sea or inland-waterway transport. Landed cost also accounts for any charges outside the agreed quote, including international freight, insurance where arranged, import charges and final delivery. Check the named place or port and cost inclusions on each quotation so costs are neither missed nor counted twice.
A clear approval path
From first direction to shipment release.
Brief review
Product category, market, quantity, target price and launch timing — quotation back within 24 hours.
Material + construction
Fabric, support level, seamless program or cut-and-sew route.
Sample + fit
Prototype, measurements, workmanship and movement review — stock samples in 3–4 days, custom first samples in 7.
Pre-production approval
Color, logo, labels, packaging and sealed production standard.
Bulk + quality control
In-line checks, AQL 2.5 final inspection, packing and shipment release.
Transparent operating model
厦门西丹思供应链管理有限公司 (Xiamen Seamdance Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd.)
Xiamen · Fujian · China
Since 2018In activewear since 2018 · OEM contract manufacturing before that · current company registered 2026
Gym wear, activewear, yoga wear and sportswear manufacturer with its own factory and one-stop service
Own factory in Xiamen plus one-stop service for the whole range
Company profile Gym wear, activewear, yoga wear and sportswear manufacturer with its own factory and one-stop service
Own factory in Xiamen plus one-stop service for the whole range
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