Choosing a Hoodie Manufacturer: 12 Questions to Ask
By The Velocity Wear Team
Finding a hoodie manufacturer isn't hard. Finding one who'll make exactly what you pictured, on time, twice in a row, takes a little vetting. These are the questions we'd ask if we were on your side of the table. Yes, including when you're talking to us.
Product questions
1. Can I get a sample first?
Always. A photo can't tell you how heavy the fleece feels or whether the hood stands up. If a supplier won't sample, that's a red flag for a new relationship.
2. What fabric weights and compositions do you offer?
You want specifics: GSM or ounces, cotton percentage, brushed or French terry. Vague answers like premium cotton aren't a spec.
3. Can you match my fit?
Bring a hoodie you love. Ask whether they can work from its measurements, and get a size chart in writing.
4. Which decoration methods do you handle in-house?
Screen print, DTF, embroidery, puff print. Fewer handoffs usually means fewer mistakes.
Order questions
5. What's the minimum per design, and can sizes be mixed?
Some factories set minimums per color per size, which balloons quickly. Ask exactly how it's counted.
6. Where are the price breaks?
Knowing that the price drops at, say, 50 or 100 can change how much you order.
7. What's the lead time, and when does the clock start?
From deposit? From sample approval? From artwork approval? It makes a big difference. Get it in writing.
8. Can you do labels, hang tags and packaging?
Custom neck labels transform a hoodie. Check they can include US-compliant content: fiber, country of origin, care and your identity.
Relationship questions
9. How do you check quality before shipping?
Ask what gets inspected: measurements, print placement, stitching, stains.
10. What happens if something's wrong?
You want a clear process for defects, not a shrug.
11. Will a reorder match?
Colors drift between dye lots. Ask how they keep repeat runs consistent.
12. What currency and payment terms?
Invoicing in dollars avoids exchange-rate surprises.
Red flags worth noticing
- Prices that seem far too low for the fabric weight quoted.
- No written spec, just photos and adjectives.
- Pressure to pay in full before a sample.
- Lead times that are vague or keep moving.
- Reluctance to share a size chart.
None of these automatically means a bad supplier, but together they usually do. A good manufacturer is happy to be specific, because specifics protect them too.
Getting quotes you can compare
Send every manufacturer the same written brief: hoodie weight, fiber content, fit, color, print or embroidery sizes and locations, labels, packaging and quantity. Ask for a quote broken into garment, decoration, extras and shipping. Only then are quotes genuinely comparable.
Starting with a small order
Even if a supplier looks perfect, start with a small first run. It tests quality, communication and delivery before you commit to large quantities. Our minimum is 20 per design with sizes mixed.
Our answers, for the record
Yes to samples. Hoodies from 280 to 450 GSM. Screen print, DTF, embroidery and puff print. Minimum 20 per design with sizes mixed. Price breaks at 50, 100, 250, 500 and 1,000. Production takes 10 to 15 working days from artwork approval. Custom labels and packaging available. We invoice in USD. See custom hoodies or run numbers on the calculator.
