Start with the fabric, not the factory
Most buyers begin by comparing factory lists and price quotes. The better starting point is fabric, because fabric dictates what the leggings can do. Two leggings can look identical in a photograph and behave completely differently after three washes, and the difference almost always traces back to knit weight and yarn blend.
For yoga leggings, the mainstream range is 200–260 gsm. Below 200 gsm the fabric feels light and airy but risks show-through in pale colours. Above 260 gsm you get genuine compression but the garment becomes harder to put on and slower to dry. Most successful core leggings sit at 210 gsm for a light feel or 250 gsm for a held-in feel.
The opacity test that actually matters
Ask any supplier to demonstrate opacity rather than assert it. A proper test stretches the fabric to roughly 250% on a rig with a contrasting background and photographs the result. If a factory cannot produce that test, you are relying on a verbal promise, and the cost of being wrong is a wave of returns.
| Knit weight | Hand feel | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| 190–210 gsm | Light, second-skin | Hot climates, yoga and Pilates, layering |
| 220–240 gsm | Balanced, all-round | General activewear, gym, everyday wear |
| 250–260 gsm | Firm, held-in | Compression styles and pale colours needing opacity |
MOQ: what number should you actually expect?
Minimum orders depend on the service. At MIIYOO BEACH, OEM branding starts at 5 pieces with mixed orders, while custom production starts at 100 pieces per style per colour. Confirm the scope of work and assess the sample before ordering.
Compare what each quote includes: the garment, branding, sample, packaging and shipping. Confirm the supplier and inspect a sample before ordering.
Sampling timeline tells you how the factory really works
MIIYOO BEACH offers 7-day sampling. Send your product and branding requirements to arrange a sample.
Questions that separate serious factories from the rest
- Do you knit and sew on your own floor, or outsource?
- How do you test fabric opacity, and can you show a test photograph?
- What is your colour-matching process for reorders?
- Can I review your AQL inspection report template before I order?
- Who is my single point of contact once a deposit is paid?
If a supplier answers these clearly, with specifics rather than adjectives, you are likely dealing with a factory that understands export buyers. Vague answers are not necessarily dishonest — they often mean you are talking to a trading intermediary who has to check with someone else for every detail, which slows every future reorder.
Where price actually comes from
Unit price for leggings is driven by four things: knit weight, yarn content, construction complexity and order quantity. The single largest lever is usually yarn content — a nylon/spandex blend costs noticeably more than a polyester/spandex blend and behaves differently too. Deciding which levers matter for your market is the real sourcing decision, not finding the lowest quote.
Building a repeatable relationship
Once a style is approved, ask the factory to hold your colour reference in the dye lab and your pattern on file. Reorder accuracy is where good suppliers separate themselves from merely acceptable ones, and it is worth paying a little more for a factory that reliably matches the third shipment to the first.