Finding Chinese sunglasses suppliers online is easy. However, you can also visit China and explore your options. Most importers initially choose to search for sunglasses suppliers online because they have a small business and the expense of a trip to China can be used to purchase inventory.
However, if you go directly to China to find sunglasses suppliers, you can see the product in person and choose the style and quality you want. It's up to you to determine the best way to find sunglasses that fit your needs and your business.
a. Find sunglasses suppliers by visiting China.
There are many wholesale eyewear markets in China, but most are small. Most sunglasses suppliers are concentrated in the Yiwu and Shenzhen/Guangzhou markets. Both have different characteristics. Therefore, you should first understand the differences between the two markets and then determine the best place to purchase sunglasses based on your business needs. Continue reading to learn more about the Yiwu and Shenzhen markets.
Yiwu Market
Recently, we helped our clients purchase sunglasses at the Yiwu wholesale market. Sunglasses suppliers are located on the first floor of the three districts of the Yiwu wholesale market.
The minimum order quantity for sunglasses suppliers in Yiwu is relatively high, typically between 600 and 1,000 units. Therefore, if you're planning to purchase a large quantity of sunglasses, I highly recommend visiting the Yiwu market.
Sunglasses come in many price ranges, depending on the material, style, and quality you choose. For example, conventional plastic-framed sunglasses cost between $0.50 and $1.00, while metal-framed sunglasses cost between $1 and $2.00. Similarly, if you're looking for polarized sunglasses, you'll likely pay between $0.60 and $1.20 per pair.
If you plan to customize your sunglasses with your logo or by printing images on the frames, suppliers in Yiwu Marketplace can meet your needs. Typically, adding a monochrome logo will increase the price of sunglasses by $0.03 per pair, and printing on the frames will increase the price by $0.07 per pair.
Sunglasses from the Yiwu wholesale market are primarily for export. There is a wide range of fashionable styles, so you'll find a wide variety at the Yiwu market.
Shenzhen/Guangzhou Market
Shenzhen/Guangzhou has numerous eyewear wholesale markets, such as Shenzhen Henggang Glasses City. However, the eyewear wholesale market here is different from that in Yiwu.
The minimum order quantity for sunglasses suppliers in the Shenzhen/Guangzhou market is generally low, and small orders of 10 to 30 pairs are acceptable. However, the price of sunglasses is also higher than in the Yiwu market.
If you're looking for clothing or electronics in Shenzhen, I recommend exploring the sunglasses market as well. Also, if you have a small order, Shenzhen is the best option thanks to its lower minimum order quantity (MOQ). You can explore retail and wholesale markets like Shenzhen/Guangzhou and Jiangsu's Danyang Eyewear City.
If you're concerned about the quality of sunglasses available in these markets, it will depend entirely on the type of sunglasses you want and the manufacturer. Typically, the average quality of sunglasses varies by manufacturing region. We'll discuss this topic in detail in the next chapter.
b. Find sunglasses suppliers from China online.
You can search Alibaba or visit other wholesale platforms like Dhgate, Globalsource, or Made in China to find reliable sunglasses suppliers. However, most suppliers on these platforms are not manufacturers. Their minimum order quantity is often very low, but their prices are also higher. Furthermore, they may not be able to meet your customization needs.
It's difficult to find Chinese sunglasses manufacturers online, mainly because these manufacturers are not good at online marketing and primarily sell their products through trading companies.
If you're planning to place a large order and the suppliers on the websites mentioned above don't meet your needs, your best option is to find a sourcing agent who can contact a manufacturer on your behalf and source products tailored to your needs. A sourcing agent can help you quickly find several good factories in China to choose from based on your needs.
3. Where are the sunglasses manufacturers in China?
When purchasing sunglasses in China, pay attention to the manufacturer's location. Depending on the manufacturer's location, the quality and price of sunglasses will vary considerably.
Chinese sunglasses factories are mainly concentrated in three locations: Taizhou, Wenzhou, and Shenzhen. Therefore, I suggest you look for sunglasses suppliers in these locations. It's advisable to have a purchasing agent or Chinese translator to facilitate communication and negotiations with suppliers.
a. Taizhou, Zhejiang
Taizhou is one of the largest sunglasses manufacturing centers. Most eyewear manufacturers are concentrated in Duqiao City. Here, most factories primarily produce sunglasses, but some optical eyewear manufacturers can also be found in Taizhou. However, optical eyewear manufacturers are not very professional, as they have only developed in recent years.
In Taizhou, most sunglasses manufacturers produce plastic frames. Therefore, if you primarily purchase plastic-framed sunglasses, you can find a Taizhou sunglasses factory. Sunglasses prices here are lower, and of course, the quality is inferior to those in Shenzhen/Guangzhou.
Between 70% and 80% of the sunglasses manufactured in Taizhou are exported worldwide. Therefore, the quality of the sunglasses produced here meets the needs of most importing countries. If you're looking for high-end sunglasses, we recommend exploring Shenzhen.
b. Wenzhou, Zhejiang
Wenzhou is one of the largest eyewear producers in China, primarily involved in the manufacture of lenses and frames. While there are numerous eyewear factories in Wenzhou, sunglasses manufacturers are mostly small, privately owned factories. These small factories produce more metal-framed sunglasses than plastic-framed ones.
The quality of sunglasses produced in Wenzhou is relatively good. However, unlike Taizhou, Wenzhou does not specialize in the production of sunglasses. Therefore, the quality of sunglasses from Wenzhou might not be better than those from Taizhou. Regarding price, sunglasses from Wenzhou are more expensive than those from Taizhou. We investigated and found that most sunglasses in the Yiwu market are produced in Taizhou.
So, if you buy a lot of sunglasses or if you mainly want metal-frame sunglasses, you can find sunglasses manufacturers in Wenzhou.
c. Shenzhen
Shenzhen's eyewear factories are mainly concentrated in Henggang Town, Longgang District. There are four to six large factories with thousands of employees and more than a dozen with approximately 1,000 employees. Most are small and medium-sized enterprises with between 70 and 300 employees. Many eyewear companies, both from Hong Kong and abroad, also process their products in Shenzhen's large factories.
Shenzhen produces high-end eyewear, primarily prescription glasses and only a small portion of sunglasses. Of course, the price of eyewear from Shenzhen is higher than that of manufacturers in other countries. If quality is your top priority and you also need customization, Shenzhen is the ideal place.
Keep in mind that Shenzhen is a good option for large purchases. But if you only plan to buy a few sunglasses, it's better to look in Taizhou or Wenzhou.
4. Product Certification and Testing
Sunglasses are medical products. Therefore, you must obtain the relevant certifications and tests to import them from China to your country. Typically, your supplier is unaware of these certifications and cannot provide them to you.
In my experience, I recommend finding a freight forwarder in your country or a Chinese sourcing agent to help you with regulatory compliance. They will know what certifications your product requires for shipping and customs clearance. They will help you resolve any issues that arise during customs control and clearance, as well as during transportation.
The certificates required for exporting to different countries vary. Listed below are the certificates required for several major countries.
USA: FDA (Food and Drug Administration) certified, ball drop test
EU: EN ISO 12312-1 certification
Australia: AS/NZS 1067:2003 Certification
Russia: GOST Certification
Germany: TUV Certification
Tips for FDA Certification and Ball Drop Test:
FDA
FDA registration isn't very complicated. Just keep in mind the following steps:
- Determine the product classification
- US companies outside the US must find a US agent
- Pay the annual registration fee
- Obtain the Payment Identification Number (PIN) and the Payment Confirmation Number
- Complete your annual registration and update your registration information and the list of manufacturers for your imported devices.
- Download your FURLS listing information and obtain the registration number or owner/operator number, as well as the device listing number.
Ball drop test
When performing the drop ball test, it is not necessary to test each product individually. The product can be divided into series or units and the test performed on the entire series or unit. When the name, material, testing method, installation method, and key components of the products are the same, they can be classified in the same unit.
5. Glasses packaging
Packaging is an essential aspect when purchasing any product, especially if it's fragile, like sunglasses. However, many sunglasses manufacturers don't offer separate packaging. Therefore, if you want separate packaging for your glasses, you'll need to find packaging suppliers.
There are two types of eyeglass packaging: cases and sleeves. Common cases are made of plastic, paper, metal, leather, or EVA. Sleeves are usually made of fabric or leather.
The price of eyeglass cases and pouches varies considerably depending on the material. Below are several common eyeglass cases and pouches, along with their prices.
6. Calculation of shipping costs
The packaging for finished sunglasses at the factory is typically: 1 pair per polypropylene bag; 20 pairs per box; 25 boxes (500 pairs) per carton. Box sizes may vary by factory. Some factories provide 600 pairs per carton, while others deliver 400 pairs per carton. To better explain, let's use the example of a customer I helped purchase a pair of sunglasses.
Typically, 500 pairs of sunglasses weigh about 16 kg and have a volume of approximately 0.08 m³. Table 1 below can help you calculate the approximate cost of shipping sunglasses to different countries via express shipping. The table below shows you LCL (less than container load) shipping prices, including all costs.
Now you can start!
I hope this comprehensive guide helps you import sunglasses from China to your country easily.
If you have any problems or confusion after reading this article, please leave a comment to let me know. Or contact us to help you find and customize sunglasses from China.
