If you want to start an online store for sports clothing, you have to know where to find sportswear wholesale suppliers. Should you search on Google? Do you have to attend a tradeshow? Do you have to import from China? Actually, the right approach for locating a clothing wholesale supplier or factory is very hooked into your eCommerce business model. For instance, the methodology for locating a supplier for sportswear dropshipping is totally different than finding a private label athletic apparel manufacturer. As a result, in this post, we will discuss only which are the best clothing wholesale suppliers in China for the sportswear online business, especially the startups.
Why buy wholesale sportswear from China
China sportswear supplier comes with a few advantages of its own such as lower manufacturing costs. This is especially true if you compare it to manufacturers in America. That’s unfortunately due to lower labor standards. On the plus side, there are a lot of wholesale vendors to choose from, especially clothing suppliers. Because of services like Alibaba, it’s easy to get started working with overseas suppliers.
However, Chinese clothing suppliers/manufacturers have some inevitable disadvantages: It’s going to take longer to deliver the product to your customer in North America. You might occasionally run into issues with customs too. You won’t be able to visit the manufacturers in person, at least not cheaply. Verifying products could be a big hassle if not a big problem. Cultural differences and language barriers could cause more errors, mistakes, and headaches for you.
So we recommend wholesale sportswear from China ONLY for those business owners:
- sportswear wholesale needs, not retail
- budget limited or search for lower cost
- customization for unbranded sportswear or private label clothing of branded designs
Best-selling sportswear categories from China
Wholesale sportswear in China is a vast manufacturing industry, providing various styles of sportswear to people across the globe. The rise of the athletic movement has caused sportswear to undergo a massive transformation and revolution. From yoga sportswear and tank tops to swimsuits and hoodies, the whole dynamic of the sportswear industry has changed. Sportswear is an on-going trend in which sports-specific and gym clothes can be work anywhere- to a shopping mall or a casual event.
Here are the best-selling wholesale sportswear categories that most of the sportswear factories in China sell:
- Soccer wear
- Basketball wear
- Yoga wear
- Tennis wear
- Swimwear
- Cycling wear
- Skiing and snowboarding wear
- Hiking and outdoor wear
Common types of sportswear to source from China
As discussed earlier, sportswear manufacturing in China is on the rise. The athleisure movement in men’s, women’s, and children’s sportswear have undergone massive evolution and transformation. The sportswear we used to see in the past decade is a whole lot different than what we see now. From hoodies, sports joggers to tank tops, and crop tops, the whole dynamic of sportswear has changed to an extent that now, it is used as fashionable clothing. Fitness-specific and gym clothing are now worn on a variety of occasions and events.
Take a look at the most common types of sportswear to source from China wholesale sportswear suppliers:
- Tank tops
- Long-sleeved shirts
- Racerbacks
- Hoodies
- Jackets
- Sweat shorts, Bermuda shorts
- Leggings
- Capri pants
- Running socks, Low-cut socks, Compression socks
- Sports bras
What are the best sportswear websites in China?
Most suppliers that you’ll find in China are manufacturers and factories. As a result, when you source from China, you are buying straight from the source. The best way to find suppliers in China is through Alibaba, Global Sources, or by using the Jungle Scout Supplier Database.
In case that you have no much time to do the research, here are some of the best sportswear websites that have been proven to be reliable by the people in China if you are a novice wholesale buyer:
Alibaba
There is no doubt that Alibaba is the largest e-commerce company in China dealing in wholesale sportswear and apparel.
It offers you a wide variety of sportswear including top-notch sports shirts, Bermuda shorts, sweat pants, sports bras, footballs, beach balls, basketballs, sports footwear, wrist bands, wearable sports bands, sports backpacks, custom logo socks, etc.
There are more than 6,606 sportswear and sports goods suppliers registered with Alibaba.
Suggested reading: Is Alibaba.com the Best Place to Find Sustainable Sportswear Wholesale Supplier?
Made in China
Made in China is one of the biggest e-commerce companies in China to wholesale an extensive range of sportswear and equipment including sports gloves, sports chin guards, yoga wear, basketball wear, tennis wear, sports caps, sports shoes. You’d find at least 93,326 sportswear products from various wholesalers.
Chinabrands
Chinabrands wholesale top-notch sportswear at affordable prices to potential buyers. They deal with a wide variety of high—end and low-end sports products.
Most of the wholesalers get overwhelmed by the number of sports items. However, Chinabrands has a whole team to help wholesalers pick out the trendiest items from the bucket.
Berunwear Sportswear
Berunwear sportswear is based in China and one of the leading manufacturers of fitness clothing for men, women, and kids. They have been manufacturing professional sports and yoga wear since the year 2005. You’d find an extensive range of sports bras, leggings, Bermuda shorts, sports tank tops, long-sleeved shirts, t-shirts, and tracksuits.
They follow strict quality control measures. Therefore, each item that they manufacture is top-notch and compliant with industrial standards.
Augusta Sportswear
Augusta is your one-stop shop for wholesale fitness and sportswear shopping. Other than selling sports accessories, they are known to sell the best quality sportswear for adults, teenagers, and kids.
Tips to import wholesale sportswear from China
- Find a top-notch sports product
- Research everything about importing the product from China to your region
- Find trustworthy and reliable wholesale sportswear suppliers
- Research about all the shipping methods including wholesale sportswear sea shipping from China, wholesale sportswear air shipping from China, and wholesale sportswear rail shipping from China
Final Thoughts on Wholesale Sportswear From China
According to the info provided by statista.com, the entire number of fitness/health club memberships in America was almost 32.8 million within the year 2000. However, these numbers doubled in the year 2020 and reached 60.87 million as health-conscious individuals made their thanks to gyms and fitness/health clubs.
The huge increase within the memberships of gyms and health clubs indicated the necessity for sportswear. Activewear is sort of in-demand ever since the increasing number of individuals decided to travel to gyms. However, the utilization of sportswear isn’t limited to health clubs.
In the past 5 years, people have started shopping for sportswear like normal clothing. Many of them follow celebrities and go for fashionable sportswear. This is the rise of Athleisure! So it’s never too late to start your own sportswear brands, and the secret of success is to find a reliable sportswear manufacturer or supplier.