What kinds of bags do we manufacture?
We manufacture cut-and-sew bags that brands sell at retail. Most programs fall into four groups:
Sports and technical bags
Disc golf backpacks and bags, tennis and racquet backpacks, golf packs, travel garment bags and shoe bags. These are structured builds with divider systems, padded strap assemblies, reinforced load points and custom hardware. Some of our technical backpacks have more than 20 components.
Lifestyle bags and totes
Canvas totes, waxed canvas totes, nylon mini totes, duffles, weekenders and beach bags, often developed to match an apparel collection’s fabrics and prints.
Pouches and small accessories
Pouch clutches, keychain pouches, drawstring bags and travel pouches, including waxed cotton with leather trim.
Specialty materials and constructions
Silicone (including a 2mm oil-painted silicone beach bag), quilted and puffer constructions, coated fabrics and waxed canvas. Specialty materials change factory routing, sampling time and duty classification, and we manage all three.
Who we produce bags for
Sports and performance brands
Your bag has to survive real use: a disc golf backpack carrying 30+ discs, a tennis backpack with a protected racquet compartment, a golf garment bag that survives airline handling. We spec, sample and inspect at the seam level.
Apparel brands adding bags to the collection
Garment factories usually don’t have the machines, webbing, foam or hardware supply chains bags require. We route your bag program to a soft goods factory and keep the fabric, prints and lab dips matched to your apparel line, so the tote or weekender launches with the drop.
Brands launching a new bag line
Whether bags are a new category for an established brand or your first product, we take it from reference sample or tech pack through fabric sourcing, construction development and golden sample approval, with costs, MOQs and lead times quoted before you commit.
Our bag production record
A sample of recent bag production runs, anonymized. All runs below were produced with our primary bag factory partner in China.
| Bag category | Styles | Units per style | Construction highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disc golf backpacks and bags | 5 | 500 | Drawstring starter bag through a 30+ disc flagship backpack; divider systems, padded straps, waterproof bases |
| Canvas and waxed canvas totes | 4 | 300–600 | Core canvas tote, patch-applied version, pennant-graphic tote, waxed canvas tote |
| Waxed cotton pouches | 2 | 250 | Midsize pouch clutch; keychain pouch with leather trim |
| Tennis backpack | 1 | 500 | Canvas build with dedicated racquet compartment |
| Golf pack | 1 | 500 | Golf carry pack developed alongside an apparel line |
These programs started at 250–600 units per style, so each style was proven before committing volume. Our factories run much larger volumes, and reorders scale with demand.
Anonymized client snapshots
Disc golf brand: technical backpack line. Five bag styles, from an entry drawstring bag to a 30+ disc flagship backpack, at 500 units per style. Two styles were refined through side-by-side spec reviews before bulk, and the line has been developed, produced and reordered.
Golf lifestyle apparel brand: collection-matched bags and accessories. Seven SKUs: four canvas and waxed canvas totes (300–600 units each), a golf pack (500 units) and two waxed cotton pouches with leather trim (250 units each), all built around the brand’s apparel line.
Racquet sports brand: new product launch. A canvas tennis backpack developed from fabric sourcing through golden sample, launched with a 500-unit first run.
Southern lifestyle apparel brand: collection-matched bags. Eight bag SKUs and counting, including canvas totes, nylon mini totes in signature prints, a puffer tote in the brand’s plaid and a quilted block-print weekender, each developed to launch with a seasonal apparel drop.
Golf accessories brands: travel gear. A travel garment bag and a shoe bag program, produced alongside the brands’ core lines.
What are the minimum order quantities for custom bags?
Our MOQs for custom bags start at 100 units per style for simple constructions like totes and drawstring bags, and 300 units per style for technical backpacks and structured bags. Most of our brands’ first runs land between 250 and 600 units per style. Minimums are a floor, not a ceiling: our factories support much larger production volumes, and reorders scale as a style sells through. We also look at total order volume and reorder frequency before accepting a PO.
| Bag type | Minimum per style | Typical first run (our data) |
|---|---|---|
| Totes, drawstring bags | 100 | 300–600 |
| Pouches and small accessories | 100 | 250 |
| Technical and sports backpacks | 300 | 500 |
| Structured bags, duffles, weekenders | 300 | Quoted per style |
How long does bag manufacturing take?
Each sample round takes 15–25 days, and most bags need 2–3 rounds. Bulk production takes 45–75 days after golden sample approval, plus freight. For a new technical backpack, plan on roughly 4–6 months from tech pack to inventory in hand. Reorders skip development and move straight to production.
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Tech pack or reference sample review, factory match, quote | 1–2 weeks |
| Sample round (2–3 rounds typical) | 15–25 days each |
| Bulk production | 45–75 days |
| Freight and customs | Air or ocean; quoted per order |
What makes it longer: technical backpacks (more components), leather or specialty materials, custom hardware and custom-dyed webbing.
Why can’t an apparel factory make my bags?
Usually it can’t, at least not well. Bags need different machines, operators and supply chains than apparel: heavy-duty and post-bed sewing, bartacking, foam and structured bases, webbing and hardware sourcing. We route bag programs to dedicated soft goods factories and keep the fabric matched to your apparel line.
Construction and componentry
Padded strap systems, structured bases, divider systems, reinforced load points. A technical backpack can have 20+ components, each specced and approved before bulk.
Hardware and trim sourcing
Zippers, buckles, D-rings, webbing, cord locks and custom-logo hardware, sourced and approved alongside the sample, so hardware lead times don’t stall production.
Fabric development across categories
Cotton canvas, waxed canvas, nylon, polyester, coated fabrics, silicone and leather trim, including matching your apparel line’s prints and lab dips.
Duty and classification strategy
Bags fall under HTS heading 4202, and the outer material sets the duty rate. We classify every style before development so material choices are made with landed cost in view.
How much does it cost to manufacture custom bags?
Your cost per bag is the factory’s FOB price per unit plus sample fees, import duty and freight. FOB price is driven mostly by material, component count, hardware and order quantity. We quote every cost line by style before development starts, and sample fees are charged at factory cost.
- FOB cost per unit: the factory price per style, broken out.
- Sample fees: at factory cost; higher for technical builds than totes; quoted before development.
- Duties: calculated on FOB under the correct HTS 4202 classification.
- Freight and customs: air or ocean, tracked, with customs handled.
What moves the price:
- Outer material (cotton canvas vs. nylon vs. leather vs. specialty)
- Component count (a tote may have 5 parts; a technical backpack 20+)
- Custom hardware and custom-dyed webbing
- Decoration (embroidery, patches, printing, debossed leather)
- Quantity per style
Promo bag companies quote per piece and hide margin in the blank. US prototype shops can charge $500–$1,500 before a single production unit exists. See how our plans work.
What duty rate applies to imported bags?
Bags imported into the US are classified under HTS heading 4202, and the general duty rate depends mainly on the outer material. Cotton canvas bags carry a 6.3% general rate, while bags with a nylon or polyester outer carry 17.6%, so material choice alone can swing duty by more than 11 points. Goods made in China carry additional tariffs on top of the general rate.
| Outer material | Common bag types | HTS subheading (examples) | General duty rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton (canvas) | Totes, canvas backpacks | 4202.22.45, 4202.92.15 | 6.3% |
| Man-made fiber (nylon, polyester) | Technical backpacks, duffles, sports bags | 4202.22.81, 4202.92.31 | 17.6% |
| Leather | Handbags, leather goods | 4202.21.60, 4202.21.90 | 9–10% |
| Leather (pocket items) | Small leather pouches, key cases | 4202.31.60 | 8% |
General (Column 1) rates from the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, checked October 2026. Additional tariffs on goods from China change frequently, so we quote landed cost per style at the time of your quote. Coatings, trims and blended materials can change classification. This is not legal or customs advice.
How bag production works with MakeMine
- Send tech packs or a reference sample. No tech pack? We can work from a reference bag or connect you with a designer.
- Get matched with the right factory for your construction and materials.
- Review pricing, MOQs and lead times by style before you commit.
- Approve fit and golden samples. Typically 2–3 sample rounds.
- Place your PO and track production with third-party inspection before shipment.
- Receive, fulfill and scale. Inventory can land at our Charlotte fulfillment center and ship to DTC, wholesale and retail customers. Reorders scale with demand.
MakeMine vs. a promo bag supplier vs. going direct to a factory
Promo suppliers decorate stock bags; they’re right for giveaways, not retail product. Going direct to an overseas factory can be the cheapest per unit, but you own sampling, QC, duty classification and freight. MakeMine sits in between: custom cut-and-sew production with a team that manages the factory, the samples, the inspection and the landed cost.
| MakeMine | Promo bag supplier | Direct to factory | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom cut-and-sew design | Yes | No (stock blanks) | Yes |
| Order volume | 100–300 per style minimum; scales to large production volumes | Often 25–100 per order | Varies by factory |
| Sampling and spec management | Managed for you | Not applicable | You manage |
| Quality control | In-person factory relationships + third-party inspection | Supplier’s standard | You arrange |
| Duty classification and landed cost | Quoted per style | Included in piece price | You figure it out |
| Fulfillment after delivery | Charlotte fulfillment center for DTC, wholesale and retail | No | No |
| Best for | Brands selling bags at retail | Event and giveaway merch | Teams with in-house sourcing staff |
How we vet bag factories
We route bag programs across dedicated soft goods factories in our network, matched by construction, material and volume. Every run in the production record above was made with our longest-standing bag partner. Our supply chain team meets every partner factory in person, runs ongoing audits and uses third-party inspectors on production runs. Load, hardware and component testing are available on request.
Also making hats? See hat manufacturing.