Wholesale Furniture from China
Furniture is the category where freight quietly becomes the product. A sofa ships mostly as air, and a chair that assembles into a flat box costs a fraction of the same chair shipped assembled. Buyers who compare unit prices before they compare shipping volumes are comparing the wrong numbers.
The second issue is materials language. Solid wood, plywood, MDF and particle board all appear in one catalog as “wood”, and the spread between them is enormous. A written material spec, layer by layer, is what separates a furniture order from a gamble.
Select Trade has run furniture programs out of Foshan for five years, for hospitality projects and retail chains in Europe, the Middle East and North America. Below are the clusters, the price bands and the freight rules that decide whether the order works.
Where the factories are
| Cluster | City | Strengths | Typical MOQ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sofas and upholstery | Lecong, Foshan (Guangdong) | Fabric and leather sofas, project volumes | 20 to 50 units |
| Office chairs | Foshan (Guangdong) | Mesh and task chairs with local components | 100 units |
| Flat-pack case goods | Foshan (Guangdong) | Wardrobes, cabinets, shelving in knock-down form | 50 to 100 units |
| Metal and glass furniture | Foshan (Guangdong) | Tables, frames, restaurant seating | 100 units |
| Solid wood furniture | Chengdu (Sichuan) | Inland volume production at lower cost | 50 units |
Foshan is the largest furniture manufacturing area in China and arguably the world, with Lecong as its market heart. Chengdu covers the inland volume end, and the Dongguan belt handles higher-end upholstery.
Price ranges you should expect
| Product type | Factory price range | MOQ | Lead time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fabric sofa 3 seat | $95 to $260 | 20 units | 40 to 55 days |
| Mesh office chair | $22 to $58 | 100 units | 30 to 45 days |
| Wardrobe (flat pack) | $55 to $160 | 50 units | 40 to 55 days |
| Dining table (glass and metal) | $38 to $110 | 100 units | 35 to 50 days |
| Bed frame (upholstered) | $48 to $130 | 50 units | 40 to 55 days |
Compare prices on cubic meters, not units
Ask every factory for the packed volume per unit, then compute cost per cubic meter landed. A chair that is $4 cheaper per unit but packs 30% larger loses money on the container. This one calculation prevents more furniture losses than any negotiation.
Write the material spec layer by layer
For upholstery: frame material, foam density, suspension type, fabric weight and composition. For case goods: board type, thickness, edge banding and hardware brand. Every layer has a cheaper substitute, and the factory will use it unless the contract names the one you quoted against.
Where the negotiation room is
Foam density, fabric grade and hardware are the big three, and packaging runs a close fourth. A five-ply export carton with corner protection costs a little more and removes most of the damage claims that make furniture margins disappear.
Quality risks specific to this category
Foam that sags because the density dropped, frames built from thinner timber than quoted, and flat-pack panels that arrive chipped at the edges. Ask the inspector to weigh samples against the spec, because weight is where material substitutions show first.
Product lines in this category
One page per product we source here, with its own specifications, minimums and inspection points.
- Fabric sofa 3 seat: frame timber and foam density named, rub tested, cartons checked on the bulk lot
- Mesh office chair: gas lift and base grades named, load tested, mesh tension checked on the bulk lot
- Wardrobe (flat pack): panel board grade and edge banding named, fittings checked, carton weight verified
- Dining table (glass and metal): glass grade and tempering named, frame coating checked, packing verified on bulk
- Bed frame (upholstered): frame timber and foam named, slat load tested, headboard fixing checked on bulk
Frequently asked questions
What MOQ for custom furniture?
Sofas and project seating start near 20 units, which makes hospitality work accessible. Case goods in flat-pack form need 50 to 100 units because panel cutting is a setup cost. Custom upholstery with your own fabric has a longer lead time for the same reason.
Which certificates apply to furniture?
For the EU, fire safety rules for upholstery vary by country and the UK has the strictest match test. Formaldehyde emission limits apply to wood panels in both the EU and the US, with California CARB the usual reference. Ask for the panel test report before bulk.
How is flat-pack quality checked?
By assembling it. An inspector who builds one unit from a random carton catches missing hardware, mis-drilled panels and edge damage that a visual check misses. It takes twenty minutes and it is the single most valuable step in furniture inspection.
Can I ship furniture as a full container only?
No, but less-than-container loads cost proportionally more and take longer. Below roughly a third of a container, it is usually cheaper to wait and ship full, or to design the range so that it fills a box. Ask us to model both before you commit.
Get a live quotation
Send us the piece list, the target market and the project date, and we will come back with the cluster, the packed volumes, the realistic price band and the factories we would quote first. See the industries we cover, read the hidden costs guide, check our services, or use the contact page for a free quote.
Request a quotation
Tell us the product, the target quantity and the port you ship to. Our minimum order is 1 piece, and mixed models are welcome. We come back with factory options, real prices and MOQs within two business days.
