Private label gloves production means a factory makes gloves to your specification and ships them under your brand — your logo, your packaging, your name. You own the design and the customer. The factory stays invisible. For distributors, safety brands and retailers, it's the standard way to build a glove range without building a plant. Here's how the process works when it's done properly, and where buyers usually get caught out.
Private label vs OEM vs white label
The terms get mixed up, and the difference matters when you're comparing quotes.
| Model | Who designs it | Whose brand | Exclusive to you? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private label | You (or the factory to your brief) | Yours | Yes — your design isn't reused |
| OEM | You supply the full tech pack | Yours | Yes |
| White label | Factory's stock design | Yours | No — same glove sold to others |
Most serious glove programmes are private label or OEM. White label is cheaper to start but you're selling the same glove your competitor is.
The production process, step by step
- Spec or tech pack. Material (buffalo, cow split, goatskin, knitted), lining, thread, cuff, sizes, standard (EN 388, EN 407, EN 12477), branding and packaging. A rough sketch and a reference sample are enough to start — a good factory will turn that into a proper spec with you.
- Quote. Priced per pair, FOB, against the agreed spec. Expect price breaks at volume.
- Sample. A physical sample built to your spec, usually in 2–3 weeks. This is where you check fit, feel, stitching and branding before committing.
- Approval and PO. You sign off the sealed sample, materials and pricing in writing. A deposit locks production.
- Bulk production. Typically 30–45 days. Ask for mid-production photos or inspection.
- QC and shipping. Final inspection against your sealed sample, packed to your spec, shipped FOB Karachi, CIF or DDP.
What you can brand
More than most buyers realise. Logo on the back of the hand or cuff by embroidery, screen print or heat transfer. Woven or printed labels. Custom hang tags and header cards. Private-label inner boxes and master cartons with your barcodes. Custom colourways on leather, thread and cuff. For welding gloves and working gloves, even the cuff binding colour can carry your brand identity.
MOQs and what drives cost
Honest minimums for private label leather gloves start around 200 pairs per style. Knitted and cotton gloves run higher because of machine setup — typically 500 to 1,000 pairs. Mixed sizes within a style are normal.
Cost is driven by five things: leather grade (grain costs more than split), thread (Kevlar or aramid stitching adds cost but is essential for heat), lining (fleece, foam, Thinsulate), the branding method (embroidery costs more than print), and packaging. A factory that quotes noticeably below the market has usually cut one of these without telling you.
Lead times
Samples in 2–3 weeks from an approved spec. Bulk in 30–45 days after sample approval and deposit. Add sea freight — roughly 4–6 weeks to Europe or North America from Karachi. Plan a first order about three months out.
Protecting your brand
Insist on an NDA before you send designs, and on a written commitment that the factory won't sell your design to anyone else or under its own name. This is the single biggest difference between a true private-label manufacturer and a trader. If a factory sells its own branded gloves alongside yours, your design is one bad quarter away from becoming their bestseller.
Where SAS Agencies fits
We've run private label and OEM glove production in Faisalabad, Pakistan since 1983 — and we only make for other brands, never our own. Leather welding, working and driver gloves, knitted and cotton gloves, TPR impact, all cut, stitched and finished under one roof. BSCI, ISO 9001 and OEKO-TEX certified. MOQ from 200 pairs, samples in 2–3 weeks, NDA by default. Send us a spec or a reference glove and we'll quote it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to design the glove myself?
No. A reference sample, a competitor's glove or a rough brief is enough. We build the spec with you and confirm it in a sample before any bulk order.
What's the minimum order for private label gloves?
Leather gloves from around 200 pairs per style, mixed sizes accepted. Knitted and cotton gloves from roughly 500–1,000 pairs because of machine setup.
Can you copy a glove I already sell?
We can match the construction and spec of a glove you already sell so you can move production without changing the product your customers know — under NDA, and never resold to anyone else.
Want your own branded glove range?
Send a spec or a reference glove. We reply with a quote and a sample inside 2–3 weeks. Private label, NDA-default.
Request samples →