Custom Sunglasses RFQ Template for Faster Quotes

This guide is for brand owners, importers, distributors, and retail buyers sourcing custom sunglasses from overseas factories. A weak RFQ leads to slow replies, inconsistent assumptions, and price revisions after sampling. A strong RFQ gives each supplier the same product, packaging, compliance, and delivery assumptions, so quotations are easier to compare. Fewer clarification emails. Clearer cost breakdowns. A smoother sample process starts with the details that affect tooling, materials, labor, testing, and lead time.

Why many sunglasses RFQs produce unreliable quotes

Most quotation problems start with missing product data, not with supplier response speed. Buyers often ask for a price on "custom sunglasses" and attach only a reference photo. That leaves the factory to infer frame material, lens type, hinge construction, decoration method, packaging level, and compliance scope. Different suppliers make different assumptions. The prices are not truly comparable.

In sunglasses, small specification changes can materially change the manufacturing route. A basic injection-molded frame with standard lenses is costed very differently from an acetate frame with CNC finishing, polarized lenses, metal logos, and retail packaging. If the RFQ does not define those features, the quotation is only a rough estimate.

A useful RFQ should do three things:

1. Define the product clearly enough for engineering, costing, and compliance review.
2. State the commercial assumptions, including quantity, destination market, and required ship window.
3. Surface likely cost and risk points before sampling, so questions are resolved early.

The goal is not a perfect technical spec on day one. The goal is fewer assumptions. Separate standard features from custom features. That is where clarity starts.

The minimum product data every buyer should send

Start with the physical product. The factory needs the build specification first because that drives material selection, tooling needs, production steps, and inspection points.

At minimum, send the following:

• Frame construction: injection plastic or acetate. If you are unsure, state the sample or market reference you want to match.
• Shape and size: lens width, bridge width, temple length, and front width if known. If you do not have exact dimensions, say sizing must be estimated from the reference and confirmed at sample stage.
• Lens type: PC, nylon, TAC polarized, or another specified material. State whether base curve or wrap is important.
• Lens color and finish: solid tint, gradient, mirrored, polarized, flash coating, or another finish requirement. If there is a target lens category or visible light transmission requirement for your market, say so.
• Hardware: standard hinge, spring hinge, screws, or metal core details where relevant.
• Logo application: pad print, laser engraving, hot stamping, or metal logo plate. Attach artwork if available.
• Packaging: polybag only, pouch, hard case, folding box, barcode sticker, carton mark, insert, or other components.

If you have a tech pack, attach it. If not, send a marked-up PDF or image with callouts. A front view, side view, and close-up of any logo or hinge detail are usually enough to start. A short annotated drawing is better than a long email with vague descriptions.

Be precise about finish expectations. Matte black, gloss black, rubberized black, and translucent tortoise are not interchangeable. If color matching matters, provide a Pantone reference, material swatch, or approved physical sample. If visual tolerances matter, state that clearly so the supplier can confirm what is realistic at quotation stage.

What changes cost, MOQ, and lead time most

Factories price sunglasses according to materials, process complexity, order volume, and packaging scope. MOQ is usually tied to production efficiency, raw material purchasing, decoration setup, and packing requirements rather than being an arbitrary sales number.

Ask suppliers to quote the same product at several quantity levels so you can see how pricing changes with scale. Also ask whether MOQ applies per design, per color, or per design-color combination. That distinction matters when you plan multiple frame or lens colors.

Lead time moves for the same reasons. Sampling and production timing depend on material availability, artwork readiness, packaging confirmation, and whether new tooling or custom components are required. A supplier can only give a dependable timeline if the RFQ defines those assumptions. If artwork, lens color, or packaging changes after sample approval, the original schedule may no longer be valid.

The cleanest way to compare suppliers is to ask for quantity breaks, sample charges, tooling charges, packaging cost, and stated exclusions in the same format. That makes it easier to see whether price differences come from materials, processes, or simply different assumptions.

Compliance information that should be in the RFQ

Compliance should be defined at RFQ stage, not after price approval. If the supplier does not know your destination market and required standards, the quotation may exclude the correct lenses, labels, documents, or testing scope.

State the selling market clearly: EU, US, Australia or New Zealand, or another destination. Then state which standards or documents you require the supplier to support. Depending on the market and product, relevant references may include CE EN ISO 12312-1, ANSI Z80.3, AS/NZS 1067, REACH, and FDA registration. If supplier management-system or social-audit status matters for your vendor approval process, ask for ISO 9001 and BSCI information up front.

Do not write only "need CE" and leave the rest undefined. Specify whether you require test reports, declarations, material information for REACH review, product labeling, warning labels, or importer-facing documentation. Also ask whether compliance testing costs are included in the quote or billed separately.

• EU: confirm support for EN ISO 12312-1 performance requirements, REACH-related material information where needed, and the labeling/documentation expected for the destination market.
• US: confirm support for ANSI Z80.3 requirements and ask what importer documentation and country-of-origin marking will be provided.
• Australia/New Zealand: confirm whether the product is intended to meet AS/NZS 1067 and what documentation the supplier can provide.

If you are unsure which standard applies, say so directly and ask the supplier what it can support for your market. It is better to resolve that question during quotation than after samples are approved.

How to request comparable quotations from multiple suppliers

If you want comparable quotations, give every supplier the same RFQ structure and ask every supplier to reply in the same format. Otherwise you are comparing different assumptions, not different suppliers.

Ask every supplier to break pricing into the same fields:

1. Unit price by quantity break.
2. Sample cost and whether it is refundable against a bulk order.
3. Tooling or mold cost, if any.
4. Logo setup charges by decoration method.
5. Packaging cost per set and carton pack quantity.
6. Testing cost if not included.
7. Lead time for sample and bulk production.
8. Trade term quoted: EXW, FOB, or another requested basis.

Also ask each supplier to state what the quote excludes. That one request often prevents confusion later. Some quotations include standard inner packing and export cartons. Others separate them. Some include a standard lens option but not mirrored coating or polarized construction. Those differences should be visible in the first quotation, not discovered during purchase order confirmation.

It also helps to ask suppliers to label quotation versions with a revision code, especially if you are comparing multiple build options. One revision might cover standard lenses and printed logos. Another might cover polarized lenses and metal logos. Clear revision control reduces confusion when email threads branch into several options.

Finally, standardize currency and Incoterm before you compare prices. A quotation on EXW terms is not directly comparable with a quotation on FOB terms unless you adjust for the included local logistics scope.

A practical RFQ template buyers can copy

Use the format below. Keep it short, direct, and complete.

Product: Custom sunglasses, unisex, private label

Reference: Attach photos or drawing with front, side, top view

Construction: Injection frame / acetate frame

Target size: Lens width, bridge, temple length, front width

Lens spec: PC / TAC polarized, color, category, finish, UV requirement

Frame color: Pantone or sample reference if available

Logo: Temple outside pad print, inside laser engraving, or metal logo plate

Packaging: Polybag / pouch / box / barcode / insert / carton mark

Compliance market: EU / US / AU-NZ

Required documents: CE EN ISO 12312-1, ANSI Z80.3, AS/NZS 1067, REACH, FDA registration, as applicable

Quantity: State quantity by design and by color

Commercial terms: Quote EXW or FOB, sample cost, tooling cost, production lead time

Deadline: Date you need quote back and target ship window

If you want a more usable reply, add two more lines: one for acceptable tolerance and one for intended market position. For example, you may state that dimensions must be confirmed from a control sample, or that the product is for fashion retail rather than performance sport use. That helps the supplier align its recommendation with your actual requirement.

This template is enough to start a serious quotation. If a supplier still responds with a one-line price and no assumptions, that itself is useful information about how it handles scope control.

Mistakes that create hidden costs later

Most hidden costs come from gaps in specification control rather than dramatic production errors.

• Approving a sample without packaging confirmation: later discovering that retail packaging changes unit cost, carton count, or freight volume.
• Leaving lens category or color expectation unclear: later disputing whether the approved tint, finish, or lens performance matches the order.
• Sending logo artwork late: delaying decoration setup and sample or bulk scheduling.
• Not confirming hinge or hardware details: especially on acetate styles where assembly fit affects consistency.
• Discussing compliance only after price approval: forcing changes to materials, labels, documents, or testing scope.

Another common mistake is failing to define the project priority. If the project is cost-first, speed-first, or compliance-first, say so in one sentence. Suppliers make different material and process recommendations depending on that priority.

Also confirm which details are critical to acceptance. If fit, symmetry, logo position, or color consistency will be checked closely, identify those points early. The RFQ does not need to answer every engineering question, but it should flag the points that will affect approval.

What a good factory reply should look like

A useful quotation is not just a price. It should show that the supplier understood the request, stated its assumptions, and identified open questions.

Look for these signs in the reply:

• Clear description of frame material, lens type, logo method, and included packaging.
• Quantity breaks that match your RFQ and clarify whether MOQ applies per design, per color, or per design-color combination.
• Separate lines for sample charge, tooling, testing, and optional upgrades.
• Stated lead times for sample and bulk production, tied to assumptions such as artwork approval, packaging confirmation, and tooling status.
• Questions about compliance market, lens performance, tolerance, or artwork where the RFQ leaves gaps.
• Clear note of what is included and excluded.

If the supplier asks specific technical or compliance questions, that is usually a positive sign. It means the team is trying to prevent errors before sampling or production. A quotation that explains why price changes with polarized lenses, custom colors, or upgraded packaging is generally more useful than one that offers only a low headline price.

The purpose of an RFQ is simple: reduce assumptions, speed up clarification, and produce quotations you can compare with confidence. Use the same RFQ structure for repeat orders. The second round is usually easier than the first.

Why source this from Wenzhou with LumiShades

Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province is widely regarded as China’s eyewear manufacturing capital, producing a large share of the world’s sunglasses. That concentration matters to buyers: a deep local supply chain for acetate sheet, hinges, lens blanks, plating and packaging means shorter component lead times, easier color and material matching, and a workforce with decades of eyewear-specific skill. LumiShades has manufactured in this ecosystem since 2009, and our vertical integration — in-house injection molding, acetate cutting, CNC milling, lens tinting, decoration and quality control — means no part of your order is quietly subcontracted to a workshop you cannot audit.

For international buyers, that vertical control translates into accountability. When a single factory owns every step, defects are traced and fixed at source rather than bounced between vendors, and your specifications survive intact from first sample to bulk. We back this with 15+ years of experience, shipments to 60+ countries, more than 5 million pairs produced per year and a 98.5% on-time delivery rate. Our certifications — CE EN ISO 12312-1, FDA registration, ANSI Z80.3, AS/NZS 1067, REACH, ISO 9001 and BSCI audit — mean the compliance documentation your market requires already exists. Explore our manufacturing capabilities and quality control process to see how this works in practice.

Frequently asked questions

Should I ask for pricing by design or by color? Ask for both, and ask the supplier to define how MOQ is applied. In practice, some factories quote MOQ per design, while others treat each design-color combination as a separate production condition because color changes can affect material planning, setup, or decoration. In your RFQ, state the number of units per design and the number of units per colorway, then ask the supplier to show any MOQ or price impact for each combination.

What if I only have a photo and no measurements? You can still send the RFQ, but say clearly that dimensions are to be estimated from the reference image and confirmed during sampling. Ask the supplier to identify which dimensions are estimated, what additional information is needed, and whether a physical benchmark sample would improve accuracy. If possible, provide at least one known dimension from a similar frame or ship an existing sample so the supplier can reduce guesswork.

Do I need to mention packaging in the first RFQ? Yes. Packaging affects unit cost, labor content, carton size, and freight volume, so it should be part of the first quotation request. At minimum, specify whether you want bulk polybag packing, pouch packing, retail box packing, barcode labeling, inserts, and custom carton marks. If the final packaging is not yet fixed, ask the supplier to quote a base packing option and list upgrade costs separately.

How many quantity breaks should I request? Request at least two quantity levels: your likely trial order quantity and a realistic repeat-order quantity. If you are still evaluating the business case, ask for several breaks so you can see where the pricing changes materially. Also ask whether the price break applies per single SKU, per design, or across combined quantities, because that point often changes the real commercial comparison.

When should compliance requirements be discussed? At RFQ stage. State the destination market, the standards or documents you need supported, and whether testing or documentation must be included in the quotation. If you are not sure whether you need CE EN ISO 12312-1, ANSI Z80.3, AS/NZS 1067, REACH-related information, or FDA registration support, tell the supplier which market you will sell into and ask what it can provide. Then request that any testing, documentation, labeling, or declaration costs be shown separately if they are not included.