Sunglasses RFQ Template for Accurate Factory Quotes

This guide is for brand owners, importers, distributors, and retailers buying custom sunglasses in volume who want usable quotes on the first pass. Weak RFQs force factories to guess about materials, construction, lenses, decoration, packaging, and compliance. That slows replies, widens price ranges, and leads to revisions later. A good RFQ does the opposite. It gives the supplier enough detail to check feasibility, quote unit cost, flag tooling or sampling needs, outline likely testing requirements, and estimate lead time with fewer follow-up emails. In custom eyewear, small specification changes can move cost, timing, and compliance planning fast. That is why RFQ accuracy matters early.

Why Many Sunglasses RFQs Produce Unreliable Pricing

Factories usually do not delay quotes because they do not want the business. More often, they are missing the details that actually drive cost. In sunglasses, changing from a standard hinge to a spring hinge, from basic tinted PC lenses to TAC polarized lenses, or from pad printing to a metal logo plate can change both price and production difficulty.

If a buyer sends only a photo and asks for the best price, the factory has to fill in the blanks. Is the frame injected PC, TR90, acetate, metal, or mixed material? Are the lenses PC, TAC polarized, nylon, or CR-39? Is the logo on the outer temple, lens corner, or inside temple? Does each pair go in a PE bag or in a pouch, box, barcode-labeled pack, and retail-ready carton? Every guess adds risk. Suppliers usually manage that risk by quoting high, giving a wide range, or sending a preliminary price that changes later.

A good RFQ turns a design idea into a manufacturable specification. That means dimensions, tolerances, materials, decoration, packing method, compliance target, and quantity split. For example, stating 52-20-145, front width 145 ±1 mm, TAC polarized lens, matte black injected frame, outer temple gold pad print, quote at 300 / 1000 / 5000 pairs gives a factory a much better costing basis than a mood-board image alone.

Even an experienced supplier cannot quote cleanly if the RFQ leaves out frame structure, cosmetic expectations, packaging level, or test requirements. Better inputs lead to better first-round pricing. Simple.

The 12 Items Every Factory Should Receive in the First Email

Your first RFQ should answer the supplier's main costing questions in one pass. It does not need to be long. It does need to be specific.

1. Product type: fashion sunglasses, sports wrap, kids' sunglasses, optical frame fitted with sun lenses, or another clear category.
2. Reference visuals: front, side, and top views, ideally backed by a physical sample or marked-up technical sketch.
3. Frame material: acetate, injected PC, TR90, metal, or mixed material. If you are undecided, ask for alternatives as separate quote options.
4. Lens specification: PC, TAC polarized, nylon, or CR-39; include tint, mirror, gradient, hard coating, anti-scratch requirements, and UV400 if needed.
5. Size and tolerances: eye size, bridge, temple length, total width, lens height, and any critical tolerance such as front width ±1 mm.
6. Hinge and structure: standard hinge, spring hinge, rivet detail, wire core, nose pad construction, or wrap-angle requirement.
7. Branding method: pad print, screen print, laser mark, hot stamp, engraved metal plate, or molded logo.
8. Colorways: number of frame and lens combinations, with quantity per colorway.
9. Packaging: PE bag, microfiber pouch, EVA case, folding carton, rigid box, insert card, barcode label, and carton pack-out.
10. Compliance market: EU, US, Australia/New Zealand, or multiple markets, with target standards named clearly.
11. Order quantity: total units, units per color, and any expected repeat volume if known.
12. Timing and commercial terms: quote deadline, sample target, requested ship window, destination country, Incoterm, and whether tooling or sample charges should be shown separately.

Short is fine. Vague is not. A one-page RFQ with concrete specifications usually beats several pages of brand background. If you do not know every detail yet, list unresolved points as quote options instead of leaving them open to supplier assumption.

Frame, Lens, and Fit Details That Commonly Change the Quote

Many buyers ask for pricing before they have defined the build. Then the factory quotes a low-risk version, and the price moves later when the real specification is confirmed.

Frame material is usually the first major cost driver. Injected plastics such as PC or TR90 are common for volume programs because the process becomes fairly standardized once tooling and specifications are fixed. Acetate usually involves more manual work, including cutting, milling, polishing, heat adjustment, assembly, and finishing. If the design includes deep bevels, exposed lamination, or embedded metal features, complexity goes up again.

Lens choice is another big factor. Standard tinted PC is one cost level. TAC polarized is another because it uses a laminated structure and may require tighter cosmetic control. Mirror coating, flash coating, gradient tint, anti-scratch treatment, and color matching can each add steps. If a precise lens tone matters, say whether visual matching is acceptable or whether you need a measured transmittance target.

Fit details matter too. At minimum, include lens width, bridge width, temple length, front width, and lens height. Useful tolerance language is simple: front width ±1 mm, temple length ±1 mm, logo position ±0.5 mm. If the style is low-bridge, oversized, narrow fit, or wrap-around, say so. Small dimensional changes can affect fit, hinge stress, and post-assembly alignment.

• Injected plastic: commonly used for straightforward volume production where repeatability and lower manual labor are priorities.
• Acetate: often chosen for a more premium appearance and feel, but usually requires more labor and closer color control.
• PC lenses: widely used in fashion sunglasses because they are lightweight and impact resistant.
• TAC polarized lenses: often chosen when glare reduction and a higher-value retail position are required.

If you are sending a physical sample, state whether it is for styling reference only or whether dimensions and fit need to be matched closely. That one note changes how a supplier reads the job.

Branding and Packaging: Small Details That Move Cost and Lead Time

Branding often gets treated like a minor detail. It is not. Decoration method affects setup, scrap risk, and approval time. Packaging does the same. A basic pair in a PE bag is one program. A retail-ready pair with pouch, instruction card, barcode, and rigid box is another.

Be precise about logo size and position. Outer temple metal logo plate, 18 x 4 mm, brushed gold, centered 12 mm from hinge is useful. Add logo on side is not. Do the same for inside temple print. Specify content order, ink color, and whether country of origin must appear.

State packaging at both unit level and carton level. Good RFQ wording includes items such as 1 pair in PE bag, 1 microfiber pouch, 10 pairs per inner box, 100 pairs per export carton, outer carton mark per buyer format. If the goods are for e-commerce fulfillment, mention scan-label placement, any required warning text, and whether each unit must be retail-ready before master-carton sealing.

Compliance Requirements to State Up Front

If you sell into regulated markets, do not leave compliance until the end. State the target market and standard in the RFQ. That affects lens performance requirements, labeling, testing plans, and sometimes material choice.

For sunglasses, buyers commonly ask suppliers to support requirements aligned with CE EN ISO 12312-1 for Europe, ANSI Z80.3 for the United States, and AS/NZS 1067 for Australia and New Zealand. Chemical compliance requirements may also apply, including REACH. Many buyers also review supplier quality-system or social-audit documents such as ISO 9001 and BSCI. If your internal process requires it, ask whether FDA registration information is available and relevant to the specific program.

Do not write only need CE. That is too vague to quote against. State the selling market, whether testing must be done on final production materials, whether the lenses are polarized, and whether packaging or instruction content needs compliance review. If the approved appearance sample differs from the tested production sample, problems often show up late.

A practical RFQ line is: EU market, sunglasses to be produced to CE EN ISO 12312-1 requirements, REACH-compliant materials required, factory to advise test-sample timing and documents available before shipment. That gives the supplier a clear planning basis.

How Quantity Breaks Change Unit Price and MOQ Logic

Unit price is not driven by total quantity alone. It also depends on how the order is split across colors, branding versions, and packaging variants. That is why 1,000 pieces in one color usually price differently from 1,000 pieces split into five colors of 200 each.

Some custom programs can be quoted at relatively low MOQs when they use existing molds, standard materials, or simple decoration. But a low MOQ does not make every specification efficient at that level. Setup costs for printing, color matching, material purchasing, and packing instructions get spread over fewer units. Per-unit price goes up.

A practical quote ladder is 50 / 300 / 1000 / 5000 pairs. At 50 pairs, options may be limited to simpler decoration and packaging. Around 300 pairs, more customization becomes workable. At 1,000 pairs and above, unit economics often improve because setup and procurement costs are spread across more units. Actual pricing still depends on construction, lens specification, branding method, packaging, and whether new tooling is needed.

• 50 pairs: usually best for trials, existing molds, and simple branding.
• 300 pairs: often workable for launch orders with limited color splits and moderate customization.
• 1000 pairs: generally more efficient for polarized options, additional colorways, and more refined finishing.
• 5000+ pairs: typically where stable, repeatable constructions offer the strongest pricing leverage.

Always show quantity by color and by packaging variant. A usable quote should state assumptions clearly, for example: 1000 pairs total = 500 black / 500 tortoise, same logo, same pouch, same carton mark. Without that detail, the quote stays conditional.

Sample and Production Timing: What to Ask For

Many RFQs ask for price but not for the schedule behind the quote. That creates planning risk. The right timing questions expose capacity limits, approval dependencies, and whether your launch date is realistic.

Ask for three timing points, not one: sample lead time, bulk production lead time, and ship-ready timing after packaging approval if packaging is customized. Sample and production timing vary based on whether the style uses existing tooling, whether branding artwork is final, whether custom packaging is involved, and whether the frame is injected, acetate, metal, or mixed material.

Also ask what can delay those timelines. Common causes include pending logo artwork, incomplete packaging dielines, revised branding placement, repeated lens color matching, and test-sample approval. Even a capable supplier cannot remove buyer-side approval delays.

Useful timing questions include whether sample charges are refundable against bulk, how many revision rounds are included, and when the bulk lead-time clock officially starts. Some factories count bulk lead time from deposit receipt. Others count from pre-production sample approval, artwork sign-off, or packaging confirmation. Get that start point stated in writing in the quote so your internal plan matches the supplier's assumption.

A Practical RFQ Template You Can Copy

Use the structure below. It is simple, but it covers the details that most often delay quoting or trigger price changes later.

Product: Unisex fashion sunglasses, private label

Reference: Attached front, side, and top images; buyer physical sample available for design reference and target fit

Frame: Black acetate or injected alternative for cost comparison; glossy finish; standard hinge; no spring hinge required

Size: 52-20-145; front width 145 ±1 mm; lens height 43 mm; logo position tolerance ±0.5 mm

Lens: Smoke sun lens, UV400; please quote standard PC tint and 1.1 mm TAC polarized separately; no mirror coating

Branding: Outer temple logo in gold; quote pad print and metal logo plate separately; inside temple white print with model number and country of origin

Colorways: 2 colors at launch; please state quantity split assumptions

Packaging: 1 pair per PE bag, microfiber pouch with 1-color logo, 10 pairs per inner box, barcode sticker on outer bag, export carton mark per buyer file

Compliance: EU and US market; advise documents available for CE EN ISO 12312-1, ANSI Z80.3, REACH, FDA registration, ISO 9001, BSCI

Quantities: Please quote 300, 1000, and 5000 pairs; show unit price by quantity break and by color split assumption

Timing: Need quote this week; please advise sample lead time and bulk lead time based on final approval

Commercial: Please separate tooling, sample charge, unit price, packaging cost, carton details, and quote basis by Incoterm; destination US

That is enough for a factory to prepare a far more usable first quote. If you also attach logo artwork, packaging dimensions, carton mark format, and a physical reference sample where available, the price is less likely to change later because fewer assumptions are left open.

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

Can I get a useful quote from just a reference photo? You can usually get a rough indication, but not a dependable production quote. A photo does not define material, dimensions, lens construction, hinge type, branding method, packaging level, or compliance target. If you want a quote you can compare across suppliers, send at least the frame material, lens specification, key measurements, quantity by color, packaging assumptions, and selling market.

Should I ask for one quote or several options? Ask for separate options only where the decision would materially change cost or feasibility. Good examples are acetate versus injected frame, standard PC lens versus TAC polarized lens, and pad print versus metal logo plate. Keep the options limited and label them clearly, or suppliers may quote against different assumptions and comparison becomes messy.

How should I state compliance requirements in the RFQ? Name the selling market first, then name the standards you need the supplier to support, such as CE EN ISO 12312-1, ANSI Z80.3, AS/NZS 1067, and REACH where applicable. Also state whether testing must be based on final production materials, whether the product is polarized, and whether labeling, packaging, or instruction content needs review. That helps the supplier quote the right test path and document scope.

What quantity detail do factories need beyond total units? They need units per design, per colorway, and per branding or packaging version. If one color uses a different lens, logo finish, or box, state that separately. A supplier cannot cost accurately from total volume alone because setup time, purchasing, and packing complexity depend on how the volume is split.

When does bulk lead time usually start? There is no single rule, so ask the supplier to define it in writing. Common starting points are deposit receipt, pre-production sample approval, artwork sign-off, or packaging confirmation. To avoid disputes, ask the factory to show both the lead-time length and the exact start condition in the quotation.