Choosing an OEM partner is a decision you live with for years. The product can be re-sourced; the tooling, the artwork library, the QC standard and the production slot cannot be rebuilt quickly.
This guide is written for Amazon sellers, private-label brand owners and distributors who are evaluating a China-based gym equipment manufacturer. It covers the three sourcing models, our real development process, what triggers tooling cost, how to protect your IP, how MOQs are set, and how to read a quotation properly.
UnivFitness (www.univfitness.com) supplies wholesale and OEM only. We do not retail, and we do not compete with our buyers on marketplaces. That is the foundation everything else rests on.
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White label vs OEM vs ODM: know which one you are buying
These three terms get used interchangeably in supplier emails. They are not the same thing, and confusing them is how buyers end up with a “custom” product that is identical to a competitor’s.
| White label | OEM | ODM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Existing catalogue SKU, unchanged | Existing manufacturing platform, built to your specification | New product developed from your concept |
| What you change | Nothing but the outer label | Colour, logo, packaging, weight set, material tier | Structure, dimensions, mechanism, tooling |
| Typical example | Our standard dumbbell set with your sticker | UV11101 10 kg cast iron set with a mould logo and your printed carton | A bespoke station or a new mould shape |
| Minimum order | MOQ from 1,000 pcs | MOQ from 1,000 pcs | Negotiated per project |
| Lead time | 30 days from confirmation | 30 days from confirmation, artwork locked at Day 0 | Development cycle first, then a production cycle |
| Tooling | None | Only if your logo route or shape requires it | Yes — new tooling is the point |
| IP you own | Your trademark only | Your trademark, your artwork, your packaging design | Your design IP — only if contracted |
Most new brands should buy OEM, not ODM. OEM gets you a differentiated product inside a proven platform with a 30-day lead time and a known MOQ. ODM is the right call once you have volume and a design you can defend.
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The catalogue: what can be OEM’d
We run 13 categories. The SKU count matters because it tells you how much room you have to extend a range after your first order.
| Category | SKUs | Typical OEM levers |
|---|---|---|
| Strength & Home Gym | 772 | Configuration, frame finish, upholstery, branding |
| Dumbbells & Barbells | 213 | Material, coating tier, weight range, logo route, packaging |
| Foam Rollers & Yoga Accessories | 131 | Density, size, colour, print |
| Yoga Mats | 82 | Material, thickness tier, gram weight, finish, print |
| Jump Ropes | 77 | Handle, cable, length, colour |
| Agility & Balance | 50 | Size, colour, print |
| Resistance Bands & Tubes | 43 | Resistance levels, colour, print, hardware |
| Hand Grips | 35 | Resistance, material, colour |
| Gym Balls | 32 | Size, colour, print |
| Ankle & Wrist Weights | 32 | Weight, material, closure, colour |
| Ab Rollers | 31 | Wheel, handle, colour |
| Hula Hoops | 30 | Diameter, weight, colour |
| Push Up Bars | 21 | Material, grip, colour |
Across all of them, the OEM services are: custom colours, your logo, and private-label packaging.
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The OEM development process, step by step
| Step | What happens | Your deliverable | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Brief | You describe the product, target price, quantity, market | Category, target FOB price, target MOQ | Feasibility check |
| 2. Spec definition | We map your brief to a platform or a new development | Confirmed spec: material, size, weight range, finish | Written spec |
| 3. Quotation | Unit price, packaging, logo route, any tooling | Confirmation of spec | Indicative FOB wholesale price |
| 4. Sampling | Physical samples produced | Vector logo, colour references, packaging requirements | Free samples (sample fee refunded against bulk order) |
| 5. Artwork lock | Logo and packaging artwork finalised | Print-ready files, dieline-approved packaging artwork | Approved golden sample |
| 6. Order confirmation | PO issued, deposit paid | PO with acceptance criteria | 30% advance |
| 7. Pre-production | Inspection before production | Your QC addendum, if any | Material/component report |
| 8. Production | Mass production, 30-day window | None — no changes at this stage | Finished goods |
| 9. Post-production | Inspection after production | Review of findings | Inspection report |
| 10. Release | Balance paid, goods handed over | 70% before shipment | FOB Shanghai handover |
The whole cycle from confirmation to handover is 30 days — provided artwork was locked at step 5.
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Tooling and mould fees: what triggers one
Buyers often assume a mould fee applies to everything. It does not. Understanding what does and does not trigger tooling is the fastest way to control your up-front cost.
Triggers tooling:
- A mould logo — the mark is formed into the product. This is the route for cast iron and painted finishes; the UV11101 10 kg painted cast iron set spec sheet records “Logo: mould”.
- A new shape, new plate geometry, or a structural change to an existing platform.
- An ODM development.
Does not trigger tooling:
- 1C printing — single-colour printing onto latex or soft surfaces. Used on the UV43101 latex power band, the UV61501 sit-up mat and the UV21108 cork + TPE mat, all of which record “Logo: 1C printing”.
- Colour changes within an available range.
- Packaging print (that is a print run, not a tool).
- Weight-set selection within an existing platform’s range.
Commercial questions to get answered in writing before you approve tooling:
- Is the tooling cost quoted per design, and is it fixed or estimated?
- Who owns the tool?
- Where is it held, and for how long?
- What happens if the design changes after the tool is cut — full cost or partial?
- Is the cost amortised or rebated at a volume threshold, and at what threshold?
- Is the tool exclusive to your brand, or can it be used for other buyers?
- Does tooling add to the 30-day lead time, and by how much?
If you cannot get clear written answers to all seven, do not pay the tooling invoice.
Practical recommendation for a first programme: launch on 1C-printing SKUs (UV43101 at $1.13, UV61501 at $3.44, UV21108 at $11.48 — indicative FOB wholesale prices) so there is no tooling decision in your critical path. Move to a mould logo on cast iron (UV10601, UV11101) when your design is frozen and your reorder volume justifies the tool.
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Minimum order quantities: why they differ
MOQ is not an arbitrary number. It is the point at which a production run becomes efficient for a given material, process and pack-out.
| Product | SKU | MOQ | Indicative FOB wholesale price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cast iron hex dumbbell, 2.5–50 kg | UV10601 | 1,000 pcs | On request |
| Rubber hex dumbbell, rubber + chromed steel, 2.5–50 kg (rubber / TPU / PEV coating) | UV10801 | 1,000 pcs | On request |
| Vinyl round-head dumbbell, 0.5 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 kg | UV10201 | 1,000 pcs | On request |
| Neoprene hex dumbbell, 1–5 kg | UV10208 | 1,000 pcs | On request |
| Vinyl hex dumbbell, 1–5 kg | UV10108 | 1,000 pcs | On request |
| Plastic hex dumbbell, PE + sand, 1–5 kg | UV10302 | 1,000 pcs | On request |
| Latex power band, 208 × 0.45 cm, 10 resistance levels | UV43101 | 1,000 pcs | $1.13 |
| TPE yoga mat, 173 × 61 cm, 0.3–1.0 cm (eight tiers) | UV21001 | 1,000 pcs | On request |
| Cork + TPE yoga mat, 183 × 61 × 1 cm | UV21108 | 1,004 pcs | $11.48 |
| Sit-up mat, PVC + sponge, 30 × 38 × 7 cm | UV61501 | 500 pcs | $3.44 |
| Neoprene kettlebell, 1–5 kg | UV13101 | 500 pcs | On request |
| Vinyl-dipped kettlebell, cast iron + vinyl, 4–32 kg | UV12301 / UV12302 | 1,000 pcs | On request |
The baseline across the catalogue is MOQ from 1,000 pcs. Light, soft-coated and small-format items drop below it (UV61501 and UV13101 at 500). Items with a specific pack-out may sit marginally above it (UV21108 at 1,004, matching its 84 pcs/ctn carton).
Large machines — 3D Smith machine UV81494B at $1,076, cable crossover UV81313 at $2,200, five-station UV81321 at $2,600, eight-station UV81316 at $3,800, vertical knee raise / dip UV81471 at $240 (indicative FOB wholesale prices) — are quoted and configured per project. Do not assume a 1,000-pcs MOQ for that class of goods.
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How to read a quotation
A professional quotation separates its components. If yours is a single number, ask for the breakdown.
| Line item | What to check |
|---|---|
| Unit price | Is it FOB Shanghai? Does it include your logo, your colour, and your packaging — or is that the base product only? |
| Logo method | Is it mould or 1C printing, and is the cost included or separate? |
| Packaging | Which format — printed carton (20 pcs/ctn, 101 × 87 × 98 cm), color card (5 pcs/ctn, 40 × 28 × 28 cm), pp bag (50 pcs/bag, 77 × 38 × 32 cm) or color poster (84 pcs/ctn, 52 × 40 × 63 cm)? Is custom print priced? |
| Tooling | Listed separately, with ownership terms |
| Samples | Free, with the sample fee refunded against the bulk order |
| Payment terms | 30% advance + 70% before shipment |
| Lead time | 30 days from confirmation with artwork locked |
| QC | Inspection before and after production, inspection report with every order |
| Weight and pack-out | Needed for your freight quote — request carton dimensions and count |
Watch for the packaging omission. A quote that prices the product but not the custom print will look cheaper and will not be.
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Intellectual property: protect the parts that are actually yours
Be clear about what you can and cannot own.
Yours to protect:
- Your trademark and brand name — register it in every market you sell in, and register it before you import, not after.
- Your packaging artwork and copy.
- Your colourway and product photography.
- Any design you commissioned and paid to develop — if the contract says so.
Not automatically yours:
- The underlying manufacturing platform. An OEM product is our platform built to your spec; unless a development agreement assigns it, the platform is not your IP.
- A tooling design you did not pay to develop.
- Category-standard specifications.
Practical protections:
- Sign an NDA before sending unreleased designs or brand guidelines. Not after.
- Register your trademark in your target markets first. Packaging cannot be reprinted cheaply once a mark is contested.
- Get tooling ownership in writing — ownership, storage, and exclusivity.
- Separate your logo design from your product design. If the mould tool is the only thing carrying your brand, losing access to it hurts more.
- Keep your golden sample and your approved artwork file as evidence of what you specified.
- Ask about exclusivity explicitly. Exclusivity is a commercial term, not a default. If you need it, negotiate it, and expect it to be tied to volume.
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Factory audit, QC and confidentiality
QC is structural, not optional. Every order receives inspection before production (materials and components) and inspection after production (finished goods), and an inspection report is issued for every order.
Make that work harder for you by attaching a QC addendum to the PO:
| Check | What to specify |
|---|---|
| Weight accuracy | Tolerance you will accept, stated numerically, per unit |
| Material and coating | For UV10801, which coating tier — rubber, TPU or PEV — and the adhesion standard |
| Dimensions | Bar diameter (25 / 28 / 30 mm on the UV11101 set), length, thickness tier |
| Colour | Your Pantone reference and an acceptable variation |
| Logo | Route (mould or 1C printing), position, and legibility standard |
| Colour match, registration, barcode scan | |
| Pack-out | 20 pcs/ctn for dumbbell sets, 5 pcs/ctn for power bands, 50 pcs/bag for sit-up mats, 84 pcs/ctn for cork + TPE mats |
| Carton condition | Crush, tape, strap marks |
On audits and third-party inspection: buyers are welcome to appoint their own inspector, and to ask for production photos. Say so at enquiry stage so it can be scheduled into the 30-day window rather than bolted on.
On confidentiality: we build private-label programmes for competing brands. Ask how your artwork, colourways and specifications are segregated, and put the answer in the agreement.
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Red flags when evaluating any OEM partner
- They also sell the same product retail under their own brand. That is a channel conflict waiting to happen. We are wholesale and OEM only.
- The quote is one number with no packaging or logo line.
- No inspection report offered as standard. Ours is issued for every order.
- Tooling cost quoted verbally, with no ownership terms.
- They will not confirm the logo route in writing. Mould and 1C printing are different commitments — a supplier who says “both are fine” does not run both.
- Sample fee that is not credited back. Ours is refunded against your bulk order.
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A sensible first programme
If you are evaluating us for the first time, this is the lowest-risk sequence:
- Enquire on two or three SKUs in one category, with target price and quantity.
- Order free samples and approve them physically.
- Start with a 1C-printing SKU — no tooling in the critical path: UV43101 ($1.13), UV61501 ($3.44, MOQ 500) or UV21108 ($11.48).
- Run one 30-day cycle and read the inspection report properly.
- Add a mould-logo cast iron product on the reorder, once the design is frozen: UV10601 (2.5–50 kg) or UV11101 ($10.94).
- Extend within the category — 213 dumbbell and barbell SKUs, 82 yoga mats, 43 resistance bands.
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Request a specification and quotation
Send us your category, target quantity and target price. We will come back with the matching SKUs, the available customisation (custom colours, logo, private-label packaging), the logo route for each item (mould or 1C printing), the packaging format, the MOQ, and the indicative FOB wholesale price.
Samples are free and the sample fee is refunded against your bulk order. Production runs 30 days from FOB Shanghai, with inspection before and after production, an inspection report with every order, and payment at 30% advance + 70% before shipment.
To get started, send an inquiry to lyle@univfitness.com or use the Enquiry button on each product page.
