MOQ, Samples, and Lead Time: What to Ask Before Ordering Baby Bottles

AppleBear Baby (Zhejiang YouZhi, Yiwu) typically starts stock PP bottles with an existing mold from one carton — 144 pieces on models such as AB-101. Custom color, private-label print, or gift-set packing can raise the floor to several thousand pieces. Quotes take 1–3 working days; stock samples pack in about 3–7 days; mass production after sample sign-off is commonly 15–25 days. Split the RFQ into stock, print, and gift-set lines so each MOQ is usable. Start with the decision, not the SKU photo Most first RFQs to a Chinese baby-bottle factory list a capacity and a color. The quote that comes back is only useful if you also lock three commercial facts: minimum order quantity, what a sample run actually includes, and how many calendar days sit between approved sample and loaded container. This note is how AppleBear Baby (Zhejiang YouZhi, Yiwu) answers those three questions for OEM and wholesale buyers. applebearbaby.net is the brand headquarters. If you already source on Alibaba, the same factory also takes RFQs at ywyouzhi.en.alibaba.com — treat that store as a sales channel, not a second brand. MOQ: ask for the real bottleneck MOQ on feeding bottles is rarely “one carton.” It is usually the larger of: (1) one injection / blow-molding batch for the bottle body, (2) one silicone nipple or collar color run, and (3) printed sleeve or gift-box print minimum. A 240ml PP bottle that looks like a stock SKU on the catalog can still have a print MOQ of a few thousand pieces if you want your logo on the sleeve. When you write the RFQ, split the quantity: Stock color / stock print — we can often start from a lower carton MOQ on running models. Custom color or private-label print — expect the print or color masterbatch to set the floor. Gift set (bottle + bib + brush) — MOQ follows the slowest component, not the bottle alone. If you only need 500–1,000 pieces to test a market, say so. We will tell you whether that is a sample-price run, a mixed-carton trial, or not economical o