Custom Sweater Factory & Manufacturer in Dalang, China
Bente is a custom knit sweater manufacturer with our own factory in Dalang, Dongguan — the knitwear hub of China. We knit custom sweaters on around 100 computerized flat-knit machines in gauges 3G–18G, from chunky 3G/5G winter knits to fine-gauge 16G/18G light sweaters. MOQ is 100 pieces per design, physical samples are ready in 72 hours, and we ship DDP to the USA and EU with duties included. Wholesale only — factory-direct, no middle layer between you and production.
Sweater Manufacturing Capabilities at a Glance
- Machines: ~100 computerized flat-knit machines (Shima Seiki & Stoll) on our own floor
- Gauges: 3G–18G — chunky 3G/5G/7G, mid-gauge 9G/12G, fine-gauge 14G/16G/18G
- Techniques: Jacquard up to 13 colours per chart, intarsia, fair isle, cable, textured relief stitches, crochet-look structures, high-density embroidery on knit
- Yarns: Acrylic, cotton, wool and wool blends, cashmere blends, GRS-certified recycled yarns
- MOQ: 100 pieces per design — split across sizes and colourways, not per colour
- Sampling: Digital proof first, then a physical knit sample in 72 hours
- Bulk lead time: 2–3 weeks after sample approval
- Capacity: 500 pcs/day · 15,000 pcs/month
- Pricing: Quoted per project — yarn, colour count, structure, finishing and quantity
- Delivery: DDP to USA & EU (freight + duties included); FOB / EXW on request
- Payment: 30% deposit to lock machine slots + 70% balance before shipment · T/T, PayPal, L/C
- QC: Inline checks during knitting, final inspection, photos for approval before dispatch
Sweater Families We Knit to Your Design
As a custom knitwear factory, most of what we make falls into these families — every style below is knitted to your design, not picked from a catalog:
Custom jacquard sweaters. Patterns knitted into the fabric, up to 13 colours per chart with clean colour separation — the capability most factories cap at 4–6 colours. This is our core strength.
Intarsia sweaters. Large colour blocks and pictorial designs knitted without floats on the reverse — logo-heavy fronts, art motifs, bold geometric work.
Cable & textured sweaters. Aran cables, bobbles, and textured relief stitches like bitter-gourd knit — with a clean reverse side that cheap machines cannot produce. See our textured knit sweaters →
Crochet-look sweaters. Hand-crochet aesthetics produced on machines for consistency at volume. See crochet-look sweaters →
Jersey & fine-gauge sweaters. 14G–18G lightweight knits for retail programs — smooth hand feel, clean edges, brand-friendly fits.
Cardigans, vests & knit sets. Button-through, zip-through, and matching knit sets, with your woven labels and hang tags.
Christmas sweaters. Our largest single category — multi-colour jacquard and novelty styles for US and EU holiday programs. Browse Christmas sweaters →
How Custom Sweater Manufacturing Works: 7 Steps
- 1
Design & knit chart. Send a sketch, reference photo, or full tech pack. Our 5-person in-house design team converts it into a knit-ready chart and machine program — yarn counts, colour allocation, and gauge decided before anything is knitted.
- 2
Yarn selection & colour matching. We source and prepare yarn to your spec — acrylic, cotton, wool blends, or GRS recycled — and Pantone-match colours before sampling so there are no surprises later.
- 3
Prototype sample (72 hours). You get a physical knit sample, not a rendering. Check the pattern, colours, hand feel and fit, and request revisions — most programs converge in one or two sample rounds.
- 4
Knitting. Panels are knitted on our own flat-knit machines with inline checks at the machine. Colour count, tension and pattern placement are verified panel by panel, not at the end.
- 5
Linking & assembly. Panels are linked by machine and hand — collars, cuffs, and plackets — the step that decides whether a sweater keeps its shape after washing.
- 6
Finishing. Washing, steaming and pressing; woven labels, care labels, hang tags and packaging applied to your spec.
- 7
Final QC & DDP shipping. AQL-level final inspection, photos for your approval before dispatch, then DDP delivery to your door in the USA or EU — freight and duties included, so your landed cost is fixed before you commit.
How Much Does It Cost to Manufacture a Custom Sweater?
We quote per project instead of publishing a list price — a custom sweater has no single price, and a number quoted without your yarn, colour count and quantity would only mislead you. Simple jersey knits sit at the accessible end; 13-colour jacquard, intarsia, and raised textured structures move up. The five factors that move your price:
- Yarn — acrylic vs cotton vs wool/cashmere blends
- Stitch complexity — colour count, texture depth, intarsia area
- Finishing — embroidery, appliqué, washing treatments
- Quantity — unit price steps down at 300–500 and 1,000+ pcs
- Delivery term — EXW vs DDP (DDP includes freight + duties in one landed price)
For a deeper breakdown of sweater pricing by style and quantity, see our sweater pricing guide. Send your design and quantity for an exact quote — usually same business day.
Why an Own-Factory Sweater Manufacturer Matters
Dalang has thousands of sweater factories. What separates an own-floor manufacturer from the rest comes down to five things:
- Complex craft you can actually get. 13-colour jacquard, textured relief stitches, and high-density embroidery on stretch knit are process skills that live on the factory floor — if your supplier does not control the machines, these are the first things to fail.
- Low MOQ without giving up craft. Because the machines are ours, a 100-piece run of a difficult style is viable. Most sweater factories in Dalang are set up for volume, and complex small runs are exactly what they turn away.
- Factory-direct price. No middle layer marking up the work between you and production.
- Speed and control. 72-hour sampling because design, programming and knitting sit on one floor. Rush changes get answered by the people who run the machines, not passed along.
- Your designs stay yours. Charts, programs and samples are developed in-house and stay on our own floor.
In custom knitwear you normally trade low price + low MOQ against craft + quality — most suppliers force you to pick. An own factory is how you stop picking.
900 Custom Christmas Sweaters for a Holiday Brand
Holiday brand Five Vesta ordered 900 custom Christmas sweaters — all-over jacquard with the brand lettering knitted into the fabric, not printed. The full run was knitted on our own Dalang flat-knit floor, checked panel by panel during knitting, final-inspected and export-packed on pallets, and shipped out ahead of the holiday window.
How We Protect Your Order
Your money and quality are covered at every step. We welcome third-party inspection (SGS, QIMA, BV) before you pay the balance.
30% deposit, 70% on delivery
Never 100% upfront — pay the balance only before shipping.
Letter of credit (L/C)
We accept L/C — the strongest buyer protection available.
Photo approval before dispatch
Photos and video at every stage, approved by you.
Factory visits welcome
Come see your order being made on our Dalang floor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost?
A made-to-order product has no single list price, but there is a published starting point: 100% acrylic with a three-colour jacquard, DDP to the USA. Everything above that is built from your yarn and material, your size range, the knitting structure and colour count, the wastage the design produces, your quantity, and the trims and packaging you choose. Change any one of those and the price changes. The current figure, the eight variables that move it and the terms behind it are in our cost guide: https://bentepromo.com/blog/bulk-personalized-christmas-sweaters-cost-per-unit. Send your design, size range, quantity and delivery destination and we return a costed quote against the actual product you are buying, usually within one business day.
How much does it cost to manufacture a sweater?
We quote per project rather than publish a list price. Five things move the number: yarn choice, colour count, texture complexity, finishing, and quantity — the design and machine-programming setup is a fixed cost, so unit cost falls as volume rises. DDP folds freight and duties into one landed cost; ask for both and compare.
What is your minimum order quantity for custom sweaters?
100 pieces per design. MOQ counts per design, not per colour or size — you can split one design across sizes and colourways without multiplying the minimum.
How long does custom sweater manufacturing take?
72 hours for a physical sample; bulk is typically 2–3 weeks after sample approval, depending on quantity and season. Tell us your hard deadline upfront — we will say honestly whether it is achievable.
What is fully fashioned knitting — and do you do it?
Fully fashioned means each panel is knitted to its final shape on the machine, then linked — instead of being cut from knitted fabric. Less yarn waste, cleaner seams, better shape retention. That is how flat-knit production works here: shaped panels, linked assembly.
Are you a factory or a trading company?
We own the factory. Our sweaters are knitted on ~100 computerized flat-knit machines on our own floor in Dalang, Dongguan. There is no trading company and no middleman markup between you and production.
Can you work from a sketch or a physical sample?
Yes. Sketch, reference photo, tech pack, or an existing sample to reverse-engineer — the design team turns any of these into a knit-ready chart and program, full ODM from concept to bulk.
Get a Factory-Direct Sweater Quote
Send your design (sketch, photo, or tech pack), target quantity, and deadline — you will get an exact factory quote with MOQ, sample timing and DDP landed cost. Want to preview your logo on a sweater first? Try the free mockup studio.
Related Pages
Jacquard-knit holiday programs, from design to DDP.
Heavy jacquard, intarsia and fine-gauge knits on our own machines.
Bitter-gourd and raised-relief stitches, knitted in-house.
Your logo knitted into the cuff — same floor, same team.
What actually differs in the fabric — and in the quote.
Drop your logo onto a sweater and download a preview — no signup.