Custom Polycarbonate Sunglasses: A Small-Brand Guide to Low-MOQ Runs (2026)
Full polycarbonate is the material most small brands should look at first. It is impact-resistant, light on the face and cheap to make in modest volume — which makes it the rare build that works for both a 200-pair launch and a container programme. But the path from idea to a box of your own branded sunglasses has three or four decisions that quietly determine whether the run is profitable or merely expensive. This guide walks through them from the perspective of a brand doing it for the first time.
The MOQ Reality for Small Brands
The first question every new brand asks is the minimum order. The honest answer depends on one thing: whether the shape is exclusive to you. On a standard mould — a frame the factory already produces for other clients — most suppliers open at around 100 pairs per colour. That is genuinely reachable for a first run and is the right place for almost every new brand to start.
A custom mould, unique to your brand, changes the maths. The tooling has to be cut and paid for, so the MOQ climbs, often to 500-1,000 pairs per colour, and sometimes higher. That is not the factory being difficult; it is basic economics. The practical strategy is to launch on a standard mould with your own decoration, prove the product sells, and only then invest in an exclusive shape you can actually fill.
The Three Costs Nobody Quotes You
The price on a quotation is the per-pair cost — for full PC, roughly $3.50 to $9.00 FOB depending on lens tint, coating, frame finish and packaging. It is the number everyone focuses on, and it is only one of three buckets you need to plan for.
The second bucket is one-time cost: samples, and tooling if you go custom. Samples are cheap individually but you may go through two or three rounds before approval. Tooling is a genuine chunk of money that only earns its keep spread across a large run.
The third bucket is the one that catches brands out: freight, duties and packaging. Sea freight is slow and cheap; air is fast and not cheap. Duties depend on your market. And if you want a real retail box rather than a plain poly bag, that is another per-unit cost most quotes leave out. Small brands that budget only for the per-pair price routinely run short before the product lands — plan all three from the start and the run stays profitable.
Making a Standard Mould Yours
Here is the part new brands underrate: you do not need an exclusive mould to have a product that feels like your own. A standard full PC frame becomes yours through decoration. Temple printing or pad printing puts your logo where customers look. A custom case and a colour-matched frame — matched to your brand's Pantone reference — complete the impression on a shelf.
This is not a compromise; it is how a great many successful eyewear brands started. Full PC moulds are cheap to produce, which makes them an inexpensive base for customisation. Launch with decoration on a standard shape, learn what sells, and move to an exclusive mould once the volume justifies it. The brand lives in the decoration and the story, not in the shape being unique.
Six to Ten Weeks, and What Delays It
A realistic timeline from idea to delivery is six to ten weeks. Sampling and approval take one to three weeks depending on how quickly you respond; production runs 15-25 days after you approve the sample; freight adds five to seven days by air, longer by sea. None of that is unreasonable for manufacturing.
What actually delays a first run is almost never the factory. It is slow feedback: a sample sits on a desk for a week while someone internal debates a lens tint, and the whole schedule slips. Decide fast, give clear approval or clear rejection with reasons, and the timeline holds. The brands that launch on schedule are usually just the ones that reply first.
The Mistake Most Small Brands Make
By far the most common error is ordering too many SKUs at launch. A limited budget creates a temptation to look bigger than you are: six colours, four shapes, all at once. The result is a small order spread across too many variants, which weakens your price tier and leaves you holding dead stock in the two colours that never sold.
Resist it. Launch one or two colours on one proven shape. Sell through, see what your customers actually reach for, then widen the range from a position of knowledge and cash. Margins in this business come from selling out your order, not from the breadth of the initial range. The brands that scale are the ones that treated their first run as a test, not a statement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What MOQ should a small brand expect for full polycarbonate sunglasses?
On standard moulds, most factories open at 100 pairs per colour, which is realistic for a first private-label run. Custom moulds that are unique to your brand push the MOQ up, often to 500-1,000 pairs per colour, because the tooling has to be amortised. For a first product, the smart move is to launch on a standard mould with your decoration rather than spending your budget on an exclusive shape you cannot yet fill.
How much does it cost to launch a first full PC custom run?
Budget three buckets, not one. There is the per-pair cost (roughly $3.50-$9.00 FOB for full PC depending on lens, coating and packaging), the one-time cost of samples and any tooling, and the often-forgotten third bucket: freight, duties and packaging if you go beyond a plain poly bag. Small brands that plan only for the per-pair price routinely run out of budget before the product lands.
Can I put my logo on full polycarbonate sunglasses?
Yes, and it is the cheapest way to make a standard mould feel like your own brand. Temple printing or pad printing is the usual choice; lens etching is a premium touch; a custom case and a colour-matched frame turn a generic product into something that reads as yours on a shelf. Full PC moulds are cheap to produce, which is exactly why they are a favourite base for small-brand customisation. Start with decoration on a standard mould, then move to a custom shape once the volume justifies it.
How long does a first custom run take from idea to delivery?
Realistically six to ten weeks end to end. Sampling and approval take one to three weeks depending on how fast you give feedback; production runs 15-25 days after sample approval; then five to seven days of air freight, longer by sea. The single biggest source of delay is slow feedback loops on samples, not the factory. Decide fast, and the schedule holds.
What is the most common mistake small brands make with full PC?
Ordering too many SKUs at launch. A small brand with a limited budget is tempted to offer six colours and four shapes immediately. That spreads a small order across too many variants, which weakens your price tier and leaves you with dead stock in the colours that do not sell. Launch with one or two colours on one proven shape, sell through, then widen. The margins come from selling out, not from the size of the initial range.
Is polycarbonate the right material for a first sunglasses brand?
It is a strong default if your positioning is durability, outdoor, sport, kids or everyday value, because full PC is impact-resistant, light and economical to make at modest volume. If your brand is fashion-led and sells on frame finish, an acetate frame with a PC lens may serve you better even at a higher cost. Match the material to the story you are selling — full PC is an honest material, and honesty sells over time.
Low-MOQ Full PC at a Glance
100 / colour
Opening MOQ
500-1,000 / colour
Custom-mould MOQ
$3.50-$9.00
FOB band
6-10 weeks
Lead time
1-3 weeks
Sampling
1-2 colours
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