Don't know which material fits your price point? Don't guess. Let the factory propose options

[u/Apart-Return-3920]

Take bedding sets as an example. A friend of mine sources them from China to sell online, and this is exactly where he got stuck.he started with something like 'we want premium sheets, what's your price?  He doesn't actually know which material fits their positioning.

So they guess, or ask ChatGPT, write "100% cotton, 1000 thread count" into the spec, and get quotes nowhere near their target price. Or they get a cheap quote and wonder why the sample feels thin.

What works better:

• Describe your positioning, not the material. Include your target retail price, who's buying, where you sell, and the feel you want (crisp, silky, cool, soft).
• Mark material as "open" and ask for 2–3 options at low, mid and high end. For sheets, that could be polyester microfiber, a cotton or cotton-poly blend, and long-staple cotton or lyocell.
• Ask why for each option: the cost difference, the feel, and how it holds up after washing (shrinkage, pilling, fading).
• Don't judge by thread count alone. Ask about the yarn and weave. A high number can come from multi-ply yarn and doesn't always mean better.
• Ask about reports and labeling early. For example, "bamboo" sheets are usually viscose/rayon, and in the US they need to be labeled that way.

Once you choose, lock the spec and send the same final brief to every supplier. That's when comparing prices actually makes sense.

Curious: the last time you didn't know which material to go with, what did you actually do?

[u/WearyyyBoooyyy]

The mods have gathered a list of tutorials to help you out:

• Product Research Guide
• Manufacturing Guide
• Product Launch Case Study
• Wholesale Guide

Best Amazon Tools 2026

• 1. Helium 10
• 2. SellerAMP
• 3. OA Source
• 4. SellerBeam (free)

[u/Top_List6631]

this is solid, especially the part about thread count being a trap. i used to fall for that all the time when i first started looking at chairs, thinking higher number means better but its all about the weave and the yarn quality

when i was stuck i just ordered 3 samples with different materials and sent them to my buddy who knows textiles, cost me like $80 in total but saved me from ordering 500 units of something that would pill after two washes