Business & Export · Sportswear Encyclopedia
Sportswear Packaging Options
Packaging is where the buyer first meets the product. It has to protect the garment through a 22-day sea journey, look right on a retail shelf and cost as little as possible per unit. Here is what actually works.
Polybag — the invisible workhorse
Every jersey lands in a polybag. It sounds trivial, but the spec matters:
- Thickness: 40 micron for teamwear, 60 micron for retail — the retail polybag has to survive an in-store rummage without splitting.
- Seal: self-seal adhesive strip is the industry default. Heat-seal is stronger but requires a factory seal machine.
- Suffocation warning: mandatory in EU/UK/US, printed on the bag face. A missing warning can trigger a customer-safety non-conformance.
- Perforation: small vent holes reduce trapped air in the carton; 3–5 holes on a jersey polybag is standard.
- Recycled content: 30–100% PCR polybag is available and now required by several retail programmes.
Hangtag — the shelf sell
The hangtag is a 60-second brand introduction. It carries the story on the front and the compliance information on the back:
| Side | Contents |
|---|---|
| Front | Brand logo, season concept, model photo (optional) |
| Inside fold | Fabric composition, technology callouts (mesh, compression, rPET) |
| Back | Care icons, size, SKU, barcode, country of origin, RRP |
Materials: 300 gsm coated one-side board for retail, 250 gsm uncoated kraft for lifestyle brands, printed hemp fibre tag for sustainability-led ranges. Attach with a plastic tag pin, cotton string with metal seal, or recycled paper twine.
Folded card and retail presentation
Some retailers require a printed folded card behind a folded jersey — the card takes the fold, keeps the jersey square on the shelf and carries the size on a visible strip. Standard folded-card spec:
- 350 gsm folding boxboard, 25 × 21 cm folded footprint for adult jerseys.
- Size strip printed at the top edge so a shopper reads S/M/L/XL from the shelf.
- Care information printed on the reverse — reduces the need for a separate hangtag on lower-tier product.
Kit box — the premium option
For premium home-away-third launches or gift SKUs, a kit box presents the jersey, short and sock together. It is a marketing surface as much as packaging:
- Rigid folding carton, 300–350 gsm, matte lamination and spot UV for the badge.
- Interior wrap paper printed with the season concept — the unbox moment.
- Cost typically $1.20–2.50 per box FOB depending on print finish and MOQ.
- Cardboard is 100% recyclable and FSC-certified — a lower-friction sustainability story than plastic reduction.
Export carton — protecting the journey
- 5-ply BC-flute corrugated cartons for sea freight; 3-ply B-flute suffices for air freight.
- Standard master carton: 55 × 40 × 35 cm, gross weight capped at 22 kg for manual handling.
- Content ratio: 30 adult jerseys or 20 tracksuits per master carton is a safe planning number.
- Shipping marks printed on two adjacent sides: brand, PO number, size, quantity, gross/net weight.
- Silica gel sachet inside each carton for humidity control on long sea passages.
Retail-ready packaging on every order
Findup Sports supplies polybag, hangtag, folded card and kit box packaging tailored to your retail programme — recycled polybag and FSC-certified cartons available on request.