Buying guide
How to import metal bed frames from China.
A practical sequence for buyers sourcing metal bed frames — written from the factory side of the table. Nothing here is specific to us; it is what we would do if we were the ones buying.
The order of operations
- 01
Fix the specification first
Size, frame construction, slat configuration and finish. Do this before you talk to anyone. A supplier who quotes before understanding the spec is quoting a different product, and the price difference you see at this stage is usually a specification difference, not a cost advantage.
- 02
Work out the packed volume
This is the number that decides your landed cost, and it is the one buyers ask about last. Ask for carton dimensions, cartons per unit and total cubic metres before you compare unit prices.
- 03
Read the quotation as a whole
A unit price means nothing without an Incoterm. EXW, FOB and CIF produce very different totals once freight, insurance and inland handling are counted.
- 04
Confirm MOQ against your first order
Check the minimum per model and per size — not just per order. A supplier quoting 100 pieces may mean 100 per size, which is a different commitment.
- 05
Order a sample and test it properly
Assemble it, sit on it, check the slat gap against your mattress specification, and look at the welds. A sample that arrives perfect but was hand-finished is worth nothing.
- 06
Agree payment, lead time and inspection in writing
Deposit percentage, balance trigger, production window and who inspects. Put all four in the PI, not in a chat message.
Packed volume: the number that decides your landed cost
Freight is charged on volume, not on unit price. Two frames with the same ex-works price can differ by a factor of two in delivered cost, purely because one breaks down flat and the other does not.
As a reference point, our own range spans 0.06 to 0.20 m³ per unit packed. The knock-down frames sit at the bottom of that range because the components stack; a fixed welded frame with the same mattress size occupies roughly twice the carton volume.
So when a quotation looks 15% cheaper, check the cubic metres. If the cheap option takes 30% more volume, it is not cheaper — it is a more expensive way of buying the same frame.
What to ask for in writing
- Carton dimensions (length × width × height, in cm)
- Cartons per unit, and units per pallet if applicable
- Total packed volume per unit (m³)
- Gross weight per carton
- Container loading quantity for a 40'HQ
EXW, FOB or CIF — what you are actually buying
| EXW | You collect from the factory. Cheapest line on the quotation, but you own the export declaration, inland transport and everything after it. |
|---|---|
| FOB Shenzhen | We deliver to the port and clear export. The most common arrangement for container orders, and the easiest for your forwarder to work with. |
| CIF | We arrange freight and insurance to your port. Convenient, but you cannot see what the freight actually costs — so you cannot negotiate it. |
Two rules that save arguments later. First, always name the port — FOB Shenzhen, not just FOB; banks reject documents that do not match the letter of credit. Second, if you take EXW, agree in writing who handles the export declaration, because an export your supplier never declared can cost you the VAT refund on your side.
Five things that go wrong
A price that is too low
Usually a thinner tube, a lighter slat, no film laminate, or a carton that will not survive the container. Ask what the frame weighs and what the tube wall thickness is.
Packed volume that grows after the order
Get carton dimensions in the PI. If they appear for the first time on the packing list, you have already paid the freight.
One size, not the range
Check the MOQ applies per size. A range of four sizes at 100 pieces each is 400 pieces.
Loose tolerances on the slat gap
If your mattress specification calls for a maximum slat gap, put the number in writing. "Standard" means different things in different factories.
Verbal lead times
Written lead time, from deposit, with the drawing approval date named. This is what you refer to when a fit-out programme is at risk.
If you would rather not run this yourself
Most of our buyers arrive with a drawing, a competitor sample, or a target price and a mattress specification. We take it from there: confirm what is manufacturable, quote against it, and send a sample in 7–10 days.
Or start from what already exists
If you would rather not tool up at all, 28 standard specifications are already in production across four families. Standard orders start at 100 pieces per model and size, and different models can share one container.
Tell us the spec. We will send the numbers.
Send a model, a size and a quantity — or just a drawing. You will get carton dimensions, packed volume, gross weight and a lead time.