Bags are a low-density cargo: our catalogue runs 60–740 g per piece, but a carton of them is mostly air. Air freight charges the greater of actual and volumetric weight, so what decides your cost is how much space the cartons take, not what the bags weigh on a scale. Get carton dimensions with your quotation and the comparison becomes arithmetic.
Volumetric weight is the number that bites
Airlines and couriers bill on chargeable weight: the greater of the actual weight and the volumetric weight of the carton. The volumetric figure is derived from carton dimensions using a divisor your forwarder will tell you — it differs between air freight and express couriers, which is exactly why two quotes for the same shipment can look unrelated. For fabric bags, volumetric almost always wins, so a lighter bag does not automatically mean a cheaper airway bill.
What that means in practice
- Ask for carton dimensions and carton quantity, not just unit weight. Those two numbers are what your forwarder needs to quote either mode.
- Compression helps more than weight reduction. How tightly a style packs changes your freight bill more than shaving grams off the bag.
- Structured bags cost more to ship than soft ones. A rigid straw tote holds its shape — and its air — where a soft knitted bag flattens.
- Individual polybags add a little bulk. Worth it for retail presentation, but it is a line item in the volume calculation.
When air actually makes sense
- Opening quantity for a season you are already late for, with the balance following by sea.
- Small first orders where the sea-freight fixed costs — documentation, terminal handling, customs — do not amortise over enough units.
- Samples and pre-production pieces, always.
- A reorder that has to hit a specific promotional date.
When sea is obviously right
Any planned bulk that has a normal calendar behind it. Sea is dramatically cheaper per unit at volume, and the whole point of the season calendar is to make sure you are choosing sea because you planned, not choosing air because you did not.
Questions for your forwarder
- What divisor do you use for volumetric weight on this lane — air freight and express?
- What is the chargeable weight for these carton dimensions and this carton count?
- What are the fixed costs at both ends, and which of them do not scale with volume?
- What transit time are you quoting today, door to door, including clearance?
- What happens to the quote if the shipment is one carton larger than planned?
Per-piece weights are published on every style page — for example the tulip knit mini crossbody at the light end and the larger totes in the crochet and knitted collection at the other. Carton dimensions and gross weight come with your quotation once quantity and packing are set.
Lovy quotes ex-works or FOB depending on your terms, and can work with your forwarder or arrange one. Ask for carton data with the quotation — it is what makes the sea-versus-air comparison possible at all.
FAQ
Is air freight always more expensive?+
Per unit at volume, yes. For a small first order the gap narrows once you count the fixed costs of an ocean shipment, so compare landed cost rather than freight rate.
Why is my air quote based on a weight higher than the actual weight?+
Because the cargo is bulky relative to its weight, so the volumetric figure is higher than the scale figure and becomes the chargeable weight.
Can you ship on our forwarder's account?+
Yes — tell us the forwarder and the terms with your order, and we will book the cargo to them.