Why the terms get confused
Suppliers use these three words loosely, and sometimes interchangeably, so two quotes that both say "private label" can describe very different things. The difference that matters to a buyer is simple: who decides what the product is, how much of it can change, and whether anyone else can sell the same thing.
White label: the same product, a different logo
A white label product is designed by the manufacturer and sold to many buyers, each of whom adds their own logo. The glove, its shape, its padding and usually its colours are fixed; what changes is the name on it.
- Good for: testing a market quickly with very little development.
- Watch: other brands can sell an identical glove, so it is hard to stand out on anything but price.
Private label: made for your brand
A private label product is made for one brand and sold under that brand's name. It often starts from a reference, a glove you already sell or one you like, and is developed with you: the material, colours, padding, closure, labels and packaging are agreed, then fixed on a sample you approve.
- Good for: a club or brand that wants its own product without drawing it from scratch.
- Watch: be clear in writing which parts are your own design and which are the manufacturer's standard construction.
OEM: made to your design
OEM (original equipment manufacturing) means the manufacturer makes a product to the buyer's design. The brand brings the design, as a tech pack or a detailed sketch, and the factory turns it into patterns, a sample and then bulk. The brand owns the design; the factory owns the know-how to build it.
- Good for: an established brand with its own product team, or a brand moving production with an existing tech pack.
- Watch: the more detailed the design, the more the first sample is a test of the drawing as well as of the factory.
You may also see ODM
ODM (original design manufacturing) is a manufacturer's own design, adapted and sold under a buyer's brand. It sits between white label and private label.
Side by side
| White label | Private label | OEM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who designs it | The manufacturer | Developed with you | You |
| What you can change | The logo | Materials, colours, details, labels, packaging | Everything |
| Starting point | A catalogue product | A reference, sketch or idea | A tech pack or detailed design |
| Can others sell the same? | Yes | Not your version | No |
| Development time | Least | A sample round or more | Depends on the design |
What Sparwright does
Sparwright is a private label and OEM manufacturer. A brand or club can start from a reference product, from a sketch or an idea, or from its own tech pack. Where there is no tech pack, we write one, with patterns made in CAD and graded across the size range; where there is one, we work to it.
Either way, the route is the same: a brief, a free mockup of your design, a free physical sample delivered in 7–10 days, and bulk production only once you approve that sample. Your brand goes on the product, the printed labels and the packaging, and the approved sample and specification are kept so a reorder is matched to them.
Which one suits you
- A gym or club kitting out members: private label from a reference is usually enough, in your colours with your logo.
- A new brand with a clear idea but no designer: private label, developed from a sketch or a reference.
- A brand with its own product team: OEM, made to your tech pack.
Whichever you choose, agree in writing who owns the artwork, the design and the specification. If you need a confidentiality agreement before sharing an unreleased design, say so in your brief.
Once you know which model suits you, the next step is choosing who makes it: twelve checks to run on any supplier before you order.
