How to Write a Luggage Specification Sheet That Actually Gets Built Correctly

How to Write a Luggage Spec Sheet That Actually Gets Built Correctly

Here's something I see at least once a month. A buyer sends a spec sheet. I read it. I call them and say: "This spec sheet doesn't tell me how to build your product."

They're confused. Their sheet has dimensions, material, color, logo placement. What else could a factory possibly need?

A lot, it turns out.

A good specification sheet isn't a description of what you want. It's a set of pass/fail criteria. Every field should answer one question: how will we know if this was built correctly? If a field can't be verified with a measurement or a test, it doesn't belong on the spec sheet. That one sentence has saved more bad orders than any QC report I've ever written.

The 12 Fields Your Spec Sheet Needs

#	Field	What to write	How to verify	Common mistake and what it costs
1	Material grade, not material category	Polymer, grade, manufacturer, virgin or regrind, nominal thickness and tolerance; for regrind, state the maximum permitted percentage	Material certificate, a retained sample from each batch, third-party composition testing	Writing "PC" and nothing else hands the factory US$2.10–4.80 per shell of room to move
2	Dimension drawing and tolerances	Every dimension carries a tolerance; industry practice is ±5 mm on external dimensions, ±2 mm on wheel spacing and ±1 mm on handle tube diameter; critical dimensions such as airline compliance are marked and tightened	Full measurement of the first article against the drawing, item by item	No tolerance means nothing can be judged non-conforming
3	Weight limits, empty and loaded	State the empty-weight target and ceiling plus the load the case must carry; a load claim must cite a standard (example: "25 kg dynamic load per ISTA 1A")	Check arrivals on a luggage scale, and look at the sample size and the spread	A "load rating" with no standard behind it is marketing copy
4	Component-level specification	Six components, each on its own line: shell (material, grade, thickness, tolerance), wheels (type, diameter, bearing, noise requirement), handle (tube material, diameter tolerance, cycle requirement), zipper (brand and size such as #5 versus #8, slider style), lining (fabric, gsm, fixing method), lock (TSA-approved or not, approval number)	See Table 2 for the verification path	Leaving the factory to guess the grade of every part
5	Colour specification, not just a name	Supply a master swatch and colour card under D65 daylight, and state the Pantone reference	Swatch comparison and colour-difference reading	A name like "overseas blue" cannot be inspected
6	Surface finish standard	Cite a measurement standard; gloss can be specified to ASTM D523 or ISO 2813	Gloss meter reading	"A lovely hand feel" is not a standard
7	Hardware and fasteners	Name the material: stainless steel or zinc-plated steel	Material confirmation plus salt spray	The gap is US$0.06 per piece and two years of corrosion life
8	Logo and branding	Vector file (AI or EPS), size positioned against a reference edge, process (screen print, heat transfer, metal badge, emboss, deboss), Pantone number, minimum size	First-article comparison against the sealed sample	Sending a logo file with no positioned dimensions
9	Packaging specification	Board and flute (3-ply versus 5-ply B-flute), carton dimensions, maximum carton weight, inner packaging (PE bag thickness, desiccant count, corner protection), pallet specification, shipping mark format and position	First-article packaging approval	A missing shipping mark sends the order back through the forwarder
10	Testing and inspection agreement	Do not stop at "AQL 2.5"; write the test and the accept criterion for each item, whether a third party is required, the test standard (ISTA, ASTM, ISO), the sampling plan (AQL level and sample size) and the critical, major and minor defect definitions	Compare the report against the specification line by line	An AQL number alone gives the inspector nothing to judge against
11	Reference sample and its status	Seal a sample and record whether it is the golden sample or a reference sample	Keep the sealed sample, and check this table against the first article side by side	With no golden sample there is nothing to compare production to
12	Compliance and certification	List them by market: CPSIA in the United States, REACH in the EU, Prop 65 where it applies, airline cabin-size compliance, TSA lock approval, plus retailer-specific protocols, since Walmart, Target and Costco each run their own	Document check	One missing certificate can hold a container at customs for weeks

Component	Fields the specification must carry	How to verify
Shell	Material, grade, thickness, thickness tolerance	Material certificate, thickness gauge, golden-sample comparison
Wheels	Type, diameter, bearing specification, noise requirement	Drawing check, decibel report with the test conditions attached, treadmill distance such as 32 km at 20 kg
Handle	Tube material, diameter tolerance, cycle requirement	Cycle test report on a QB/T 2919-2018 basis, plus diameter measurement
Zipper	Brand and size (#5 or #8), slider style	Physical check and pull-strength report
Lining	Fabric, gsm, fixing method (stitched or riveted)	Weight measurement and first-article comparison
Lock	TSA-approved or not, approval number	Travel Sentry or Red Diamond authorisation and number; a "TSA-style" lock does not count

1. Material grade — not just material type

Naming the material family is not a specification. Naming the polymer, the grade, the manufacturer, virgin or recycled, nominal thickness, and tolerance is a specification. For recycled content, specify the maximum allowable percentage. A spec that just says "PC" gives the factory a range of $2.10–4.80 per shell to work with. Guess which end they'll choose.

2. Dimensional drawings with tolerances

Every dimension needs a tolerance. "Height: 55cm" without a tolerance means the factory can deliver 54cm or 56cm and claim they met the spec. Standard for luggage: ±5mm on external dimensions, ±2mm on wheelbase dimensions, ±1mm on handle tube diameters. If a dimension is critical — carry-on size compliance for airline fit, for example — mark it as critical and tighten the tolerance.

3. Weight limit — both empty and loaded

Specify the empty weight target plus maximum, and the loaded weight capacity. The loaded weight should reference a test standard — for example, "25kg dynamic load per ISTA 1A." Without a standard reference, "load capacity" is just marketing copy.

4. Component-level specifications

The shell, wheels, handle, zipper, lining, and lock each need their own spec section. Don't make the factory guess which grade of each component you want. A bullet-level summary of what that looks like:

Shell: material, grade, thickness, tolerance
Wheels: type, diameter, bearing spec, noise requirement
Handle: tube material, diameter tolerance, cycle requirement
Zipper: brand and size (e.g., #5 vs #8), puller style
Lining: fabric, weight, attachment method
Lock: TSA-recognized or not, plus the code stamped by the keyhole

5. Color specifications — not just the name

One color name means seventeen different things to seventeen different people. Specify a Pantone or RAL code for every colored component individually. Provide a master color panel with swatches under D65 daylight. State whether color matching is to the panel or to a spectrophotometer reading. For metallic finishes, specify the base coat number, metallic flake size, and top coat gloss level.

6. Surface finish standard

"Nice finish" is not a standard. Specify gloss level in GU (gloss units) at a 60° measurement angle: high gloss (90+ GU), semi-gloss (50–70 GU), matte (10–30 GU). Reference the measurement standard — ASTM D523 or ISO 2813. And attach photos of acceptable and unacceptable surface defects: flow marks, sink marks, color streaks, orange peel texture.

7. Hardware and fasteners

Rivets, screws, bolts, washers, T-nuts — every fastener should be specified by material, finish, and size. Stainless steel vs zinc-plated steel is a $0.06 difference per unit and a 2-year difference in rust resistance. Write it down.

8. Logo and branding specifications

Include: logo artwork in vector format (AI/EPS), placement dimensions measured from reference edges, application method (screen print, hot stamp, metal badge, emboss/deboss), color specification (Pantone), and minimum size. If your logo has fine detail — under 0.5mm line width — confirm with the factory that their printing method can reproduce it.

9. Packaging specifications

Carton material and flute type (3-layer vs 5-layer B-flute), carton dimensions, maximum weight per carton, inner packaging (PE bag thickness, silica gel desiccant quantity, foam corner protectors), pallet specification if applicable, and shipping mark format and placement.

10. Testing and inspection protocol

Don't just say "AQL 2.5." Reference the specific tests each component must pass, the acceptance criteria, and whether third-party inspection is required. Include the test standard (ISTA, ASTM, ISO), the sampling plan (AQL level and sample size), and the list of critical vs major vs minor defect classifications. If wheel wobble is a critical defect for your brand, it needs to be in the critical column.

11. Reference samples and their status

Specify which samples exist — prototype, gold sample, pre-production sample — which one is the binding reference, and where each copy is stored. The gold sample should be sealed, signed by both parties, photographed from all angles, and referenced by serial number in the contract. What those fields get checked against on the first physical sample is set out in the 12-point first-sample check, field by field.

12. Compliance and certification requirements

List every compliance requirement by market: CPSIA for the US, REACH for the EU, PROP 65 if applicable, airline carry-on compliance dimensions, TSA lock certification, and any retailer-specific requirements — Walmart, Target, and Costco each have their own testing protocols. Missing one certification can get your shipment held at customs for weeks.

The Reality Check

I know what you're thinking: this is a lot of detail. It is. And that's the point.

Every field you leave vague is a decision you're delegating to the factory. And the factory will make that decision in their own interest — not yours. Not because they're dishonest. Because that's how manufacturing works. If you don't specify it, they'll optimize for cost. Short answer: a specification sheet is a contract about variance, not a description of the product. That distinction explains why the longest sheets often fail: a page of adjectives tells the factory what the product should look like when everything goes right, and says nothing about what is acceptable when it does not. What actually governs a production run is the tolerance attached to each number, the grade attached to each material, and the reference sample attached to each finish — because those are the things a line operator can measure against at the station. A buyer who writes twelve fields with tolerances has produced a document that can be checked. A buyer who writes thirty fields of description has produced a document that can only be admired.

A 2-page spec sheet built to these 12 fields will prevent more quality problems than a 12-page QC report written after the fact. The best QC is the one you never have to do — because the spec was clear enough to prevent the defect from existing.

About the Author

Written by the CLK Manufacturing Team — custom luggage OEM/ODM experience since 2009 from our factory in Ji'an, Jiangxi, China. Updated: 2026-08-15.