Stacks of 240gsm coral fleece airline blankets being measured, folded, and heat-sealed with care labels in a textile packing line

What 240gsm buys you on board

A 240gsm coral fleece blanket sits in the workable middle of inflight amenity sourcing. It is heavier and warmer than 180-200gsm promotional fleece, but still light enough to fold into a compact polybag or belly-band pack without pushing carton volume too hard. For economy and premium economy, that usually means acceptable hand feel with controlled freight weight, especially at finished sizes around 110 x 150 cm, 120 x 160 cm, or 130 x 170 cm.

In sourcing language, coral fleece is a market term, not a controlled construction. For reproducible pricing, define it as a brushed polyester fleece with a flat or lightly raised face, no loop pile, and no novelty emboss unless separately approved. Buyer-ready definition: 100% polyester, 150D/96F to 200D/144F filament range, nominal 240gsm finished weight after brushing and heat setting, brushed on one or both sides as stated in the PO, pile height typically in the low millimetre range, no silicone softener unless approved, and no fluorinated water-repellent finish unless explicitly required. Acceptable substitutions should be stated up front: brushed microfleece is acceptable only if the buyer agrees to a lighter hand and lower loft; coral fleece with embossing is not acceptable unless the emboss pattern, depth, and repeat are separately signed off.

Do not buy by GSM alone. Define the measurement basis: finished fabric weight after heat setting and brushing, not greige weight; tolerance should be set at plus or minus 5 percent on the finished blanket, sampled by lot and measured on cut swatches of agreed size. Use an actual test method in the PO, for example ISO 3801 or ASTM D3776 for mass per unit area, with the specimen size, number of specimens, and conditioning stated. A practical buyer method is 5 specimens per lot, conditioned at standard atmosphere for textiles, with the lot accepted only if the arithmetic mean falls within tolerance and no individual specimen falls outside a tighter agreed control band. If the supplier quotes 240gsm but delivers 225-230gsm after finishing, that is a spec miss, not a rounding error.

For reuse, ask for ISO 12945-2 pilling data and state the acceptance grade explicitly. Do not mix methods and outcomes loosely. Write the requirement as one method, one cycle count, one pass/fail threshold: for example, Martindale pilling assessment to ISO 12945-2 at 5,000 cycles, grade 3 minimum on the face after conditioning and visual comparison to the standard rating set. If you prefer a different rub regime, keep it to the same logic. For lint-sensitive cabins, specify lint shedding checks to ISO 9073-10 or an agreed internal equivalent on the finished blanket, with the sample count and the pass criterion written into the PO. If you need a lighter benchmark, compare it with 140gsm brushed polyester airline blankets with heat-cut edges and with the higher-retention build in 210gsm rPET microfleece airline blankets.

Clarify the fabric before you price it

Do not let the supplier quote only by GSM. A buyer should state face composition, yarn type if known, finishing method, and any recycled-content requirement. A usable line item reads: 100% polyester brushed fleece, nominal 240gsm finished weight, width to suit cut size, anti-pilling finish if used, no silicone softener, no optical brightener unless approved, no added fragrance finish, and no PFAS-based water repellent. If recycled content matters, define the claim basis separately and ask for the supporting transaction documents, not just a logo on the carton.

If the blanket is intended for repeated reuse, specify the test basis for appearance retention and dimensional stability on the finished article, not on loose fabric. A useful combination is ISO 6330 for laundering, ISO 12945-2 for pilling, and ISO 5077 for dimensional change. State the cycle count, wash temperature, detergent class, and tumble or line-dry condition. For airline service, a practical target is dimensional change within about plus or minus 3 percent after the agreed wash cycle count, seam opening absent, and no visible pile baldness in the main field. Keep the acceptance basis simple enough that both buyer and factory can defend it from the same clause.

The most common failures are slow and costly: visible lint on dark seats, pilling after a few wash cycles, shade drift between lots, and edge distortion after compression. Shade should be controlled against a buyer-approved standard under D65 or a comparable daylight source and a controlled cabinet, with an agreed visual tolerance. A workable control set is one sealed master blanket, one bulk shade band, and one packed sample from the approved carton format. The factory should retain all three. If you are building a repeat programme, ask for lab dip or strike-off approval, a pre-production sample from actual bulk fabric, and a packed sample in the final carton format before the first mass cut.

FOB Shenzhen under Incoterms 2020

FOB Shenzhen should be treated as a port-specific export price under Incoterms 2020. To be precise, the named place should be a real port handover point such as Yantian or Shekou, not just Shenzhen in general. Under FOB, the seller is responsible for export clearance and delivery of the goods on board the named vessel at the named port of shipment. The buyer takes over once the goods are on board. Ocean freight, marine insurance, destination THC, import duty, inland delivery, and destination brokerage are not included unless the quote says otherwise.

That definition matters because many quotes blur factory gate work with port work. A proper FOB quote should state exactly what is included: fabric, cutting, sewing, label application, folding, inner pack, carton packing, export marks, and delivery to the named port. If truck-to-port drayage, export documents beyond standard customs filing, pallet exchange, or warehouse storage are excluded, it should be said plainly. If not, a buyer will misread the freight exposure and compare the quote against CIF or DDP incorrectly.

Port handover example: if the quote says FOB Yantian, the mill delivers 10,000 packed blankets to the named vessel at Yantian after export clearance; the buyer pays ocean freight from Yantian to the destination port, marine cargo insurance if required, discharge charges, customs entry, duty, and final delivery. Exclusions that should be listed in the PO include destination THC, demurrage, detention, local taxes, import filing fees, inspection at destination, and any inland trucking after discharge. If the route depends on a fixed sailing window, lock the booking milestone into the PO. FOB is not a promise to deliver to your warehouse; it is a delivery point, and the handover line must be clear in writing.

What to put on the PO, line by line

The purchase order should read like a control document. Start with the product definition: 240gsm coral fleece blanket, 100% polyester unless otherwise stated, finished size, measured tolerance, and fold method. A practical finished size line might read: 120 x 160 cm, tolerance plus or minus 2 cm on length and width, four-fold pack, reverse-side label placement, no loose hanging tag unless approved separately.

Then define performance criteria. State the pilling target if the blanket will be reused, the acceptable shade variation, and the packaging format. Example: pilling minimum grade 3 after 5,000 cycles to ISO 12945-2 on the finished blanket, colour to buyer-approved master with one bulk shade band per order, carton count 24 pcs per carton, single inner polybag, carton compression suitable for stacked pallet load without visible crushing of the face pile. If the buyer expects laundry reuse, add ISO 6330 and require the style to survive the chosen cycle count without seam opening, label loss, or more than the agreed dimensional change. If the blanket will be folded and refolded in service, add a crease-appearance check on the approved packed form.

For labels, separate content requirements from performance requirements. Content should include fibre composition, care symbols aligned to ISO 3758, country of origin, lot code, and buyer item code. Performance should cover durability and legibility after handling. State the label type: woven polyester label, satin finish if legibility matters, or heat-transfer label on brushed fleece if you want a flatter back surface. For abrasion resistance, require the print to remain legible after the agreed laundering cycle count and a controlled rub test or laundering-only endpoint. If heat-seal labels are used, add a peel test criterion, for example no edge lift after 48 hours under room temperature compression and no delamination after the agreed laundering cycles. A label that fails peel strength is not a cosmetic issue; it becomes a packing and compliance issue.

A complete PO line block should include: product name, finished size, GSM basis, yarn or fibre composition, construction, colour reference, edge finish, label type, care standard, carton quantity, carton size target, gross weight limit, pallet pattern, inspection standard, acceptance criteria, and Incoterms 2020 term with named port. That level of specificity avoids the usual argument over what was supposedly assumed.

Sample PO clause example: `240gsm coral fleece airline blanket, 100% polyester brushed fleece, finished size 120 x 160 cm +/- 2 cm, ISO 12945-2 pilling grade 3 min at 5,000 cycles, ISO 6330 wash 5 cycles at 40 C, no seam opening, woven label with fibre content and care symbols, FOB Yantian Incoterms 2020, AQL 2.5 major / 4.0 minor, 24 pcs per carton, packed weight under 12 kg gross.` That is the level at which a quote can be checked without guesswork.

Heat-sealed care labels: where they work and where they fail

Heat-sealed labels are useful when you want to avoid needle holes, speed application, and keep the back face clean. They are not universal. On brushed fleece, low-temperature adhesive film can hold through initial packing and still fail later if the blanket is compressed hard, stored in humidity, or repeatedly folded along the same line. The first failure is usually edge curl; after that, the corners start to lift and the whole label peels.

A heat-sealed label should be placed on a flatter reverse panel and away from the main fold line. Ask for the exact seal window: temperature, dwell time, and pressure, plus the adhesive film spec. For procurement, do not accept passes adhesion test as a free-form statement. Specify the test condition. A workable requirement is: no edge lift, no legibility loss, and no visible delamination after 5 domestic wash cycles to ISO 6330, followed by a room-temperature compression hold of 24 to 48 hours in the packed state. If your airline route involves hot holds or humid cargo handling, add a temperature and humidity exposure step before final approval.

If the label carries compliance information, treat it as a functional component, not decoration. It needs enough bonded area to survive handling, and the printed legend must survive bending and pack compression. Specify minimum text height, preferably no less than about 1.5 to 2.0 mm for permanent textile identifiers, and require placement tolerance within roughly plus or minus 5 mm of the approved position so the label does not land in a fold edge or seam line. If the label is woven, require a clean cut edge or ultrasonic seal depending on material; if it is heat-transfer, require a peel or laundering endpoint, not just a visual inspection at pack-out.

MOQ tiers and what really moves unit price

MOQ is driven by more than a simple production minimum. The biggest variables are colour count, fabric booking, label complexity, pack format, and whether you need a new artwork run. A low tier, often 300 to 500 pieces per colour, carries the same setup burden as a larger order but spreads it over fewer units. A mid tier, often 1,000 to 3,000 pieces per colour or style, usually gives a better cutting yield and better fabric booking. Larger lots can improve pricing again if the mill can run longer dye or finishing batches with less loss.

For quoting, ask the factory to keep the spec identical across tiers so you can compare properly. A useful matrix is 500 pcs, 2,000 pcs, and 5,000 pcs, all with the same GSM, size, label build, and carton count. The first tier usually carries the highest hidden overhead: strike-off or label proof, sample assembly, shade confirmation, and pack approval. Once those are frozen, the main cost swing is fabric source and labour content.

A buyer-ready cost-driver list should be explicit. GSM drives raw material mass first, so moving from 220gsm to 240gsm usually adds fibre cost and can raise freight by a few percent at scale. Recycled content tends to add qualification work, lot segregation, and documentation cost. Wider fabric width usually lowers cutting waste; narrow width does the opposite. Brushing on both sides increases finishing time and can add lint-control risk. Packing format matters because a polybag-and-belly-band pack is cheaper than a printed insert card plus compressed gift box. Label type matters because woven labels and sewn-in labels cost more than simple heat-transfer marks, and heat-seal labels add adhesive and press-control risk. Wash-test requirements, shade-control approvals, and buyer-specific artwork all add labour and delay. If the buyer changes the label text, care symbols, or colour after approval, the factory will either absorb rework or add margin to cover the risk.

Inspection and acceptance

Use a normal inspection frame rather than ad hoc visual approval. For a consumer-facing textile shipment, AQL 2.5 is a common starting point for major defects and 4.0 for minor defects, with critical defects set to zero acceptance. State the lot size, sample size table, and defect categories in the PO. Major defects should include wrong size beyond tolerance, wrong colour beyond the approved shade band, label omission, seam opening, or damaged pile that is visible on unpacking. Minor defects should cover loose threads, small packing errors, or slight fold marks that do not affect use.

Define how the sample is taken. Sampling should be random across cartons and across production time, not just from the top carton of a pallet. If you care about consistent pack presentation, inspect both product and pack: blanket face, edge finish, label placement, inner pack clarity, carton print, and carton compression. For reusable airline programmes, add a retained reference sample from the approved batch and a pre-shipment sealed master from the first approved lot. That makes later claim handling much easier.

If you need a simple field checklist for receiving: verify finished size, lot code, label content, fold format, carton count, outer marks, and one random wash or rub witness record if specified. If any of those are loose, price comparisons become unreliable because you are no longer comparing the same article.

A buyer-ready trade-off set

If the priority is lowest cube and lowest freight, stay closer to 180-200gsm and choose compact folding with a basic polybag. If the priority is a better hand feel and better perceived value, 240gsm is the more stable middle ground. If the priority is repeated reuse and less tendency to telegraph seat texture, a denser microfleece or rPET build may be better, but it usually carries a higher fabric and compliance burden.

Two acceptable configurations for the same programme can be priced differently without changing the market value of the product. Configuration A: 240gsm brushed polyester, piece-dyed, single-sided brushing, woven label, polybag pack, FOB Yantian. Configuration B: 240gsm solution-dyed polyester, double-sided brushing, heat-transfer compliance label, printed belly band, FOB Yantian. B will usually cost more and may need longer lead time, but it gives better shade continuity and can reduce lot-to-lot colour risk. That is the kind of comparison a procurement team can use; it is more useful than a generic premium-versus-economy split.

If you want the program to survive the first season, lock the spec, keep a sealed master, and do not treat label text or pack art as late-stage details. Most blanket disputes start with a small ambiguity in the PO and end with a claim over shade, size, or label durability.

Frequently asked

What is the safest way to define coral fleece in a PO? Treat coral fleece as a brushed polyester fleece market term, then lock the construction: fibre content, yarn count range, finished GSM, brushing side, pile expectation, finish, and any acceptable substitution. Do not leave it as a marketing label only.

What inspection level should I use for airline blankets? AQL 2.5 for major defects and 4.0 for minor defects is a common starting point. Keep critical defects at zero acceptance and define what counts as major in the PO, including wrong size, wrong label content, seam opening, and unacceptable shade.

How should I write the pilling requirement? Use one method, one cycle count, and one pass/fail threshold. For example, ISO 12945-2 at 5,000 cycles with grade 3 minimum on the face after conditioning. Do not combine rub counts and grades loosely without the method attached.

What should FOB Shenzhen include? Under Incoterms 2020, FOB should include export clearance and delivery on board the named vessel at the named port, such as Yantian or Shekou. It should not include ocean freight, insurance, destination charges, import duty, or final delivery unless the quote says so.

Are heat-sealed labels suitable for brushed fleece? Yes, if the label is placed away from the main fold line and the adhesive film, dwell time, and pressure are controlled. The main risks are edge lift, peel failure under humidity, and delamination after repeated compression or laundering.

What is the simplest way to compare supplier quotes? Compare the same finished size, same finished GSM, same label type, same pack format, same inspection basis, and same Incoterms named port. If any of those move, the unit price is not directly comparable.

Have a project in mind? Send us your spec — we'll reply within one business day with indicative pricing and a sample plan.

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