MOQ 1x40HQ Explained: How Many Recliner Sofas Fit in One Container
PandaSofa's minimum order is one 40HQ container, quoted as one model in up to two colours. One 40HQ holds roughly 48–76 three-seat recliners, 88–108 two-seaters, 144–192 single chairs, or 135–143 lift chairs, depending on the model. Built as sets, the same container takes 32–48 sets. Sampling runs 15–25 days after details are settled; bulk production runs 30–45 days, fastest 25.
What does "MOQ one 40HQ" actually mean?
Our minimum order is not a number of sets. It is a container.
It decides how your first order is structured. Freight, packing and loading are planned per container; cutting and upholstery are set up per model and per colour. So the commercial unit is a filled 40HQ; the number of sets inside is an outcome of the model you pick.
The default structure is one model in up to two colours. Three or more colours on the same model has to be confirmed with the production line before quoting, because each colour is its own cutting run and its own fabric commitment. The same rule is stated on our minimum order quantity FAQ page.
How many recliner sofas fit in a 40HQ?
These figures come from our current price lists for specific configurations. Carton volume is per unit.
| Model | Configuration | Carton volume | Units per 40HQ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8005-3RR | three-seat | 1.07 cbm | 68 |
| 8005-2RR | two-seat | 0.75 cbm | 90 |
| 8005-1R | single | 0.45 cbm | 156 |
| 8007-3RR | three-seat | 1.07 cbm | 68 |
| 8109-3RR | three-seat | — | 66 |
| 8222-3RR | three-seat | — | 68 |
| 8103-1R LAF/RAF | modular end seat | 0.45 cbm | 117 |
| 8103 armless | modular armless seat | 0.35 cbm | 165 |
| 8103 console | console unit | 0.14 cbm | 358 |
| 6005-1R | lift chair | 0.51 cbm | 135 |
Across the three-seat configurations in our current lists the range is 48 to 76 units. Two-seaters run 88 to 108, single recliners 144 to 192, lift chairs 135 to 143.
Why the count moves so much between two similar-looking sofas
Two three-seat recliners that look alike on a showroom floor can differ by 30% in loaded quantity. Four things drive it.
Seat width and arm design
A 199 cm three-seater and a 225 cm three-seater are different cartons. Wider arms add width without adding seats.
Knock-down packing
Backs that detach before cartoning compress the carton height, which is the biggest single lever on volume.
Mechanism and console
A console with cup holders is its own carton. On the 8103 modular range a console loads 358 to a container while an armless seat loads 165.
Carton dimensions, not the sofa's footprint
What fills a container is the box. The 8005-3RR measures 199 × 92 × 100 cm as a sofa but ships in a 204 × 76 × 65 cm carton at 1.07 cbm.
How to check the container math yourself
A 40' high cube has roughly 76 cbm of internal volume. That is a container-standard figure, not a PandaSofa measurement, so treat it as industry-typical rather than exact.
Run the multiplication on the 8005-3RR: 68 units × 1.07 cbm = 72.8 cbm, about 95% of internal volume. That is a realistic fill once you allow for carton compression and the door end.
Two cautions: palletised loads reduce usable volume and the unit count with it, and the published figure assumes one configuration loaded straight.
Set combinations change the answer more than the model does
Buyers rarely order one configuration. On model 8005, one 40HQ holds:
- 48 sets of 3+1
- 39 sets of 3+2
- 36 sets of 3+1+1
- 32 sets of 3+2+1
A 3+2+1 set is six seating positions; a 3+1 set is four. That is why the set count falls so sharply even though the container has not changed. If your retail floor plan is built around 3+2+1, budget the container on sets, not on seats.
One model, two colours — and what it does to the loading plan
Splitting a container across two colours does not reduce the load count, because the cartons are identical. It changes the production plan: two fabric rolls, two cutting batches, two bundle sequences on the loading list.
Two colours is the default because it is the widest split that still keeps the run efficient. Beyond two, ask before you plan the container. On the 8007 recliner sofa set both colourways ship in the same carton footprint, so the choice is commercial rather than physical.
What to send us to get an exact load plan
Four things get you a firm number instead of a range: the model, the configuration (3+1, 3+2+1, or piece-by-piece for modular), the colour split, and the destination port. We load from Ningbo and Shanghai, and the trade terms and ports FAQ lists the Incoterms we work with.
The weight capacity FAQ covers the 120–150 kg design rating — it does not change with order size, and neither do the D28 / D30 / D35 foam specifications.
How MOQ and lead time fit together
The container commitment and the delivery date are linked. Sampling takes 15–25 days once details are confirmed. Bulk production then runs 30–45 days, fastest 25. Stock quick-run models move in 15 days, fastest 10.
A first order that adds a new colour or mechanism starts the clock later than a repeat order on an approved specification. If you are working backwards from a retail date, release the container before the season tightens — and read the expedited order FAQ before assuming the fastest window is available.
Which PandaSofa models fit?
Four families cover most first orders, all with published carton data:
8222 manual recliner sofa set
3+2+1 layout, 68 three-seaters per 40HQ, OEM/ODM accepted.
See the 8222 manual recliner sofa set8007 recliner sofa set
Corner and straight options with drop-down table, 68 three-seaters.
See the 8007 recliner sofa set8109 recliner sofa set
Drop-down table range, 66 three-seaters per 40HQ.
See the 8109 recliner sofa set8429 power lift recliner
Power motion for elderly use, carton 83 × 81 × 76 cm at 0.51 cbm.
See the 8429 power lift reclinerPeople also ask
Can I mix several models in one container?
The default is one model in up to two colours. Send the model list and quantities and we will confirm what the line can take.
Does a custom model change the minimum?
It stays on the same container basis. A new ODM model adds engineering and testing time.
Does foam or mechanism choice change the load count?
Not the count, but it can change the carton. Confirm the configuration before the container is released, not after.
The short version: minimum one 40HQ, one model in up to two colours, 48–76 three-seaters or 32–48 sets, sampling 15–25 days, bulk 30–45 days with 25 as the fastest.
