A salon brand can put its logo on paddle, detangling, round and vent brushes without paying for a new mould. The usual route is to start from an existing brush shape and change the colour, finish, bristles, cushion, logo and packaging. As planning figures: 1,000 pieces per style, per size and per colour on an existing mould, 20–30 days for a custom sample, and 30–50 days of production for most paddle, vent and round brushes. Boar bristle brushes take longer.
This guide is for salon owners, stylists and salon product brands planning their first branded brush range. It covers which brushes to start with, what you can change, how the minimums add up across a range, and what to check before you approve. The figures were confirmed by our sales team in October and November 2026. They are planning ranges, not a quotation.
Which brushes a salon range usually starts with
Most salon brands do not launch ten brushes at once. They pick the two or three tools their stylists already reach for every day and that clients ask to buy after an appointment.
| Brush | Where a salon uses it | What brands usually customise | Production after sample approval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paddle / cushion brush | Smoothing and finishing; the easiest retail add-on | Handle colour and finish, pin type, cushion size and softness, logo | 30–45 days |
| Detangling brush | Wet hair at the basin and after treatments | Colour, flexible bristle layout, logo; often a one-piece moulded body | 25–40 days (one-piece moulded) |
| Vent brush | Fast rough-drying | Colour, pin type, logo | 30–45 days |
| Round brush | Blow-dry styling, usually in several diameters | Barrel size range, bristle mix, handle colour, logo | 35–50 days |
| Boar bristle brush | Finishing and shine; premium retail | Handle material and colour, bristle mix, logo | 40–60 days |
| Wooden or acetate comb | Sectioning at the station; low-cost retail | Material, pattern, engraved or printed logo | 30–40 days (wood) · 30–45 days (acetate) |
All times are typical ranges and depend on style, materials and the production schedule. If a material is already in stock or the line has a gap, an order can move faster; a complex style or the peak season can make it slower.
What you can change without a new mould
A salon brand rarely needs a new shape. What makes a brush feel like your brand is the colour, the finish, the feel of the pins and the logo, and all of these can change on an existing mould:
| Element | Options | Effect on time |
|---|---|---|
| Colour | Pantone-matched handle and cushion colours; gradient finishes | A Pantone match adds no time. A gradient needs extra spraying steps and slows the line |
| Surface finish | Soft-touch rubber-feel paint, metallic paint, pearl paint; plating | Plating adds a few days |
| Pins and bristles | Nylon pins with ball tips, steel pins, boar bristle or mixed | Boar bristle brushes take 40–60 days |
| Cushion | Size and softness matched to the brush | Confirmed at the sample stage |
| Logo | Pad printing or hot stamping on plastic; engraving or screen printing on wood and bamboo | Simple logo placement is free; 3D renders are quoted |
| Packaging | Polybag, header card, window box or printed gift box, with your barcode | Agree the artwork before production starts |
A completely new shape is a different project. For plastic, it means a steel mould from about US$6,000, 45 days or more before the first trial sample, and a minimum of 5,000 pieces per design and colour. The trade-offs are explained in Existing Mould or New Mould?
How the minimums add up across a salon range
The minimum applies to each style, each size and each colour separately. Sizes cannot be combined to reach the minimum. This is the point that most often changes a first-order plan:
| Plan | How it counts | Minimum total |
|---|---|---|
| Paddle brush in black only | 1 style × 1 colour × 1,000 | 1,000 pieces |
| Paddle + detangling brush, each in black and blush | 2 styles × 2 colours × 1,000 | 4,000 pieces |
| Round brush in three diameters, one colour | 3 sizes × 1 colour × 1,000 | 3,000 pieces |
| Paddle + detangling + round (3 sizes), each in two colours | (2 + 3) items × 2 colours × 1,000 | 10,000 pieces |
These figures are for plastic brushes on an existing mould, and for acetate, wood and bamboo brushes and combs. Two price patterns help when you plan the split: 5,000 pieces of one item usually costs about 10% less per unit than 1,000. For a first order, many salon brands launch one hero colour across two or three styles, then add colours on the reorder. The full rules by material are in the Hair Accessories MOQ Guide.
Back bar and retail shelf: plan both
The same brush often does two jobs in a salon: a working tool at the station and a product on the retail shelf. They need slightly different things:
- At the station: the brush gets used many times a day, cleaned often and handled with wet hands. Test samples under your own routine, including your blow-dryer and your cleaning products, before you approve.
- On the shelf: the client sees the packaging first. Decide the pack style, barcode and any care card at the sample stage so the artwork does not hold up production. See Retail Packaging, Artwork and Barcodes.
- Logo position: put the logo where the hand does not cover it when the brush is in use, and keep it simple. A fine or very small logo is harder to print cleanly, and logo print defects are one of the common reasons for rework.
Samples and a realistic timeline
Start with stock samples to choose shapes and feel, then order custom samples of the styles you shortlist:
| Step | Typical time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Stock samples of existing styles | Ship within 3 days | Free for regular styles; you pay the freight. Higher-value styles such as acetate cushion brushes are charged |
| Custom sample in your colour, pins and logo | 20–30 days on an existing plastic mould | Usually RMB 200–800 per design; check with sales first |
| Bulk production | 25–60 days by brush type (table above) | 30% deposit; balance before shipment |
| Freight | 5–7 days express · 12–15 days air · 25–50 days sea | Depends on destination; DDP available to most countries |
For a range of paddle, detangling and round brushes on existing moulds, plan roughly 10–14 weeks from custom sample to delivery by air: 20–30 days for the sample, 35–50 days for production (set by the slowest item, the round brushes) and 12–15 days of air freight. Add the time you take to approve the sample and pay the deposit. The approved sample then becomes the production standard; Sample Approval and the Golden Sample explains why that matters. For more detail by material, see Lead Time by Material.
What is checked before your brushes ship
- Every piece gets a visual check, and each order is inspected to AQL 2.5 (General Inspection Level II) against the approved sample.
- Printed logos are checked piece by piece by a dedicated inspector.
- Ball tips on nylon pins are checked by a dedicated worker; missing or uneven tips are touched up.
- Style numbers and quantities are checked by hand before the container is loaded.
- Third-party inspection is welcome. Book it for the last days of production so it does not delay loading.
If a problem is found after delivery, send photos or videos within 30 days. Once it is confirmed as our responsibility, we refund it or replace the goods in your next order. Spare units and inspection reduce the risk, but no factory can promise zero defects, so agree the inspection standard before production. The Hair Brush Quality Control Checklist lists what to look at on arrival.
What to send for a quotation
A quote comes back faster and with fewer questions when the first message covers:
- The brush types and sizes you want, with a photo or a style from our range for each.
- Colours (Pantone numbers if you have them) and the finish.
- Pin type: nylon with ball tips, steel or boar bristle.
- Your logo file (vector) and where it should go.
- Quantity per style, per size and per colour.
- Packaging style and whether you need barcodes.
- The country you sell in and your target delivery date.
The Hair Accessories RFQ Checklist has a fuller template. When your brief is ready, send it through our custom hair brush page or the contact page; we reply within 24 hours on working days.
