Air or Ocean Freight? How to Choose for Your Next Order

Once production is done, how your goods travel can change both your margin and your launch date. Neither option is always right; it depends on what you're shipping and when you need it.

When air freight makes sense

• You have a hard launch date or seasonal window you can't miss.
• The product is small, light, and high value, so freight is a small share of unit cost.
• You're testing a new product and want to sell through a small batch quickly.
• You're restocking a bestseller that's about to go out of stock.

When ocean freight makes sense

• The order is large, heavy, or bulky.
• You've planned inventory far enough ahead to absorb a longer transit time.
• Margin matters more than speed for this run.

A simple rule of thumb

Compare the landed cost per unit for each option, then ask what a few extra weeks of inventory is worth to you. If missing the window costs more in lost sales than the price difference, fly it. Otherwise, put it on the water and plan ahead next time.

Merchin quotes include both DDP air and DDP ocean pricing with production and transit times, so you can make the call with real numbers.