Wholesale seagrass baskets are growing in popularity across the globe. It’s because sustainability is going top of priority of consumers, so natural fibers are preferred. This article will serve as a guideline about how to source seagrass baskets from Vietnam. Get started now!
Seagrass For Production
Seagrass (or sedge) is a pliable plant that grows naturally in South-East Asian coastal areas. For making woven baskets, we mainly use cultivated seagrass from field areas which have previously been flooded by the sea.
Seagrass characteristics
Once harvested and dried, seagrass looks smooth, silky, quite soft and has a light brown color. Seagrass is known for its great plasticity and durability—making it most favorite for producing baskets.
Seagrass, like other natural fibers, is very hygroscopic (able to absorb water well). Thus, the baskets need to be stored under dry, cool conditions. For exportation, the required moisture content of seagrass baskets ranges from 18% to 22%.
Coloring & weaving styles
Wholesale seagrass products can be decorated by either dyeing or painting. About dyeing, seagrass is more suitable with dark colors, and they might fade over time. Meanwhile, seagrass can be painted with various colors; however, paints on seagrass can peel off quite easily.
Vietnamese weavers also apply different techniques of weaving into the production process. Here are 6 popular seagrass weaving styles for baskets as well as other home products.
Seagrass material cost
In Northern & Central Vietnam, seagrass has lower material cost than other materials (water hyacinth, rattan). That’s because these areas have the largest seagrass production capacity. If your customers prefer wholesale woven baskets, kindly consider seagrass — reasonable prices and high quality!
The costs are different among seagrass weaving styles. Normally, the highest one is Coiled seagrass & Wrapped seagrass while Split seagrass has the lowest cost.
Wholesale Seagrass Baskets’ Quality
Are wholesale seagrass baskets safe?
→ Yes, seagrass baskets are surely safe for both consumers & the environment. Seagrass is fast-growing, sustainable and biodegradable. Also, there are almost no chemical uses in the production process. The use of gluing is required to make some kinds of baskets well-shaped and mold-free, and this glue is totally safe for consumers’ uses.
>> READ MORE: 3 Highlights about the Production Process of Seagrass Homewares
Are wholesale seagrass baskets waterproof & weather resistant?
→ No. For indoor uses only. Not given enough protection from water, seagrass baskets will lose their shape and develop mold. In case seagrass products get wet, let’s dry them completely in the sunlight or using drying machines, then store them in warehouses equipped with dehumidifiers.
How durable are wholesale seagrass baskets?
→ Strong, stylish and sustainable—that’s how we would describe wholesale seagrass baskets. Seagrass delivers a high level of durability and plasticity for long-time storage. Based on our testing, seagrass storage baskets can load up to 25-30kg.
Are wholesale seagrass baskets likely to get deformed?
→ It depends on specific seagrass weaving styles. Some styles should have iron frames to not lose form, such as Twisted seagrass, Split seagrass, Pressed seagrass, Braided seagrass. Others (Coiled seagrass & Wrapped seagrass) make baskets sturdy and well-shaped, without the use of iron frames.
What To Know Before Buying Wholesale Seagrass Baskets
3.1. Find & Verify seagrass basket manufacturers
Seagrass thrives most in Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Seagrass of Vietnam is not only used for domestic production, but also exported to neighboring Asian countries. Therefore, you should look for manufacturers based in this region.
If you would like high-quality seagrass, we suggest working with suppliers that source this material from Nga Son (Thanh Hoa, Vietnam). Seagrass of Nga Son is estimated as of the best quality, with even stem’s diameter, great plasticity and beautiful natural brown.
Verifying suppliers is also of great importance. For online research, consider their websites, Alibaba pages, or rely on supplier directory sites (Yellowpages) or trade data sites (Panjiva, Import Genius). Have a read for some tips to find trusted wholesale home decor suppliers!
3.2. Choose the right time to order from Vietnam
Seagrass can be affected by constant heavy rain in flood seasons. Floods happen from October to December in Central Vietnam, which will cause bad-quality or rotten seagrass—cannot be used for production. It is the reason why there might be an insufficient supply of seagrass during these months.
It is also crucial to pick the right time to order wholesale seagrass baskets from Vietnam. The right order time enables you to get better prices (thanks to lower seagrass costs), shorter production time and more convenient delivery as well.
>> Read more The best time to order natural homewares from Vietnam
3.3. Quotations & Samples from wholesale seagrass basket suppliers
Not only sourcing dried seagrass, producing companies also need to purchase other materials and accessories from sub-suppliers. In Vietnam, a large part of seagrass baskets are made by local weavers (villagers), then collected and finished by producing companies. The process is relatively long and complex, so it takes a few days for suppliers to calculate and update you (buyers) on exact prices.
As to seagrass basket samples, production time (lead time) depends on shapes, sizes, designs and weaving styles. The more add-on accessories and patterns, the longer production time. Among all seagrass weaving styles:
- Pressed Seagrass has the shortest lead time (commonly used in foldable belly baskets).
- Coiled Seagrass takes weavers the longest time to complete.
Hope that our information is of some help to you in purchasing seagrass baskets from Vietnam and working with Vietnamese suppliers.
