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Top 10 Best Places to Buy Promotional Products & Items Online

Sarah Pritzker
Promotional Products Companies & Items

Promotional products, branded merchandise, swag—we know them as the popular freebies loved by businesses and clients alike. People love getting custom swag at an event and usually enjoy it for a long time afterward. 

Best of all, every time they use your branded merch, they spread the word about your organization or company for free. 

The options for buying promotional products can seem endless. It can feel impossible to wade through the many sellers to choose the best promotional product supplier. 

You want to order from a supplier who will offer quality, affordability, and variety, as well as great customer service. 

Not to worry! We’ve done all the legwork to bring you the Top10.com list of the best places to get affordable, high-quality branded merchandise your customers will love.

Our Best Promotional Products & Items Companies in 2024:

  • Deluxe -
  • Vista Print -
  • Positive Promotions -
  • 4Customize -
  • Customon -
  • Zazzle -
  • LogoMaker -
  • DiscountMugs -
  • AnyPromo -

A Closer Look at Our Top 10 Promotional Product Brands

  • 1
    Deluxe

    Deluxe

    • Large orders
    • Yes, for wholesale customers
    • Variable, 24-hour printing available

    Deluxe is a reliable promotional product vendor with a wide selection of products in numerous categories. It has flexible personalization options, with free samples and rush production available for some products. 

    Shipping is available within the USA and internationally. Prices are competitive, and the ordering and checkout process is simple and intuitive. On the downside, the customer service isn’t as good as we expected, and there are additional setup fees with each product you order. 

    Pros
    • Very competitive prices
    • Free samples for wholesale customers
    • Great customization options
    Cons
    • No listed international shipping costs
    • Additional setup fees
  • 2
    Vista Print

    Vista Print

    • Small businesses
    • Yes
    • 3-8 business days

    Since 1995, small businesses have relied on Vistaprint for their marketing merchandise needs. With a seamless, easy-to-navigate website, customers get a clear idea of what their goods will look like before ordering. Vistaprint prompts users about potential pitfalls like legibility and sizing issues. If you’re looking for a simple way to create anything from business cards, to branded puffer jackets, to logo tablecloths, you’ll find it on Vistaprint.

    While Vistaprint does charge shipping fees, they are reasonable and can be expedited if you need your goods in a hurry. Ordering from Vistaprint is risk-free thanks to their commitment to customer satisfaction. You can ask for a reprint or get your money fully refunded if you’re unhappy with the final product. But we don’t think you’ll want a refund, considering Vistaprint’s fair pricing, range of designs, and quality of print. 

    Pros
    • Affordable cost for a huge range of products
    • Clear, helpful interface makes it easy for beginners to use
    • Friendly customer service and money-back guarantee
    Cons
    • Some templates feel dated or unexciting
    • Upgrades for design and product type can add significantly to the cost
  • 3
    Positive Promotions

    Positive Promotions

    • Corporate, industries, service professionals, people celebrating special occasions
    • Yes, upon request
    • 2-7 business days

    Positive Promotions offers a seemingly endless variety of products for businesses and individuals to personalize. Their prices are reasonable, with discounts available on bulk orders. Use the Product Finder to choose the perfect swag gift or browse by category. Personalizing is a hallmark of Positive Promotions, and a basic level of personalization is free. You can customize products with your own logo or theme at an additional cost. 

    Popular merchandise sold by Positive Promotions includes apparel, drinkware, pens, pencils, backpacks, and conference giveaways. Their products are suitable for special events, thank you gifts, and promotions. They are dedicated to customer satisfaction and will refund or replace items if you’re not happy with your purchase. 

    Pros
    • Wide selection of products in all price points
    • Money-back guarantee for 90 days
    • Free samples available
    Cons
    • Most items involve a minimum order number
    • Some customizations involve an extra cost
  • 4
    4Customize

    4Customize

    • Simple promotional products
    • No
    • 4-15 business days

    4Customize offers a small range of basic promotional products, including bags and drinkware. All products are customized and shipped from China, and the company website has major inconsistencies regarding shipping, shipping costs, and the returns policy. 

    Customer service is quite limited, and there’s no built-in design tool. Its prices are also a little high compared to many of the alternatives, and there’s nothing to make the company stand out. Overall, we just can’t recommend using 4Customize.

    Pros
    • Streamlined ordering process
    • Low minimum order quantities
    • Tiered discounts with large orders
    Cons
    • Major inconsistencies across the store
    • Very limited product selection
  • 5
    Customon

    Customon

    • Custom apparel orders
    • No
    • One to four weeks

    Customon offers a range of personalizable items, including clothing, accessories, and a small selection of other products. The design process is quite straightforward, and you will benefit from no minimum order quantity.

    The high prices and long shipping times will put a lot of people off, as will the lack of true promotional product offerings. But if you’re looking for a small number of branded items, Customon may be the perfect option.

    Pros
    • No minimum order quantities
    • Streamlined designer
    • The ability to sell your designs
    Cons
    • Quite expensive
    • Long shipping times
  • 6
    Zazzle

    Zazzle

    • Small orders
    • No
    • From 2 days

    US-based promotional product store Zazzle offers thousands of fully customizable items to customers around the world. Its built-in design tool is excellent, enabling you to fine-tune every aspect of your products. 

    There’s also a great mobile app supporting design, ordering, and order tracking. Items are a little expensive and there are minimal bulk-order discounts, but there’s no minimum order quantity. Overall, Zazzle is a great option for those who require small numbers of customized products. 

    Pros
    • Huge product range
    • International shipping available
    • Excellent built-in designer
    Cons
    • Slightly expensive compared to alternatives
    • Minimal bulk order discounts
  • 7
    LogoMaker

    LogoMaker

    • Small to medium-sized companies
    • No
    • 10-14 business days on average

    LogoMaker lets you design your own logos through a guided process. Beginners will find it easy to create a logo using one of their templates, and adjust it until it looks just right. For those who want a more comprehensive service, LogoMaker sells packages that include onsite designers helping you create your images. 

    Once you’ve designed your logo, LogoMaker lets you view your order on a range of merchandise to see how it will look. LogoMaker offers a money-back guarantee within a month of ordering, and reduced pricing on bulk orders. Product costs and shipping fees are reasonable, making LogoMaker a great choice for small businesses on a budget. 

    Pros
    • Step-by-step instructions
    • Thousands of templates to choose from
    • Money-back guarantee within 30 days
    Cons
    • Some pricing and shipping information is not available online
    • Website interface feels somewhat dated and clunky
  • 8
    DiscountMugs

    DiscountMugs

    • A wide range of promotional products
    • No
    • 1-20 days

    DiscountMugs offers a wide range of branded and promotional products to customers across the USA and Canada. It boasts flexible shipping options, excellent design freedom, and relatively low minimum order numbers. 

    Its volume discounts are also great, enabling you to get more than 80% off the listed price in some cases. Shipping is a little expensive, and free samples aren’t available, but these are quite minor cons in the grand scheme of things. 

    Pros
    • Huge range of products
    • Flexible shipping options
    • Excellent design studio
    Cons
    • No free samples
    • Rapid shipping is expensive
  • 9
    AnyPromo

    AnyPromo

    • Receiving design help
    • Yes, on up to 3 items with a value below $10 for FedEx or UPS
    • Often 1-5 business days

    Having been in business for over 10 years, AnyPromo has a selection of more than 200,000 items of promotional swag. As well as providing free help, it offers a wide selection of printing options.

    Although the company doesn’t currently have an app, it offers a number of other attractive features that could compensate for this, such as a 24-hour rush service

    Pros
    • Built-in design studio for adding text, images, and photos
    • Free proofs available on most products before ordering
    • Free shipping on thousands of custom items
    Cons
    • No mobile app available
    • International shipping not available (US only)
Compare the Best Promotional Product Brands
1
Deluxe
2
Vista Print
3
Positive Promotions
4
4Customize
5
Customon
6
Zazzle
7
LogoMaker
8
DiscountMugs
9
AnyPromo
Best for
Large orders
Small businesses
Corporate, industries, service professionals, people celebrating special occasions
Simple promotional products
Custom apparel orders
Small orders
Small to medium-sized companies
A wide range of promotional products
Receiving design help
Price range
$100 plus
From $17 for 100 business cards
$0.25 to $120 per item
Cents to $12.99 plus
Variable
A few cents to hundreds of dollars
Starting prices range from $0.90-$40.00
$0.07 plus
Dependent on product
Minimum quantity
Yes, variable
Yes (e.g.: 100 business cards, 6 T-Shirt)
Applies mostly to smaller items
From 10
One
Applies mostly to smaller items
Usually 12+
Free samples
Yes, for wholesale customers
Yes, upon request
Yes, on up to 3 items with a value below $10 for FedEx or UPS
Delivery time
Variable, 24-hour printing available
3-8 business days
2-7 business days
4-15 business days
One to four weeks
From 2 days
10-14 business days on average
1-20 days
Often 1-5 business days
Delivery area
Within the USA and internationally
All of US and many international locations
All 50 states. Overseas shipping available to some locations
Worldwide
USA and Canada
Worldwide
All 50 states & overseas
The United States and Canada
US only

How We Chose the Best Promotional Product Suppliers Out There

The companies we’ve featured are ideal for anyone looking to buy custom merchandise in bulk, such as businesses, church groups, sports teams, charities, schools, and more. 

We took an in-depth look at their pricing structure, the products on offer, how easy it is to design your own merchandise, the quality of the print, customer service, and the shipping costs. 

What Should You Look for in a Promotional Products Supplier? 

  • Pricing: You’ll want to know that your per-item cost is low enough that you can place a bulk order so there’s enough merchandise for everyone.
  • Scope of services: Be sure the vendor offers the extent of services you’re looking for to suit your specific needs.
  • Selection of items: A wide range of product options gives you many choices for ordering in many different categories. 
  • Creation and delivery time: Find out how long it takes to have items made and delivered so you know you’ll get your goods when you need them.
  • Level of customization: Does the promotional products supplier customize items to the level you need, or provide items from a generic range of options? 
  • Customer service: The distributor you work with should be responsive to your questions and concerns. You want a company that can reliably deliver on the timeline you’ve set. And your custom merchandise supplier should have a fair return policy should you need to send back any goods. 
  • Free samples: Free samples can help you fine-tune your order before committing to buying a bulk quantity. What is the merchandise provider’s policy on sending a branded sample? 
  • Printing technique: There are several methods for printing your custom logo or design, such as silk-screening, sublimation, heat transfer, and more. You’ll want your promotional product supplier to work with you to find the best printing approach for your merchandise. 

What Are Some Important Points to Consider When Ordering Promotional Swag?

  • Customizable Space

Make sure your design or logo will fit on the item you’re personalizing. Some services offer very little space to customize the merchandise and your logo ends up getting lost. 

Choose a supplier that gives you the most flexibility to customize color, logo placement, and more.

  • Product Quality

The promotional products you give away represent your brand — and you don’t want to be perceived as cheap or low-quality. Make sure that whatever products you choose are well-made and sturdy and will be with their recipient for a long time. 

Think about it: would you prefer they toss the pen with your logo on it after a week or keep using that awesome thermos they got from you for years to come? Exactly. Make sure people associate your brand with quality goods. Bad swag can devalue your brand. 

  • Samples

The best way to make sure the quality of your branded swag is right is to order sample prints before placing a bulk order. Be sure that the company will provide you with a virtual mockup to approve, followed by a physical sample. 

Holding the actual item in your hands gives you a better sense of what your future customers will think of your brand.

What Are the Hottest Swag Items People Are Ordering in 2024? 

  • T-shirts and sweatshirts remain a perennial favorite for swag apparel.
  • Mugs and other drinkware like water bottles, beer cans, and tumblers are popular choices this year as well.
  • Pens, calendars, notepads, and other desk accessories also make for popular giveaways.
  • Bags of various kinds, like tote bags, duffel bags, and canvas shopping bags are useful and appreciated.
  • Conference freebies like lanyards, bracelets, and keychains are always hot items. 

FAQs

  • What are some of the bestselling promotional products these days?

    A sign of the times, face masks printed with a logo and branded mini bottles of hand sanitizer are best-selling promotional products. USB drives are also common giveaway items. 

    Drawstring backpacks, tote bags, and hats are some other popular customized items. Inexpensive freebies like keychains and calendars are widely sold products as well.

  • Which giveaways are among the most popular to receive?

    People love getting all sorts of freebies. What are their favorites? Items they can wear or use like t-shirts, hats, umbrellas, and backpacks are really appreciated. 

    Headphones, water bottles, and tech-related items like phone chargers and phone grips get clients excited as well. People like getting pens, cups, and flashlights, too.

  • Are promotional items effective?

    Is branded swag worth the expense to your company? Yes. Most people use their branded merchandise for more than a year. And those who don’t use your promotional goods usually pass them on to someone else, increasing your visibility and solidifying your brand awareness. 

    Promotional items are essentially souvenirs that create brand recognition and a positive association between people and your message.

The Bottom Line

To sum up, branded merchandise may seem dated, but our findings show that it’s anything but. To put it simply, people get excited when you give them things for free. Promotional swag leaves a lasting impression on people and creates a bond with your brand or service.

There’s a huge array of merchandise available at every price point so you can find just the right freebie to share. And with our Top10.com guide, it’s easy to choose a trustworthy vendor and find your perfect swag.

Sarah Pritzker
Sarah Pritzker is an accomplished content writer for top10.com. With years of experience, Sarah specializes in the dynamic field of online consumer products, leveraging meticulous research to provide insights into various options on the market. Her expertise is evident in her ability to demystify complex subjects and guide readers in choosing the best solutions tailored to their needs.