What are the best print-on-demand products to sell in 2021?
Print-on-demand products have come a long way in recent years. In the early days of print on demand, you'd be forced to choose between t-shirts, tote bags, and maybe — just maybe — mugs.
Today, you can sell all kinds of print-on-demand products — from yoga pants and fanny packs to bedsheets and Bluetooth speakers.
But what should you sell? What print-on-demand products are trending up?
Let's find out.
In this quick guide, you'll learn about 15 of the best print-on-demand products to sell in 2021. And stick around until the end, where we'll explore 3 of the most popular print-on-demand products that are trending downwards!
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CREATE YOUR POD BUSINESSBut before we dive into the list, let's quickly recap:
What Are Print-on-Demand Products?
Print-on-demand is a type of dropshipping which allows sellers (like yourself) to add unique designs and branding to a range of products and sell them online.
The best part? You don't need to source, store, print, or post the products you sell. Instead, your print-on-demand supplier will handle those things for you. This means you can focus your time, energy, and money on creating new designs and on marketing your store.
All in all, print-on-demand products make it easy to start an ecommerce business with a unique brand. Cool, right?
So, what can you sell? Here's a quick list of some of the most popular print-on-demand products sold online:
- T-shirts
- Tote bags
- Mugs
- Baseball caps
- Stickers
- Keychains
- Posters
- Postcards
- Phone cases
You can see some examples of these popular products in the image below from print-on-demand company Printful.
15 Trending Print-on-Demand Products to Sell in 2021
We've tapped into years of ecommerce experience and data from Google Trends to identify 15 of the best trending print-on-demand products to consider selling in 2021. Here are our top picks:
- All-over print clothing
- Sneakers
- Stickers
- Fanny packs
- Face masks
- Water bottles
- Tote bags
- Backpacks
- Bluetooth speakers
- Wall art
- Cushions
- Towels
- Throws
- Bedsheets
- Mugs
1. All-Over Print Clothing
Let's kick off our list with a set of unique print-on-demand products: all-over print clothing.
In the image below from Google Trends, you can see how all-over print clothing has surged in popularity in recent years.
But what kind of clothing should you sell exactly? Well, all-over hoodies, t-shirts, and yoga pants are some of the best-selling print-on-demand products out there.
For example, the apparel brand Vapor95 has a whole collection of all-over print hoodies.
2. Sneakers
Some top print-on-demand companies like Printify and JetPrint now offer sneakers. For example, check out some of JetPrint's sneaker options in the image below:
This is great news because interest in sneakers has been trending upward since around 2014:
Still, it's more challenging to create eye-catching designs for sneakers than for simple products like t-shirts. So, make sure to pay extra attention to the design template provided by your chosen print-on-demand supplier.
3. Stickers
Stickers are a classic print-on-demand product that's still hugely popular.
As you can see below, Google Trends shows how interest in stickers has remained strong since 2004!
To succeed with print-on-demand stickers, try to create eye-catching, fun designs. For example, the LGBTQ+ lifestyle brand Passionfruit sells colorful stickers alongside other print-on-demand products.
4. Fanny Packs
Fanny packs — or 'bum bags' as they're called in the UK — have made a comeback in recent years.
Google Trends shows how interest in fanny packs spiked in 2018 and has remained strong since:
Like sneakers, creating designs for fanny packs isn't the most straightforward process. However, with some effort, this unique print-on-demand product could be a great seller.
For inspiration, check out Tropical Boulevard's print-on-demand fanny packs:
5. Face Masks
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world forever — and in doing so, it's created a need for a host of health-related products.
Although interest in face masks spiked dramatically and then faded when the pandemic first hit, these print-on-demand products are now a must-have accessory.
That being said, face masks are a great addition to your print-on-demand product line.
For example, Beloved Shirts mostly sells men's and women's clothing, but the brand also offers a line of print-on-demand face masks.
So, consider promoting your face masks as a cross-sell during checkout.
6. Water Bottles
As consumers have become more environmentally conscious over recent years, reusable water bottles have become another everyday essential.
Unlike print-on-demand clothing, you won't need to worry about customer sizing problems when selling water bottles.
Plus, print-on-demand companies offer plenty of different types of water bottles to choose from —such as sports bottles and thermoses.
7. Tote Bags
Although tote bags aren't trending, interest has remained consistent for almost 2 decades! Consequently, it's well worth selling this classic print-on-demand product.
The best thing about selling print-on-demand tote bags is that you don't need to create new designs — you can simply offer tote bags featuring your best-selling designs. This is exactly what Bobalove does:
Like face masks, tote bags are the perfect product to cross-sell to customers during checkout.
8. Backpacks
Many of the top print-on-demand suppliers now offer backpacks — in the image below, you can see some of the options provided by Printify:
It’s encouraging to know that interest in backpacks has been trending upward for a decade or so, with notable spikes in the summer season.
This is definitely one of the more unique print-on-demand products that you can sell online. Like sneakers and all-over print clothing, backpacks provide a fantastic opportunity to create something distinctive.
9. Bluetooth Speakers
If you're looking for truly unique print-on-demand products to sell, consider Bluetooth speakers and headphones.
For instance, Teelaunch offers print-on-demand Bluetooth speakers and headphones that you can customize with your designs.
Interest in Bluetooth speakers has remained steady for many years, with surges during the holidays.
It'll be challenging to compete with big-name audio brands like Sony and Bose when it comes to audio quality. So, again, focus on creating truly attention-grabbing designs that will make your print-on-demand products stand out.
10. Wall Art
Wall art is one of the most popular print-on-demand products out there — check out how interest in wall art has grown over the years:
Selling print-on-demand wall art allows you to offer countless designs without needing to purchase or manage additional inventory.
For inspiration, check out I Like Maps — this brand sells stunning map art in various styles.
Interestingly, interest in posters has waned during the same period — so make sure to position your products as 'wall art' and not as 'posters'!
11. Cushions
Cushions are another popular homeware print-on-demand product. In fact, searches for cushions have increased steadily for about a decade — I guess, people really love their cushions, right?!
This print-on-demand product provides another great opportunity to reuse your most popular designs — you can also reuse your all-over print designs.
12. Towels
Interest in purchasing towels online has climbed slowly over the last few years.
Plus, this print-on-demand product provides a huge canvas for creativity and expression. For inspiration, check out Print Prohibition's offerings:
Use high-resolution images when creating towel designs otherwise your prints could be pixelated when printed.
13. Throws
Similarly, throws present an attractive print-on-demand opportunity. Searches for this product have climbed significantly since the mid-2000s:
Printful, Printify, and CustomCat are just some of the top print-on-demand suppliers that offer throws. Again, make sure your designs are uploaded in high resolution.
14. Bedsheets
There's a theme here, right? Perhaps a print-on-demand homeware store is the way to go?
Interest in bedsheets has climbed gradually in recent years. There was also a notable spike when the pandemic hit as people began to focus on upgrading their homes during lockdowns.
And let’s face it: In terms of design, the sky's the limit here!
15. Mugs
Mugs are another timeless print-on-demand product that's a perfect addition to any store. Interest in mugs spikes during the holidays but remains stable year-round.
When designing, consider how the template will wrap around the mug. For example, if you place a design in the middle of the template, it won't be easily visible to the drinker. So, you may want to include 2 designs to the left and right of the template — this will ensure there's a design on either side of your mug.
For inspiration, check out The Happy Givers mug collection:
3 Print-on-Demand Products Trending Down
Now that we've covered some of the best trending products to sell, let's take a look at some products that are trending downward.
1. T-Shirts
There's no doubt about it: T-shirts are hands-down the most popular print-on-demand product out there. They're versatile, sell year-round, and provide a fantastic medium for self-expression.
However, interest in purchasing t-shirts online has dropped over the years as more and more sellers entered the market.
For these reasons, it can be incredibly challenging to differentiate a t-shirt business from competitors.
This doesn't mean that you shouldn't sell print-on-demand t-shirts. It just means that if you do, you should work hard to create a standout brand and designs that resonate powerfully with a defined target market. The t-shirt brand Classic Dad does this beautifully:
2. Phone Covers
Phone covers are another massively popular print-on-demand product category that's been overly saturated for a while now. Consequently, interest has diminished over the last decade:
But again, phone covers are still a best-selling product, so what should you do?
It'd be pretty challenging to make phone covers your flagship product. So, consider selling phone covers featuring your best-selling designs and then promote them as cross-sells alongside other offerings.
3. Stationery and Notebooks
Ah, stationery. Everyone seems to love it, but barely anyone uses it, am I right?
Interest in buying stationery online has dropped considerably over the years.
And the same goes for notebooks:
Again, if you want to sell stationery and notebooks, it's best to add them to a product line featuring plenty of more unique print-on-demand products.
Choose the Best Print-on-Demand Products for Your Business
There are tons of print-on-demand products out there, so keep these points in mind when choosing what to sell:
- Who is your core target market? For example, will you sell products featuring pineapple motifs or inspirational quotes?
- Can you build a store around a particular style of products? For example, all-over print clothing or homeware accessories.
- Is there a way to focus on more unique products and then cross-sell classic print-on-demand products, such as tote bags, mugs, and stickers?
What print-on-demand products are you most interested in selling? Let us know in the comments below!
