AQL Inspection Explained for Apparel Buyers

AQL stands for Acceptable Quality Limit. It is the standard method for deciding whether a finished order is good enough to ship, without inspecting every garment. If you have never agreed an AQL with a supplier, you have no shared definition of "good enough", and that is where disputes start.

How It Works

From the finished order, an inspector pulls a random sample of garments. The sample size depends on the order quantity and the inspection level you choose. The inspector counts the defects, sorts them by severity, and compares the count to the limits set for each class. Too many defects and the lot fails.

The approach follows published sampling standards, commonly ISO 2859-1 or ANSI/ASQ Z1.4, so both sides can look up the same tables.

The Three Defect Classes

• Critical — makes the garment unsafe or unusable, such as a broken needle left in the product. The usual acceptance limit is zero.
• Major — a defect the customer would reject, such as a hole, a wrong size label or a failed zip.
• Minor — a small flaw that does not affect use, such as a loose thread or slight stitching irregularity.

It is common for buyers to set a stricter limit on majors than on minors. Agree the numbers in writing; the exact values vary by brand and product.

What to Put in the Purchase Order

• The AQL level for each defect class
• The inspection level (the standard has several)
• A written defect list for your product, for example zips, seams, labels and measurements
• Measurement tolerances, referencing your size chart
• When the inspection takes place: before packing, or after
• What happens on failure: rework, re-inspection, or a price adjustment

AQL Is Not the Whole Story

AQL is a final check. It catches problems that already happened. Good quality comes from approving a sample properly, checking fabric before cutting, and checking during production. Our quality control page describes how we work, and approving a garment sample covers the earlier gate. If you are comparing suppliers, vetting a manufacturer lists what to ask about their checks.

For unfamiliar terms, the apparel glossary defines AQL and the rest of the vocabulary.