Updated
The full guide
How the comparison works
For each piece you put in two prices: what a shop in Singapore asks, and what the seller in China asks. The calculator then works out what the China price really costs once it's here:
- The goods, converted from yuan at the rate you set. Use the rate your card or Alipay actually gives you, which is usually a little worse than the reference rate.
- Shipping, for the whole list as one sea shipment. Furniture goes by Sea LCL, charged on the space the cartons take, door to door in Singapore.
- Import tax of 9% of the value of the goods. It's charged on the goods, not on the shipping.
The two totals are shown side by side. When the difference is within about 10% of the Singapore price, the calculator calls it about the same, because at that point the shop here is usually the simpler choice.
What the calculator leaves out
- Delivery inside China. Many sellers deliver to our Guangzhou warehouse for free; some charge for big pieces. Add it under "More costs" if yours does.
- A wooden frame for glass, stone or other fragile pieces, about S$40.00–S$80.00 per m³ on request. The calculator shows it as a note, not in the total.
- Assembly and disposal of cartons. Local shops often include both.
- Your time, and the risk of a piece that doesn't match the photos. Returns to China rarely make sense for furniture.
A worked example
The calculator opens with three sample pieces for a new flat. The prices are only examples:
- Sofa, 3-seater: S$1,299.00 here, ¥2,800 in China, about 1.5 m³ packed (typical size).
- Bed frame, queen: S$599.00 here, ¥1,200 in China, about 0.3 m³ packed (typical size).
- TV console: S$399.00 here, ¥700 in China, about 0.15 m³ packed (typical size).
In China the three cost ¥4,700, which is S$905.59 at ¥5.19 to the dollar. Together they take about 1.95 m³, so the shipment is charged as 2.0 m³ by Sea LCL: S$276.00. Import tax is S$81.50. From China, with PaoTui, that's S$1,263.09, against S$2,297.00 in Singapore: about S$1,034 less, est. 2–3 weeks by sea.
The same pieces bought one at a time and shipped separately would cost more to ship, because each small shipment pays at least the S$90.00 starting price.
Why one shipment for the whole room
Sea LCL has two flat steps: up to 0.4 m³ costs S$90.00, and up to 1 m³ costs S$138.00. Above that you pay S$138.00 per m³. A single sofa of about 1 m³ costs S$138.00 to ship. Add a bed frame and a TV console to the same shipment and the total goes up far less than three separate shipments would, so the shipping per piece falls.
| Chargeable volume | Sea LCL |
|---|---|
| Up to 0.4 m³ | S$90.00 flat |
| 0.5 – 1 m³ | S$138.00 flat |
| 1.1 – 10 m³ | S$138.00 per m³ |
| 10.1 m³ and up | S$136.00 per m³ |
Heavy pieces are charged by weight when that's higher: 500 kg counts as 1 m³. A stone tabletop on its own comes closest; sofas and mattresses don't.
Finding the packed size
The size on a Taobao listing is usually the furniture itself. What we measure is the carton. Ask the seller in chat for the packed size (包装尺寸), the number of cartons and the gross weight (毛重), then choose "Packed size" in the calculator and type them in.
If you don't have them yet, the calculator uses a typical packed size. These are estimates based on published carton sizes of similar furniture made in China, widened for the extra padding China sellers use. Real cartons vary, so treat them as a starting point:
| Piece | Typical packed size | Usual range | Typical weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sofa, 3-seater | 1.5 m³ | 1–2.8 m³ | 85 kg |
| Sofa, 2-seater | 1 m³ | 0.7–1.4 m³ | 65 kg |
| Bed frame, queen | 0.3 m³ | 0.1–0.55 m³ | 70 kg |
| Storage bed, queen | 0.6 m³ | 0.3–0.95 m³ | 110 kg |
| Mattress, queen, rolled | 0.25 m³ | 0.2–0.31 m³ | 40 kg |
| Wardrobe, 2-door | 0.4 m³ | 0.2–0.6 m³ | 65 kg |
| Wardrobe, 3–4 door | 0.8 m³ | 0.5–1.3 m³ | 130 kg |
| Dining table + 4 chairs | 0.5 m³ | 0.2–0.9 m³ | 65 kg |
| Stone-top dining table | 0.3 m³ | 0.2–0.7 m³ | 80 kg |
| TV console | 0.15 m³ | 0.07–0.35 m³ | 45 kg |
| Coffee table | 0.12 m³ | 0.05–0.25 m³ | 20 kg |
| Study desk | 0.12 m³ | 0.07–0.22 m³ | 28 kg |
| Office chair | 0.2 m³ | 0.13–0.27 m³ | 25 kg |
| Shoe cabinet | 0.15 m³ | 0.07–0.25 m³ | 25 kg |
| Bedside table | 0.09 m³ | 0.04–0.15 m³ | 18 kg |
Sofas vary the most. A sofa that arrives in one big box can take 2.5 m³ (S$345.00 on its own), while a vacuum-compressed one can be under 1 m³.
When buying in Singapore makes more sense
- Small or cheap pieces on their own. A S$90.00 shipment for one side table rarely pays off.
- You need it this month. Sea shipping takes about 2–3 weeks after dispatch, plus the sellers' own time.
- You want to sit on it first, or need easy returns, delivery into the room, or assembly.
- Big, fragile or heavy pieces such as glass cabinets and stone tables, where packing and the lift matter more than the price.
Before you buy from China
- Measure your lift and doors against the packed size: the lift check does it for you. We deliver to your door when the piece fits your lift as packed.
- Ask each seller for the packed size, cartons and gross weight, and put them in the calculator.
- WhatsApp us for our warehouse address and your PaoTui code, and use it as the delivery address.
- Shop. We keep everything free for 45 days so the pieces from different sellers can go in one shipment.
Questions people ask
Is Taobao furniture worth it for a new flat?
Often, for bigger pieces bought together: one sea shipment spreads the cost over the whole list. For a single small piece, or anything you need soon, a shop in Singapore is usually the better deal. Put your own prices in the calculator and see.
What does the calculator leave out?
Delivery inside China if your seller charges for it (add it under More costs), an optional wooden frame for fragile pieces, assembly, and the value of your time. It's an estimate: we measure the shipment before we invoice.
How accurate are the typical sizes?
They're estimates from published package sizes of similar furniture, with a range for each. Real cartons vary by seller, so ask for the packed size and use that for a closer price.
Can I combine pieces from different sellers?
Yes. Send them all to our Guangzhou warehouse. We store them free for 45 days and ship them together as one Sea LCL shipment.
How long does furniture take to arrive?
About 2–3 weeks (est.) by sea from dispatch at our warehouse to your door, plus the time your sellers need to make and deliver each piece within China.
What if a piece doesn't fit my lift?
We deliver to your door when it fits your lift as packed. If it doesn't, it's left at the ground floor and you arrange your own help from there. Tell us before we ship if you're unsure.
Do you charge import tax on the shipping?
No. Import tax is 9% of the value of the goods only, shown on our invoice next to the freight.