Quick answer: Today, the best-selling print-on-demand products are apparel and accessories, home decor, stationery and office supplies, and seasonal items.

Print-on-demand is, hands down, one of the best ways to start an online business without the headache of inventory. The bonus is that there are no upfront costs, either. But not all products sell equally well. 

Over the last 10+ years in the Ecommerce space, I’ve tested what sells and why customers love it. Some top-performing items consistently deliver profits. 

From apparel to home goods, the best POD products share similar characteristics: everyday utility, strong niche appeal, and solid profit margins. 

Here, I’ll show you the top products that will generate revenue for your store right away.

T-Shirts

T-shirts sell 365 days a year. They’re cheap to make, easy to design, and appeal to every niche you can think of. Pet lovers, meme addicts, fitness buffs — if you can think it, you can sell it.

Vintage styles, bold quotes, retro band looks, and pop culture references are always safe bets.

Another big reason t-shirts keep selling is how personal they feel. A shirt isn’t just clothing — it’s identity. People wear their passions on their chests, literally.

The right design taps straight into pride, humour, or nostalgia and becomes something customers have

Tips:

• Focus on emotions — pride, humour, nostalgia.
• Sell bundles (Buy 2, Get 1 Free) to boost order value.
• Keep designs simple: bold text or minimal graphics outperform crowded designs.

Hoodies and Sweatshirts

These are bigger-ticket items with higher profit margins. They’re seasonless now. People wear hoodies to the gym, the grocery store, and the couch. Oversized, comfy fits rule.

Gen Z and Millennials love neutral colours, earthy tones, and minimalist designs. Custom embroidered hoodies, in particular, feel premium without costing much more to make.

A simple stitched logo or phrase can boost the perceived value, letting you charge $10-$20 more compared to a basic printed version.

Tips:

• Stick to simple embroidery or chest-size prints.
• Oversized hoodies outsell slim-fit styles right now.
• Offer zip-ups and pullovers to widen your range.

Athleisure and Sportswear

Athleisure is growing because more people work from home and care about wellness.

Think leggings, joggers, lightweight hoodies — stylish but comfy.
Add motivational slogans, subtle patterns, or niche fitness humour and you’re golden.

Another huge advantage: you can offer full outfit combinations. A matching sports bra, tank top, and leggings set creates way higher cart values than just selling a single item.

And buyers love the “put-together” feeling it gives them.

Tips:

• Use moisture-wicking and eco-friendly fabric options.
• Target niches like yoga, CrossFit, running, or hiking.
• Offer mix-and-match designs (hoodie matches leggings).

Tank Tops

Tank tops are an easy sell for gyms, sports fans, and festival-goers.

They sell strong year-round, especially in warmer regions. Bold motivational quotes, tropical patterns, and festival art kill it.

Tips:

• Bundle tanks with gym bags or leggings.
• Use unisex sizing to appeal to a broader audience.
• Test funny gym memes — they sell better than basic motivational quotes sometimes.

Jerseys

Custom jerseys aren’t just for sports teams.

They’re bought by esports fans, social clubs, schools, and even businesses. High perceived value means people expect to pay more.

Jerseys are higher-priced items with community/team appeal. Sports fans and teams don’t mind the higher price tags for custom jerseys.

Also, jerseys aren’t seasonal. Summer leagues, winter tournaments, company events — there’s always a reason someone’s ordering a custom jersey if you market it right.

Tips:

• Offer custom name and number options.
• Stick to team colours, clean designs, and clear fonts.
• Target local sports communities for custom bulk orders.

Dad Caps and Trucker Hats

Low production costs + high daily utility = constant sales.

Dad caps are timeless. Trucker hats target niche groups like truckers, bikers, and outdoorsy types. Small minimalist logos, one-word designs, or funny patches work best.

Another advantage?

Hats are universal in sizing. Unlike t-shirts or hoodies where sizing causes returns, hats are much simpler, which makes fulfilment smoother and return rates super low.

Tips:

• Offer embroidery over printed designs for a premium feel.
• Sell in sets — “one for you, one for a friend” deals work well.
• Neutral colours (black, white, navy) outsell bold colours by a mile.

Beanies

Beanies are cold-weather must-haves, but stylish enough to sell year-round to the right crowd.

Eco-friendly materials like organic cotton or recycled yarns are growing fast.

Because they’re small and easy to customise, you can offer limited drops (special colours, artist collabs) that create urgency and exclusivity around your brand.

Tips:

• Small embroidered logos beat big, flashy prints.
• Neutral, earthy colours work better than bright ones.
• Pitch them as unisex accessories.

Home and Living Products

Coffee Mugs

Coffee mugs have been a POD favourite for years — and they still crush.

They’re cheap, lightweight, giftable, and customers often buy several at a time for friends, family, or coworkers.

Plus, they’re “reorder” products. Offices, classrooms, clubs — all eventually need more mugs. You can even offer bulk discounts to turn one-off buyers into repeat customers.

Tips:

• Personalise with names, dates, or inside jokes.
• Bundle mugs with greeting cards or tote bags for higher cart values.
• Keep shipping protection high to avoid breakage.

Canvas Prints and Posters

Posters and canvases turn walls into expressions of personality.

Motivational quotes, minimal art, fandom references, and photography prints are bestsellers.

Posters also feed into pop culture fast. New music drops, viral memes, movie releases — quick poster designs let you ride those waves and catch extra sales before mainstream retailers catch up.

Product	Target Audience
Minimalist posters	Millennials, Gen Z
Motivational canvas prints	Entrepreneurs, wellness niches
Fandom artwork	Movie, gaming, music lovers

Tips:

• Offer framed and unframed options.
• Start niche (like dog lovers) and grow once you validate.
• Big, bold typography sells better than busy designs.

Throw Pillows and Blankets

Everyone loves cozy things. Throw pillows and blankets let people upgrade their living space without breaking the bank. Monograms, witty quotes, trendy patterns — it’s all fair game.

Throw pillows and blankets are also perfect for bundling. A matching set feels luxurious and gift-worthy, helping you move more products with a single checkout.

You can also tap into specific home decor trends — farmhouse style, boho chic, minimalist Japanese — and build collections that appeal directly to buyers redesigning entire rooms.

Tips:

• Create “room sets” (e.g., matching pillow and blanket designs).
• Stick to warm, muted tones for mass appeal.
• Use lifestyle photos (not just product mockups) to show products in real homes.

Tote Bags

The tote bag boom is real. More people are ditching plastic bags and looking for stylish, reusable options.

Tote bags also ride the sustainability wave hard. Many eco-conscious buyers now carry totes daily, not just for shopping but as their main work or gym bags.

They’re also brilliant for collaborations. Artists, influencers, and small brands love partnering on exclusive tote designs because they’re low-risk and great for brand exposure.

Tips:

• Activist slogans (“Save the Bees”, “Protect Our Oceans”) sell well.
• Bold graphics outperform plain text-only designs.
• Offer larger tote sizes for weekenders or grocery runs.

Acrylic Plaques

Acrylic plaques give a sleek, modern look — perfect for home offices, awards, or memorial gifts. They’re glossy, durable, and easy to print.

Acrylic plaques also appeal heavily to corporate markets. Awards, employee recognition, promotional gifts — companies are willing to pay premium prices for sleek, professional-looking items.

They also ship lighter than traditional glass frames, meaning lower costs and fewer breakages, which helps protect your margins on bulk or international orders.

Tips:

• Focus on memory-based designs (anniversaries, birthdays, memorials).
• Offer both portrait and landscape orientations.
• Keep designs clean — too much text makes acrylic pieces look cluttered.

Metal Prints

Metal prints are still pretty fresh in POD — meaning less competition.

They make colours pop in ways that canvas can’t match, which appeals to photographers and art collectors.

Another bonus is durability. Unlike canvas, which can warp or stain over time, metal prints stay vibrant for decades, making them easier to position as premium, lasting keepsakes.

Tips:

• Target niches like landscapes, travel, and pets.
• Highlight the premium features (scratch-resistance, high gloss).
• Charge higher prices — people expect to pay more for metal.

Wall Decals

Wall decals are renter-friendly, non-committal decorating options. Perfect for kids’ rooms, offices, and temporary spaces.

They’re also fantastic for seasonal refreshes. Halloween decals, Christmas decals, spring floral decals — people love updating their spaces temporarily and easily.

Tips:

• Focus on motivational quotes, nursery themes, or simple geometric shapes.
• Offer removable and reusable options.
• Small decal sets (“20 mini stars” or “50 small hearts”) sell fast.

Stationery and Office Supplies

Notebooks

Notebooks aren’t dead — they’re personal tools people love. Especially bullet journalers, students, and professionals.

They’re also brilliant for subscription boxes. Monthly planner and stationery boxes love including unique notebook designs, which gives you extra wholesale opportunities.

Tips:

• Inspirational quotes outsell plain covers.
• Hardcovers sell for more than softcovers.
• Bundle notebooks with pens for easy upsells.

Stickers

If you aren’t selling stickers, you’re leaving money on the table. Customers buy these in bulk for laptops, water bottles, and phone cases.

Tech stickers, especially print-on-demand stickers, are all-time sellers because who doesn’t have a phone. 

They’re the easiest gateway to testing new designs.

Tips:

• Offer sticker packs (5-10 designs) for better margins.
• Matte or gloss finishes — test both.
• Fan art stickers move especially fast.

Custom Desk Calendars

Desk calendars offer daily brand exposure. They’re practical, giftable, and often ordered in bulk for companies.

Tips:

• Niche designs sell better (like dogs, fitness, positivity themes).
• Launch new calendar designs in Q3 to catch Q4 buyers.
• Sell bundled calendars with matching mugs or notebooks.

Journals

Journals are emotional buys. People gift them for new jobs, new years, new chapters.

Journals also make amazing upsells for personal development products. Selling a productivity course? Offer a matching journal to boost cart value.

Another angle: people don’t mind collecting journals. They’ll buy new ones even if they haven’t filled the old ones — meaning repeat buyers if you keep offering fresh covers and styles.

Tips:

• Gratitude journals, planners, and bullet journals are massive sellers.
• Premium packaging = higher perceived value.
• Stick to clean, motivational covers with nice, thick paper.

Seasonal Products

Seasonal items can drive monster spikes in sales.

Here’s the timing you need:

Season	Launch Products	Timing
Halloween	T-shirts, tote bags, mugs	Start promoting by August
Christmas	Sweaters, ornaments, gift bundles	Start marketing by October
Valentine’s Day	Matching tees, mugs, cards	Push just after New Year’s
Pet Season	Pet bandanas, bowls, beds	Year-round but focus on holidays

Key:

Launch products way before the season actually hits. Smart POD sellers work 2-3 months ahead.

Conclusion

Making money with print-on-demand takes work, but it mustn’t be complicated. Start with top-selling categories, test designs with lower-cost items like stickers, and then expand to higher-margin products when you find what clicks.

Your success depends more on targeting specific niches than trying to please everyone. The POD sellers who stick around focus on quality over quantity.

They order samples, photograph real products, and build trust with customers.

What’s your next move?

Pick one category that excites you. Create 5-10 solid designs. Test them on a few products. Be patient – most successful stores took months to find their groove.

The beauty of print-on-demand is that you can start small and scale gradually without risk. Remember, the best-selling products solve problems, express identity, or make perfect gifts.