What Are the Best Products For Dropshipping?

11 min read

Dropshipping has become popular for ecommerce entrepreneurs in recent years for a couple of reasons. Namely, it has extremely low overhead costs, and also a low barrier of entry.

While dropshipping is an easy business model to get into, finding success with it is not always as straightforward. The two main ingredients in a successful dropshipping business are finding the right dropshipping provider, and choosing the right products to sell.

In this guide, we will provide a breakdown of how to determine what products to sell with dropshipping. Certain products are simply better suited for dropshipping, while others are impractical or risky for dropshipping.

So what are the best products to dropship, and how do you determine a product’s viability for dropshipping?

How To Determine the Best Dropshipping Products

Not every product is good for dropshipping. Figuring out the best products to dropship for your business will require research and planning at the outset. This is largely due to how dropshipping works.

Companies that use dropshipping are selling products for a slight markup after buying from their dropshipping provider. Products that have heavy market competition necessarily have a lower markup. This means lower profit margins and less visibility, but also more customers. One of the keys to a good dropshipping strategy, then, is to find products that are in high demand but are under-represented in the online marketplace.

Aside from competition concerns, certain types of products are simply better suited for dropshipping than others. Here are a few key considerations to keep in mind about the products you dropship.

Item safety

When you use dropshipping, you have less control over product quality. Despite this, you, as the seller, can still be held responsible for product quality after the order is fulfilled. For this reason, many companies avoid using dropshipping for items that could present safety issues. Most prominently, knives and cutlery should be avoided for dropshipping. While kitchen tools might otherwise be popular for dropshipping, sharp objects are generally too risky and should be avoided.

Item size and weight

Shipping can get expensive, especially if the items in question are large or heavy. The heavier the product, the more it costs to ship. Determining which products are “too heavy” for dropshipping requires a bit more specific analysis, and is dependent on specific costs. But, generally speaking, the easier it is to ship an item, the better suited it is for dropshipping. And learn some shipping tricks.

Item reliability

Similarly, fragile items are a risky choice for dropshipping. If an item breaks or is damaged in transit, you will likely have dissatisfied customers on your hands. Returns and customer service can be a hassle to deal with when you have less control over product control. For this reason, many dropshipping companies avoid fragile products like ceramics or glasses.

Copyright/Branding

Selling branded products through dropshipping should be avoided for two reasons.

First, it could lead to copyright issues if you are selling products that you are not licensed to sell.
Second, it’s simply not a wise business model to promote a brand other than your own. Some dropshipping providers allow for private label dropshipping, which allows businesses to use their own brands for dropshipped items. But dropshipping for items that have visible markings for other brands should be avoided.

Best Amazon Dropshipping Products

Another strategy for figuring out the best dropshipping products is to do some research into market trends. Google Trends is a great basic tool for getting started with your research. Google Trends can provide a general overview of the popularity of searches for certain items at any given time.

You can also focus your research on specific platforms as well. To find the best Amazon dropshipping products, for instance, you can browse Amazon’s best sellers in various categories. This provides direct feedback for Amazon sellers about what to sell on the platform. Which items might be oversaturated, and which might be under-represented in the marketplace?

eBay provides a similar best selling items breakdown, for those looking for the best products to dropship on eBay.

Best Dropshipping Product Research Tool

There are many useful dropshipping product research tools available for free online. In addition to platform-specific trend analysis, you can also find useful tools elsewhere online.

The AliExpress Dropshipping Center is a highly useful, free-to-use that provides data and insight into the best selling dropshipping products. Many people who use the Dropshipping Center also use AliExpress as a dropshipping provider. However, this is not required, and anyone can use the AliExpress Dropshipping Center.

Best Selling Dropshipping Products of 2022

So, now that you know all of that, what are the best selling dropshipping products to consider? Here’s a look at some of the best dropshipping products in a number of different categories, based on 2022 market trends.

Clothing

Clothing consistently ranks among the top categories for dropshipping products. It checks all of the boxes for what you want in dropshipping items: it’s lightweight, easy to transport, and universally needed. It’s also easy enough to find and sell non-branded clothing items. On top of that, selling clothing online is a great way to make money on its own, even without dropshipping.

Clothing is also great for dropshipping because of the number of niche categories within the broader category of clothing. Women’s clothing consistently ranks as a top-selling category for dropshippers. But sellers can narrow down their criteria to more specific clothing categories.

Workout attire/sportswear, for example, is among the best fitness dropshipping products to choose from. Sleepwear, socks, baby clothes, and custom T-shirts are other popular, viable categories of dropshipping products.

Cosmetics & personal care

Cosmetics are usually a safe choice for dropshipping products. Cosmetic products are widely used, but varied enough that it is easy to find a niche market within the category. Extending to personal care and hygiene adds even more viability to these products for dropshipping.

For instance, since 2020, face masks and hand sanitizer have been some of the most in-demand items for dropshipping. These are products that many people use every day, and they are very easy to ship as well.

Baby items

Baby products are another essential item that will always have a market. These also tend to be products that don’t rely on brand loyalty to drive sales, making them a good candidate for dropshipping. Baby clothes, baby monitors, blankets, toys, and diapers are all among the best products to dropship every year.

Kitchen equipment

We discussed earlier that some items, like knives and cutlery, are not ideal for dropshipping. However, many other pieces of kitchen equipment are ideal for dropshipping for the reasons stated above. Everyone needs to eat, and for many people, the kitchen is a place to have fun and experiment as well.

Basic accessories like spatulas and hand mixers are great options for dropshipping. Other lightweight appliances, like electric tea kettles and blenders, also make for good dropshipping items. Heavier items, like a microwave, on the other hand, are too bulky to work for dropshipping.

The “kitchen” category is not limited to equipment and appliances, either. Coffee, tea, and spices are all popular dropshipping products as well.

Pet supplies

Pet supplies have always been among the best-selling dropshipping products. Some of the best pet products to dropship include cat litter, dog toys, and cat and dog treats. Treats and pet supplements are good options because they are easy to ship. They’re also a niche item that won’t have as much market competition as other pet products.

More popular pet products for dropshipping include odor neutralizers, hair and fur removers, and automatic feeding bowls.

Home decor

Home decor is another category with tremendous variety. Everything from pillows to bedsheets to rugs to picture frames can be easily sold using dropshipping. These are products that are constantly in high demand.

Dropshipping sellers often represent a great low-cost option for shoppers for essential everyday household items as well. With such a mix of diversity and demand, the home decor category is among the most profitable for dropshipping businesses.

Gaming accessories

Wondering about the best dropshipping products for Christmas? Gaming accessories are popular all year round, but especially during the holidays. While gaming consoles and games themselves are not good for dropshipping, their related accessories are.

Keyboards, mouse pads, headsets, gaming chairs, and monitors are some of the best-selling dropshipping items each year. There is not as much variety to this category as in some others on this list. However, there is very good demand, and not often as much competition as many of the other best dropshipping products.

Want to learn more about running a successful dropshipping business? Read Ecwid’s guide on How to Start a Profitable Dropshipping Business.