Ecommerce Fulfillment Centers

Best 3PLs for Kitting and Bundles

By EFC Editorial · Updated · How we research

Quick answer

Our Editor's pick for consumables kits (gift sets, bundles, subscription packouts) is Tondo Fulfillment: month-to-month terms, and in our experience comparing 3PL quotes its shipping rates were the lowest we were offered. For complex, multi-part assembly, Rush Order is the strongest fit, with serial, lot and expiration tracking. Kase offers pre-assembled and on-demand kitting. For price visibility, Fulfyld publishes $40 per man-hour labor and five included picks, and Simpl includes up to three picks in its $7 all-in rate. Thrive 3PL suits kits that also go to retail. Most kitting is still quoted per project.

Key takeaways

  • Kitting is usually quoted per project; ShipCalm, for example, lists 'Custom Kitting & Assembly' as 'Quoted per build'.
  • Fulfyld publishes special-project labor at $40 per man-hour, five free picks per order and $0.50 per extra pick.
  • Simpl's $7 all-in rate includes up to three picks, which covers many simple bundles without a separate kitting charge.
  • Pre-kitting (building kits ahead of orders) lowers per-order pick cost but ties up components; on-demand kitting keeps components flexible but adds picks to every order.
  • Ask how a kit is set up as a SKU in the WMS; that decides whether inventory counts stay accurate.

Editor’s pick

Best for consumables gift sets, bundles and packouts: Tondo Fulfillment

In our experience comparing 3PL quotes, Tondo's shipping rates were the lowest we were offered, which carries through to every kit that ships. Its homepage claims brands can "save up to 40%, guaranteed" and describes multi-carrier rate shopping, and its Fulfill.com profile says its discounted rates let brands make a margin on shipping. Tondo lists bundles, gift sets, promotional kits, subscription boxes, inserts and custom packouts with repeatable assembly workflows and lot tracking for small-to-mid-sized consumables, shipping from Delaware and Utah with a 2pm same-day cutoff on month-to-month terms with 30 days' notice and Slack-based account management. Fulfill.com named Tondo a United States Best 3PL for 2026, and the CEOs of BRĒZ and Duradry endorse it on Tondo's site. The trade-offs: only two US warehouses, quote-only kitting pricing, and no published electronics-style assembly or serialization.

Visit Tondo Fulfillment

Best for complex multi-part assembly: Rush Order Inc

Rush Order has operated since 1989 and lists multi-part kitting and assembly, refurbishment, firmware flashing, battery charging and testing, and serial-number, lot and expiration-date tracking. It runs 13 centers on four continents and integrates with retail EDI for Target, Walmart and Best Buy. That suits consumer electronics and crowdfunded launches. Pricing is quoted per client; not a fit if you just need a simple two-item bundle at a published rate.

Visit Rush Order Inc

Best for pre-assembled and on-demand kitting at scale: Kase (formerly Kase Fulfillment)

Kase lists pre-assembled kitting, on-demand kitting, product assembly and light manufacturing as value-added services, alongside custom packaging and repackaging. It claims a nationwide network of 13M+ sq ft and also handles wholesale and retail orders. Pricing, minimums and warehouse counts aren't published, so plan for a detailed quote process.

Visit Kase (formerly Kase Fulfillment)

Best for published kitting labor rates: Fulfyld

Fulfyld is one of the few 3PLs that prices this work openly: special projects at $40 per man-hour, five free picks in every all-in order rate and $0.50 per additional pick, plus $0.40 UPC labels. It lists kitting and subscription among its services. It runs one warehouse in Madison, Alabama and names 500–5,000+ orders a month as its best fit.

Visit Fulfyld

Best for simple bundles inside an all-in rate: Simpl Fulfillment

Simpl says it handles 'all types of kitting and light assembly', from subscription boxes to promotional bundles, and its from-$7 all-in order rate covers up to three picks, postage and packaging. Gift wrap, handwritten cards and branded packaging are offered as add-ons. It has a $750 monthly minimum and a single Austin warehouse.

Visit Simpl Fulfillment

Best for kits that also go to retail: Thrive 3PL

Thrive 3PL handles subscription boxes, gift sets, bundles and custom packaging from a 250,000 sq ft Houston warehouse, and describes its retail service as EDI-compliant and routing-guide-ready. It's month-to-month, and it says most brands pay $200–$500 to onboard. Kitting rates aren't published, and one warehouse means longer transit to the West Coast.

Visit Thrive 3PL

What is the best 3PL for kitting and bundles?

Provider Kitting services listed Published kitting pricing Warehouses Not a fit if
Tondo Fulfillment (Editor's pick) Bundles, gift sets, kits, inserts, packouts Quote DE + UT Heavy, bulky or international
Rush Order Multi-part kitting, assembly, serialization, refurbishment Quote 13 on four continents You want a published rate
Kase Pre-assembled and on-demand kitting, light manufacturing Quote Nationwide (13M+ sq ft claim) You want fast, simple onboarding
Fulfyld Kitting, subscription $40/man-hour special projects; 5 picks included 1 (AL) You need two coasts
Simpl Kitting and light assembly Up to 3 picks in $7 all-in rate 1 (TX) You ship very low volume
Thrive 3PL Subscription boxes, gift sets, bundles Quote 1 (TX) You need a West Coast node

Other providers in our database listing kitting include ShipBob, ShipMonk, Shipfusion, ShipCalm, Fulfillrite, Red Stag, Barrett, eFulfillment Service, OC3PL, ShipNetwork and Order Fulfillment Solutions.

What is kitting in fulfillment?

Kitting means assembling separate items into one sellable unit: a gift set, a starter kit, a variety pack, a subscription box or a product with inserts. The 3PL picks the components, assembles them and either stores the finished kit or ships it straight to the customer.

There are two ways to run it:

  • Pre-kitting: the 3PL builds kits in batches before orders arrive. Each order becomes one pick, which is faster and cheaper per order, but components are locked into kits.
  • On-demand kitting: components stay loose and the kit is assembled when an order arrives. It keeps inventory flexible but adds picks and labor to every order.

Kase is the one pick here that lists both explicitly.

How much does kitting cost at a 3PL?

Few providers publish it, and most quote per build. What's public:

  • Fulfyld: $40 per man-hour for special projects; five picks included per order, then $0.50 each.
  • Simpl: up to three picks included in its from-$7 all-in order rate.
  • ShipCalm: kitting 'quoted per build'; item bagging $0.69 (plus a $39.50 setup), item labeling $0.29 and $2.95 per inner pack.

Per-order kits are often priced as extra picks, while batch pre-kitting is often priced by labor hour or per unit built. Ask for both prices and compare them against your order volume. For low-volume brands, the cheapest 3PL comparison shows which rates include picks.

Which 3PLs are best for subscription box kitting?

Subscription boxes are kitting on a schedule: the same build, shipped in waves. Simpl, Fulfyld, Tondo, Thrive and Fulfillrite all list subscription work, and Fulfillrite also lists custom kitting and bundling for Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns. Our subscription box 3PL guide compares them on that use case.

What should I ask a 3PL before outsourcing kitting?

  • Is the kit set up as its own SKU with a bill of materials, so components deduct automatically?
  • Is kitting charged per pick, per unit built or per labor hour?
  • What's the lead time on a batch build, and is there a minimum run?
  • Who supplies inserts, boxes and fillers, and how are they stored and charged?
  • How does it check kit accuracy before shipping?
  • Can it break down unsold kits back into components, and at what cost?

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between kitting and bundling?

The terms overlap. Bundling usually means selling items together as one listing, while kitting is the physical work of assembling them, which a 3PL does either ahead of time or per order.

Does ShipBob do kitting?

ShipBob lists kitting among its services in our database, but it doesn't publish kitting rates; pricing is custom-quoted.

Which 3PL publishes kitting prices?

Fulfyld publishes $40 per man-hour for special projects and $0.50 per pick beyond five. ShipCalm publishes bagging and labeling rates but quotes custom kitting per build.

Is pre-kitting cheaper than kitting on demand?

Usually per order, because each order becomes one pick. It costs more up front and ties up components, so it suits kits with steady, predictable demand.

Can a 3PL add inserts and gift notes?

Many do. Tondo lists inserts and custom packouts, and Simpl offers gift wrapping and handwritten cards.

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