Bear Grips

Bear Grips Pro Shops

2026 COMPARISON

Bear Grips vs Underground Printing

Which custom apparel platform is better for your business? Here's an honest breakdown.

What is Bear Grips Pro Shops?

Bear Grips Pro Shops is a print-on-demand custom apparel platform built for businesses of all types — gyms, churches, schools, restaurants, salons, trades, and more. You get a fully branded online shop with a curated catalog of proven best-sellers. Every product in our catalog is backed by real sales data across all our vendors, so you're not guessing what works — you're selling what's already proven. Free shipping is included on every order, and our Done-for-You VIP plan handles design for you. Plus, every account comes with a built-in affiliate program to earn passive income.

What is Underground Printing?

Underground Printing is a custom apparel focused on colleges, greek life, and campus organizations. College organizations, fraternities/sororities, and campus groups ordering 12+ matching items.

Their pricing: Bulk pricing, free shipping on orders 12+

Their model: Custom apparel focused on colleges, Greek life, and campus organizations

Integrations: Standalone platform, group ordering

Feature Checklist

Feature
Bear Grips
Underground Printing
Free shipping included
No monthly fee option
Done-for-you design
Built-in affiliate program
No order minimums
USA-based printing
Curated best-seller catalog
Shop included (no Shopify needed)

How They Compare

Shipping Cost
Bear Grips
Free always
Underground Printing
Free on some
Design Support
Bear Grips
Done-for-you VIP
Underground Printing
Included
Ease of Setup
Bear Grips
Shop included, ready in minutes
Underground Printing
Standalone
Passive Income
Bear Grips
10% recurring + $1/unit
Underground Printing
None
Product Curation
Bear Grips
Best-sellers only, data-driven
Underground Printing
200+ items, you test

What Each Platform Does Well

Bear Grips Pro Shops

  • See your design on real product mockups before you publish — no samples needed
  • Free shipping on every single order — no thresholds, no surprises
  • Curated best-seller catalog backed by real vendor sales data
  • Done-for-you design service on VIP — we handle the creative
  • Built-in affiliate program: 10% recurring + $1 per unit sold by referrals

Underground Printing

  • Licensed college and Greek logos
  • Free shipping on 12+
  • Campus-focused with college reps
  • Free professional design help
  • Good bulk pricing

Where Underground Printing Falls Short — and How Bear Grips Solves It

Underground Printing
Minimum 12 items for free shipping
Bear Grips
No minimums — sell one at a time
Underground Printing
College/campus niche only
Bear Grips
Free shipping on EVERY order (no minimum)
Underground Printing
Not print-on-demand
Bear Grips
Ongoing branded online shop
Underground Printing
No ongoing online shop
Bear Grips
Print-on-demand = zero inventory
Underground Printing
Bulk model requires inventory risk
Bear Grips
Works for any niche, not just college

Before comparing platforms, many businesses start with a local print shop. Here's the problem:

  • High minimums — most shops require 50-100+ pieces per design
  • Thousands upfront — you're paying for inventory before selling a single item
  • Sitting on inventory — unsold boxes in your back room or garage
  • Limited selection — stuck with one color, one product, whatever they have in stock
  • Never updated — your local shop isn't tracking apparel trends, seasons, or new styles
  • You handle shipping — packing and mailing is on you

Bear Grips Pro Shops eliminates all of this. Zero inventory, zero minimums, zero upfront costs. We print and ship each order directly to your customer with free shipping. And we're constantly adding new products to keep your shop current with the latest styles and trends.

The Verdict

Underground Printing is a capable platform for college organizations, fraternities/sororities, and campus groups ordering 12+ matching items. But for a full branded apparel shop with free shipping and done-for-you support, Bear Grips is the stronger choice.

If you want a branded athletic custom apparel shop with a curated best-seller catalog, free shipping, and done-for-you design support — Bear Grips Pro Shops is the better choice.

Your custom apparel shop, without the Underground Printing headaches

No inventory. No minimums. No upfront costs. Free shipping on every order. 100+ premium products with new styles added regularly. Start free.

Start Your Free Shop →

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