Branded Polo Shirts for Your Team: Everything You Need to Know
Last reviewed: 17 August 2026 · Written and reviewed by the Xcel Print & Promotions team
The humble polo shirt is the single most popular piece of branded workwear in the UK. And there’s good reason for that. It sits right between casual and professional, it’s comfy enough for a full day’s graft, and it looks great with an embroidered logo. Warehouse, showroom, behind a bar, out on the road, there’s a polo that fits.
This guide runs through everything: choosing them, branding them, ordering them for your team.
Why polo shirts?
The polo has become the default workwear choice across just about every industry. Here’s why:
- Versatile, Suits everything from manual work to client-facing roles. Smart enough for a meeting, comfy enough for physical work.
- Year-round wear, Light for summer, easy to layer under a fleece or jacket in winter.
- Easy care, Machine washable, quick drying, and most don’t need ironing.
- Perfect for branding, That flat, structured fabric is ideal for embroidery. A logo on the left chest looks clean and professional every single time.
- Affordable, Quality branded polos exist at every price point, from budget basics to premium performance fabrics.
Choosing the Right Fabric
Not all polos are the same. The fabric makes a real difference to comfort, durability and how it looks.
Polycotton (65% Polyester / 35% Cotton)
The most popular choice for workwear polos. Polycotton pairs the comfort and breathability of cotton with the toughness and colour-retention of polyester. It resists creasing, keeps its shape through wash after wash, and takes embroidery beautifully. Not sure what to pick? Polycotton is nearly always a safe bet.
100% Cotton
Softer on the skin and more breathable than polycotton. A good shout for warmer settings or staff who put comfort above everything. Just know that 100% cotton polos can shrink a bit on the first wash (size up), and they’ll crease more than polycotton.
100% Polyester / Performance Fabrics
Moisture-wicking polyester polos are more and more popular, especially for active roles. They pull sweat off the body, dry fast, and feel light. Gym staff, outdoor teams, anyone working somewhere warm, they love them. Some premium options throw in UV protection and anti-microbial treatments.
Piqué vs Jersey Knit
Most workwear polos use a piqué knit, that textured, waffle-like fabric that gives a polo its look. Piqué is breathable, tough and holds its shape. Jersey knit polos are smoother and stretchier, for a more casual, modern feel.
Getting the Fit Right
Sizing shifts between brands, so check the size charts before you order. Rough guide to the main fit types:
- Classic fit, Relaxed, traditional cut with plenty of room through the body. Comfortable on all shapes and a favourite for general workwear.
- Modern fit, A touch more tailored than classic, without being tight. A good middle ground when you want a smarter look.
- Slim fit, Narrower through the chest and waist. Popular for corporate and client-facing roles where a sharper silhouette works.
- Female fit, Shaped for women, not just scaled down from men’s sizes. Shorter body, shaped waist, proportioned sleeves. Always worth offering alongside unisex sizing.
Our advice, as always: order a size set before you commit to a bulk order, especially with a brand you haven’t tried. We’ll sort that for you.
Popular Polo Shirt Brands
We stock polos from all the major workwear and promotional clothing brands. A few of the favourites:
Uneek
Cracking value. The Uneek UC101 Classic Polo is one of the best-selling workwear polos in the UK: durable, available in a huge range of colours, and keenly priced. Uneek also does the UC105 Active Polo for more technical jobs and the UC128 Ladies Polo for female fit.
Fruit of the Loom
A household name. Their 63/402 polo is a reliable, mid-weight polycotton option with an extensive colour palette. Fruit of the Loom is known for consistent sizing and good colour accuracy, a safe bet when you need to match specific brand colours.
Russell
Sitting just above the budget brands, Russell polos give you a more refined fit and feel. The Russell 539M is a popular pick for corporate settings where a smarter look is wanted.
Kustom Kit
Premium promotional polos with a tailored, modern fit. Kustom Kit garments tend to look and feel a step above standard workwear, ideal for client-facing teams, hospitality and retail.
AWDis / Just Cool
The performance and sports-inspired specialists. The Just Cool range gives you moisture-wicking, lightweight polos in vibrant colours, spot on for active roles and warm working conditions.
See our full range of polo shirts in the online shop.
Logo Placement on Polo Shirts
The most common embroidery position on a polo is the left chest. It’s visible, professional and works with virtually any logo. Typical left-chest embroidery is 80-100mm wide.
Other popular spots:
- Right chest, For a name, job title or secondary logo alongside the main left-chest design.
- Sleeve, Modern and distinctive. Works well for a small logo or motif.
- Back of collar, A subtle, premium touch. Less visible, but a nice bit of branding when the collar’s lifted.
For bigger designs, like a full company name and website across the upper back, printing may suit better than embroidery. We’ll advise on the best approach for your artwork. Our customisation and pricing page has more.
How Many Should You Order?
For staff who wear polos daily, we’d say three to five per person. Enough for a working week with a couple in the wash. For less frequent wear (event staff, part-timers), two per person usually does it.
And remember, we’ve got no minimum order, so you can always top up later. Once your logo’s on file, reordering is quick with no repeat setup fee.
Pricing
The total cost of a branded polo comes down to three things:
- The garment itself, Anywhere from around £4-5 for budget options to £15-20+ for premium brands.
- Embroidery setup, A one-off digitising fee for your logo (never charged again on repeat orders).
- Embroidery per item, Based on your design’s stitch count and the number of positions.
For a typical order of 10 polos with a standard left-chest logo, the per-item price works out very cost-effective. Get in touch for a quote tailored to what you need.
Order Your Branded Polo Shirts
Three polos for a small team or 300 for a big organisation, the process is the same: choose your garment, send us your logo, approve your free digital proof, and we handle the rest. Free delivery on orders over £99+VAT.
Call us on 01440 712290 or contact us online to get started. Based in Haverhill, Suffolk, Xceluk has been branding polo shirts for businesses across the UK for nearly 20 years.
Written by Andy · Founder, Xcel Print & Promotions
Xcel Print & Promotions is a family-run UK workwear, branded-clothing and print company with over 20 years' experience. We embroider and print in-house from our base in Haverhill, Suffolk, with no minimum order, so this advice comes from kitting out real teams every working day, from single tradespeople to large sites and schools.
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