When choosing a polo shirt for your staff uniform there are a few factors to take into consideration.
Firstly and most importantly the fabric. Polos shirts most commonly are available in 1 of 3 fabric compositions.
1. Cotton - Either 100% or high content ie 90%+
2. Cool Dry - This is the new generation polyester which is called a variety of names such as sports weave, cool dry, biz cool, etc etc.
3. Poly / Cotton - A blended fabric combining polyester and cotton.
All of the above fabrics have pro’s and con’s so it is really important to understand who will be wearing the polo shirt and what sort of activities they will be under taking whilst wearing the polo.
1. Cotton
Cotton is a natural fibre and there is a common perception that it is cooler to wear and better than some of the other fabric types because of this.
However research has shown that this may not be the case. In fact advancements in synthetic fabrics particularly 2nd generation cool dry's have shown that cotton is not always cooler to wear at all. That said some people prefer the feel of cotton on their skin as it tends to feel softer.
When it comes to screen printing 100% cotton polos are really good as they absorb the ink well to create a smart looking print they are also fine for embroidery as well.
WARNING: Garments with high (70% or more) cotton contents do require some extra attention when it comes to laundering which many staff members will not perform.
100% cotton polos ideally should be washed on their own in cold to warm water (warm - hot water will make them shrink), they should not be washed with heavy clothing like jeans or overalls (this will cause them to stretch), they should be hung to dry inside or in the shade (direct sun will cause them to fade a lot quicker than other fabric types) and they should not be ironed (the heat from the iron can cause them to shrink).
BEST FOR: Smaller staff groups such as family business, owner operators etc where staff are more likely to take better care of their uniforms. Or where the nature of the working environment requires it for OH & S reasons ie for those working with flammable materials.
NOT RECOMMENDED FOR: Organisations with large numbers of staff due to the special washing requirements.
2. Cool Dry
Cool Dry (Kool Dri, True Dry, etc) are the next generation of what is essentially polyester fabrics.
Cool Dry fabrics comes under many different brand names depending on the fabric manufacturer but regardless of what it is called the concept behind the fabric is exactly the same (although some manufacturers do it better than others).
Cool Dry has been developed from high performance sporting apparel so most polo shirts that use this fabric tend to have a “sporty” look to them.
The basic premise of the cool dry fabric is that the fabric is woven in such a way that air movement can be increased therefore allowing perspiration on the skin to be channeled up and out through the fabric. Thus keeping the body cool and dry. The fabric, enlarged under a microscope, looks a lot like honeycomb which facilitates the air movement.
As a uniform, Cool Dry polos, do have some limitations. Depending on the colour and type some are not suitable for screen printing as they have a tendency to repel the ink much like they repel perspiration.
To get the full benefit of the cool dry fabric the polo should not be worn loose. It should be worn reasonably tightly with the fabric touching the skin to allow the transfer of moisture to the outside of the garment. A cool dry worn loose and ill fitting will really provide little benefit to the wearer.
Some types of cool dry fabrics can be prone to snagging or laddering so you need to choose the fabric carefully particularly if your main occupation involves working where you may come in contact with rough surfaces such as in building construction.
Cool Dry garments work better when there is regular air movement as it helps the fabric draw up any perspiration.
BEST FOR: Outdoor working environments.
NOT RECOMMEND FOR: People working in environments that may come in contact with rough surfaces (please note this does not apply to all cool dry fabrics.). Some garments requiring Screen Printing will need to be examined on a case by case basis.
3. Poly / Cotton
As the name suggests Poly/Cotton (or Cotton/Poly) is a blend of polyester and cotton.
Of all the fabric types it tends to be the most robust as it is less prone to shrinking, fading, pilling, stretching, snagging and pulling.
There are numerous blends available with some being higher or lower in cotton. Normally somewhere around 65% Polyester/ 35% Cotton is the usual blend but it can really be any combination.
Poly / Cotton blends are good when you have a lot of staff as they will stand up a lot better to bad laundering habits.
BEST FOR: Everyone
NOT RECOMMENDED FOR:
For Polo Shirts we recommend considering the following ranges and styles.
Australian Spirit - Extensive range of styles and colour combinations, excellent quality cool dry polos.
<click here to view Australian Spirit>
Stencil - Extensive range of top of the line polo shirts most with coordinating mens and ladies styles.
<click here to view Stencil>
James Harvest - Small range of top of the line polo shirts, most in 100% cotton, this is one of the few ranges we suggest if you require 100% cotton polo shirts as the quality if the absolute best.
<click here to view James Harvest>
JB’s - If you are looking for a robust budget polo have a look at the 210 polo and the 2CP polo from this range.
<click here to view JB's>
Gear for Life - Extensive range of top quality polos in a comprehensive range of colours including some less common colour combinations.
<click here to view Gear for Life>
Winning Spirit - Extensive range of budget polos in a comprehensive range of colours.
<click here to view Winning Spirit>
The above ranges are a summary of the most popular and best quality options within the polo shirt category. For a full range of available polo shirts please refer to the individual uniform catalogues <Click Here>.
