A common enquiry from customers and clients is what material is the best for embroidered polo shirts to be. Unfortunately, there is not hard and fast answer as the only real answer to give is “it depends”.

The two most common fabrics which are used to manufacture the vast majority of polo shirts are cotton and polyester, or a combination of both. There are other niche materials used by manufacturers but this make up a very small percentage of garments that are sold. Cotton and polyester have differing pluses and negatives which affect your final decision on what to use for your particular order.

Cotton is an amazing material that is all natural and has been used in the manufacturing of clothing for several hundred years. It’s soft to the touch and comfortable to wear against the skin, and it falls well, or drapes well on the body. However these strengths can be disadvantages too. Being a natural fibre it will tend to shrink after repeated washings, and natural fibres dyed with dark colours, for example black or navy will also tend to fade over time.

Polyester was not seen as an alternative in the past as it was seen as being a stiff and scratchy material that simply wasn’t comfortable to wear. However over time this has changed considerably.

The modern polyester offers a number of advantages, unlike cotton it does not shrink and holds colour better so it won’t fade. Being made polyester polo shirts can be less expensive. The modern polyester’s biggest plus is the moisture wicking abilities of the fabric. They can be treated so that moisture lifts away from your skin to the top of the material itself where it can dry quickly. Cotton simply can’t do this...

However, polyester does have its disadvantages in that it can snag and it has its previous bad press to overcome in certain quarters. 

So as you can see, there is really no clear cut answer to the question of what is the best material for an embroidered polo shirt.  It all depends on your needs, your use of the shirt and personal preferences.  If you take those things into consideration when making your purchase, you really cannot make a bad decision