The long sleeve polo remains an underrated menswear piece. It can dress up a casual outfit, relax a business casual or dressier outfit, and give you an effortlessly put together look. We’ll review the best long sleeve polo shirts, as well as different ways this piece can elevate your wardrobe.
| Best Overall | Kent Wang |
| Best Budget Option | Spier and Mackay |
| Best Sweater Polo | Quince |
| Best Business Casual | Charles Tyrwhitt |
| Best Classic Option | Lacoste |
Benefits of long sleeve polos
Before diving deeper into these options, let’s discuss why you should consider the long sleeve polo.
- Versatility – You can wear a long sleeve polo for a variety situations. They work for casual outfits with jeans, chinos, or even joggers (great look for the WFH crowd). Pair them with some dress trousers for a more relaxed dressy or business casual look. Or you can throw a sport coat or blazer over a long sleeve polo for a nice dinner or an upscale cocktail bar, without looking too stuffy.
- Style – Long sleeve polos add a touch of understated class to your wardrobe, as they perfectly bridge the gap between short sleeve polos and button down dress shirts. They offer a great way to give off an effortlessly put together vibe.
- Comfort – Polos in general offer the comfort of a t-shirt, and the long sleeve version is no different. Most of the options listed in this post are made from pique or knit fabric, which is soft and easy on your skin. You can choose to wear these tucked in or untucked, which allows for a little more freedom of movement.
- Layering – Long sleeve polos offer a great option for cooler weather. On their own, they give a little extra coverage compared to a t-shirt or short sleeve polo. As mentioned previously, they also look great under a sport coat, but can also work under almost any outerwear, such as shirt jackets, chore coats, bomber jackets, pea coats, and even overcoats. Perfect for transitional seasons with cooler mornings/evenings and warmer afternoons.
Kent Wang
Of the best long sleeve polo shirts, the Kent Wang option comes out on top. It sports a spread shirt collar, which according to their website “is constructed like a woven shirt with a collar band and two layers of self fabric, instead of the typical single layer of ribbed fabric that loses its shape quickly. This allows the collar to naturally lay open elegantly. It is also a spread collar for a subtle, rakish look.”
This feature allows its collar to stand up under a sport coat for a clean and sophisticated look. You’ll notice that the shirt also has button cuffs, instead of the elastic cuffs most traditionally associated with this style, to offer a slightly dressier vibe. You can easily roll up the sleeves like a dress shirt to relax the look, which is an underrated feature of this style. The genuine, thick mother of pearl buttons add a subtle touch of elegance.
While the Kent Wang option sits on the pricier side, the versatility, style, and upscale features make these worth the extra price.
Spier and Mackay
These long sleeve polos sport most of the features of the Kent Wang option, for around half the price. They offer a spread collar and button down collar option in a nice variety of colors.
While the fabric quality doesn’t quite match up to the Kent Wang polo (not as durable feeling, a little thinner), the Spier and Mackay option still offers well above average quality. The dress shirt collars stand up well, and the button down collar sports a nice collar roll – a good feature at this price point.
If you want to test the waters for a long sleeve polo, the Spier and Mackay option is a great place to start. You get a solid piece without putting too much of a dent in your wallet. These are definitely better than the other options at this price point, which usually come with floppy, shapeless collars and easily stretched out elastic cuffs.
Quince
This relatively new brand claims to offer upscale pieces at affordable prices. Their business model relies on transparency and taking low margins on their products (they display input costs alongside their pricing), while maintaining the quality of higher priced direct-to-consumer brands.
Based on my experience with their products, they generally deliver. I will say the quality isn’t *quite* to the standard of the brands they compare themselves to in their breakdowns displayed on each item’s sales page, but it’s still solid. Overall, they offer very good value for the price.
Their sweater polo does stand out among their offerings. Sweater polos have become more popular over the past couple of years as an especially versatile cool to cold weather piece. We love this trend. You can wear a sweater polo by itself for a sophisticated yet relaxed look, a half step up from wearing just a crew neck sweater. They also layer beautifully under sport coat, blazers, and heavier outerwear.
The Quince long sleeve sweater polo packs in a tremendous amount of quality for the price tag. The most telling feature is the fabric – 100% Mongolian cashmere. This price point is unheard of for cashmere, and the look and feel of this sweater polo stands up. The very strong reviews signal the great value of this piece.
You can wear these to a casual or business casual work environment or to make yourself feel a little more put together working from home. They’re also great for casual wear along with some jeans or chinos, or for dressier situations with some nicer dress trousers.
Many brands like Bonobos, J. Crew and Banana Republic, among others, also offer great merino options for this style, if you want to check those out too.
Charles Tyrwhitt
This long sleeve polo hits a nice sweet spot for business casual attire. The smooth, glassy fabric, hidden button down collar, and button cuffs make this the most professional leaning piece in this lineup. Pair these with some dressy trousers for a sharp yet somewhat relaxed office look.
These go well under a blazer or on their own. They can also function well as a smart casual piece for a nice night out. The smooth fabric probably makes these a little too dressy for very casual looks, but you can still cover a wide range of situations with this piece.
Lacoste
Of the best long sleeve polo shirts, the Lacoste version remains the most classic. This iteration sports the more traditional and casual details associated with long sleeve polos, like pique fabric, ribbed collar and cuffs, and a split shirttail hem. The top notch quality ensures that these casual features still look polished.
Wear this version untucked with casual attire. Think jeans, chinos, and shorts. Plain white sneakers or casual boots/loafers will cap off a perfect relaxed yet polished outfit.
Conclusion
The best long sleeve polo shirts can add a ton of versatility to your lineup. Whether you wear them for work or casual wear, a long sleeve polo can easily relax dressier attire or add some polish to casual wear. If you do decide to buy a couple, you’ll surprise yourself with how often you reach for them!
