What I Bought

Olive Drab Green, Red, and Black, Operator Polos from LA Police Gear

I picked up 3 of LA Police Gear’s Operator Tactical Polo Shirt. I wear a polo most days both in my 9-5 job and on the range. I prefer the range of movement they provide while being a more business casual appearance over a tee shirt. Some of my favorite polos have started to wear out and are no longer manufactured, so I’m in the market for replacements. LA Police Gear says “We seriously challenge you to try and find a better polo that costs under $20 bucks that will not shrink, fade, or wrinkle”, that’s quite a challenge. I have some other LA Police Gear products and have been quite happy so I’m giving the Operator Polos a shot.

What I Thought

These shirts are 6.5 oz 65% Polyester / 35% Cotton Blend, they feature a screen printed  neck label, glasses loop, and pen pocket. The collar is not supposed to roll or wrinkle. The shirt is not supposed to fade, shrink, or wrinkle. So far I am very happy. The shirt is very soft, the fabric feels smooth, and it breaths well. I ordered the large size which fits my 6’0″, 200lb frame very well.

No Itch neck label in Green Operator Polo from LA Police Gear

After their first wash the 3 shirts I ordered did not shrink, I’ll have to see how they hold up to fading and wear overtime. The 3 buttons are made from melamine and I expect they will prove to be very durable. These shirts are made in China, which I suspect is how the cost was kept so low, but not my first choice for country of origin. The shirt is cut long, and has a little extra length on the back. As a result it stays tucked in all day without adjustment. The glasses loop below the buttons is an interesting feature. As someone who wears prescription glasses its nice that I can have my regular glasses and my sunglasses on me when I know I’m going to be changing back and forth.

Pros

Pen pockets on Red Operator Polos from LA Police Gear

• Price, bang for the buck on these shirts is huge
• No roll collar
• Long cut
• Glasses loop

Neutral

• Made in China
• Pen pocket

Cons

• None

Considerations

Olive Drab Green Operator Polo from LA Police Gear

I am interested to see how these shirts hold up over both daily and hard use, and frequent washing. If they survive then next couple of months I will almost certainly buy some more. I would like to see a few more colours offered. When I ordered; Dark Navy, Black, Olive Drab Green, Red and Silver Tan, were available. The line up was recently expanded to include Charcoal and White. The other thing I hope is that LA Police Gear decides to offer a long sleeve version. For $15 it looks these polos are a great value, and I hope they prove durable. The polos are available here on LA Police Gear’s website.

UPDATE:

After 12-15 washes all the colors have started to pill and some of the stitching is beginning to come out. After 20 washes some buttons have fallen off. I’m still impressed with the performance/price ratio, but I think higher quality(more expensive) shirts will be a better option.