· Written by Zach, owner of Elkssons
Quick answer: Embroidered workwear in the UK typically costs £11 to £25 per item ex VAT for a garment with a left chest logo. At Elkssons, an embroidered Pro RTX polo starts at £11 ex VAT, a hoodie at £20.80 and a softshell jacket at £24.71, plus a one-off £10 logo setup fee. Order 10 or more of the same garment and you get 8% to 20% off both the garment and the embroidery.
Prices below are per item, ex VAT, with a left chest embroidered logo (£4).
|
Quantity |
Polo (Pro RTX RX101) |
Hoodie (Pro RTX RX350) |
Softshell (Pro RTX RX500) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 to 9 |
£11.00 |
£20.80 |
£24.71 |
|
10 to 24 (8% off) |
£10.12 |
£19.14 |
£22.73 |
|
25 to 49 (12% off) |
£9.68 |
£18.30 |
£21.74 |
|
50 to 74 (17% off) |
£9.13 |
£17.26 |
£20.51 |
|
75+ (20% off) |
£8.80 |
£16.64 |
£19.77 |
The bulk discount applies to each garment line and covers the decoration as well as the garment.
There are three parts to the cost of branded workwear:
There is no minimum order. You can order one polo or five hundred.
The biggest factor is adding more logos. Every new logo or position needs its own setup. For example:
If you're a trade with an accreditation, there's good news. We already hold common logos on file, including Gas Safe, NICEIC Approved Contractor and NICEIC Domestic Installer.
20 polos with a left chest logo: 20 x £10.12 = £202.40, plus £10 setup = £212.40 ex VAT
Same polos with a large back logo added: 20 x £15.64 = £312.80, plus £20 setup (two logos) = £332.80 ex VAT
Orders over £90 get free delivery, and typical turnaround is 13 to 15 working days.
1. Not checking the size guide properly. Sizes vary between brands. A large in one brand can fit like a medium in another. Measure a garment that fits well and compare it to the size guide for the exact product you're ordering, not just your usual size.
2. Expecting a budget garment to perform like a premium one. Once a £7 polo has a front and back logo, it can cost £15 or more. At that point, some customers expect it to feel like a £25 to £30 polo. It won't. The branding adds cost, not quality. You still get what you pay for in the garment itself.
For bulk orders we recommend Pro RTX, Result, Regatta and Russell. We know these brands stand up to daily use as workwear.
Spend more on the garment. The embroidery costs the same whether it goes on a £10 polo or a £20 polo. So upgrading the garment is the cheapest way to improve the whole uniform.
Embroidery lasts as long as the garment it's stitched on. Put it on a quality garment and you get years of wear. We have customers whose uniforms have lasted two to three years before they come back to reorder.
Save with bundles and quantity. Ordering 10+ of the same garment unlocks bulk discounts, and our embroidered workwear bundles include the logo setup for free:
How much does it cost to embroider a logo on a polo shirt? A left chest logo costs £4 per item ex VAT, plus a one-off £10 setup fee. With a Pro RTX polo, the total starts at £11 per item.
Is there a minimum order for embroidered workwear? No. Elkssons has no minimum order quantity.
Is embroidery or printing cheaper? For small logos on polos and hoodies, embroidery is usually the better value because it lasts as long as the garment. Printing suits large back designs and lightweight polyester garments.
How long does embroidered workwear take? Typically 13 to 15 working days from logo proof approval.
Do I pay the setup fee again when I reorder? No. Once your logo is set up, we keep it on file for future orders.
What file format does my logo need to be? Any format works, including PNG, JPEG, PDF, AI and EPS. We can even work from a screenshot.
Ready to price up your workwear? Browse our bundles or request a custom quote.
About the author: Zach is the owner of Elkssons, a family-run embroidery and print business in Leicestershire with over 30 years' experience. Elkssons supplies branded workwear to trades, the NHS, councils, hospitality and facilities firms across the UK.