Originally published January 2023 from reviews collected in late 2022. Prices and shipping fees below are what our testers paid at the time; a Lofty Llama polo is still $39.99.
Independent reviews of Lofty Llama golf polos vs other golf polo brands
We found golfers to objectively review and test Lofty Llama golf polos against some of the best golf polo brands in the industry. Below are the results of their independent polo reviews.
The podium
- 1st: Bad Birdie (4.5 stars). Highest overall score in almost every tested category.
- 2nd: Lofty Llama (4 stars). Well above average in almost every category tested, at a fraction of the price.
- 3rd: William Murray (3 stars). Near the bottom of the polos tested, but still above par from the user's perspective.
About the golf polo reviews and survey process
Every review here is from an independent golfer who was not paid or coerced to favor Lofty Llama over any other tested brand. We purchased and shipped golf polos from William Murray Golf, Bad Birdie, Proud90, Golf Gods, Hreski, Loudmouth, Sunday Swagger, Tattoo Golf, and Kenny Flowers, along with our own golf polos, to golfers around the country.
We asked each golfer to play rounds wearing the Lofty Llama polo and the other brands, then answer a series of questions about quality, value relative to price, and the other things we believe shoppers actually want to know. We compiled every survey below to show how Lofty Llama stacks up against the bigger names.
Want to take part as an objective polo reviewer? Email team@loftyllama.com.
The golf polo survey explained
Each tester answered 19 questions per polo and uploaded photos and video. They also logged when each polo was ordered and when it arrived, so we could measure delivery speed by brand. On top of the questions we collected pricing (including the sign-up discounts each site promotes), shipping cost, and shipping options. The goal was a level, organic playing field.
Why run these reviews at all?
The obvious question is why a polo brand would publish a test it might not win. The short answer: we believe Lofty Llama has comparable quality at a fraction of the cost of the competition, and we wanted to put our money where our mouth is. We do not expect to have the nicest polo in golf. We also do not believe our quality is a third or half of the competition, which is where our price sits. If independent reviewers compare us to brands at $70, $80, and $90 a polo and we stay close on overall rating at $39.99, that is real and immediate value.
What we asked
Pre-round
- How does it fit?
- How is the length?
- How does it feel?
- How is the print quality?
Mid-round
- How was your range of motion in this polo?
- How did it feel while playing?
- How did it handle the weather?
Post-round
- How did the polo hold up during the round?
- How did it do after washing?
- What is the most you would pay for it?
- How many stars overall?
Agree or disagree
- I felt comfortable playing in this polo.
- I would wear this polo for a future round.
- I would buy this polo or others like it from this brand.
- I believe the quality will last several years.
Lofty Llama vs other golf polo brands: the summary
Pricing takeaways
- Lofty Llama had the lowest total polo price after shipping and discounts.
- The total price of a Lofty Llama polo ($37.39 at the time) was $44.70, or 54% less, than the average polo tested ($82.09).
- William Murray had the highest total price at $84.15, which was $46.76 more than the Lofty Llama polo.
- Lofty Llama offered the largest standard new-customer discount (15% off) of every brand tested.
Delivery takeaways
- Bad Birdie had the fastest standard delivery at 3 days, followed by Lofty Llama (4 days) and William Murray Golf (7 days).
- The average delivery window was 4.66 days. William Murray was the only brand tested to exceed it.
Pre-round takeaways
- Bad Birdie had the highest pre-round score at 4.5, followed by Lofty Llama (3.75) and Bill Murray (3.25).
- Lofty Llama was on par or better than average in every pre-round category.
- Every polo tested scored "satisfactory" or higher in every category. Bad Birdie took two "very good" and two "excellent" ratings; Lofty Llama took three "very good" and one "satisfactory".
Mid-round takeaways
- Bad Birdie had the highest mid-round score at 4.56, followed by Lofty Llama (4) and Bill Murray (3).
- Lofty Llama was on par or better than average in every mid-round category.
- Bill Murray scored "satisfactory" in all three categories, while Lofty Llama and Bad Birdie scored "very good" or "excellent" across the board.
Post-round takeaways
- Bad Birdie and Lofty Llama both earned "excellent" ratings for quality after the round and durability after the wash.
- Average star rating: Bad Birdie 4.5, Lofty Llama 4, Bill Murray 3.
- Bill Murray was the only polo to receive a post-round grade below "very good", on the question "How did the polo hold up during the round?"
Bad Birdie vs Lofty Llama: the head to head
- Bad Birdie listed its polo at $72 with 10% off for new customers and $10 shipping. Total paid in our test after tax and shipping: $80.04.
- Lofty Llama listed its golf polo at $39.99 with 15% off for new customers and $3.39 shipping. Total paid: $37.39.
- That is a $42.65 gap, which means you could buy two Lofty Llama polos for less than one Bad Birdie polo.
- Bad Birdie's $10 shipping fee was the highest we saw. Lofty Llama's $3.39 was the lowest.
The bottom line
Bad Birdie earned the top score and deserves it. Lofty Llama finished a close second on quality at less than half the total cost, which is exactly the bet this brand is built on. If you want to see what a 4-star polo at $39.99 looks like, start with the men's golf polos, and add a funny golf tee for 50% off at checkout while you are at it.
