We keep seeing more and more entrants to the golf apparel segment, however, that has brought with it a feeling of hit and miss in terms of quality. That is a significant reason that lineage matters, and you often get what you pay for. A company with 30 years of such history is Abacus Sportswear. They are a brand with a heavy focus on technical material and a willingness to take simple designs outside of the box.
Abacus Albartros 37.5 Polo
THP was able to get one of Abacus “X-Series” polo’s in hand for this review and there is a lot to unpack. As mentioned, Abacus puts a heavy emphasis on their materials, and none more than their 37.5 Technology. The key here is understanding that the “ideal” core body temperature is 37.5 degrees Celsius (99.5F) and the more you maintain that range, the more efficient you can be during activities.
The material itself is built up from imbedding coconut shell and volcanic sand at the fiber level. This is part of the 37.5 magic to try and remove sweat while it is still in the vapor form before it coalesces in order to prevent excessive cooling. The coconut fiber and active carbon from the volcanic sand will never wash out, and they also increase surface area within the material by 800% to keep things dryer and more efficient.
In hand, the material has a little heft to it, but during wear through the dog days of summer here in Oklahoma I can absolutely vouch for the breathability and wicking being top notch. Overall, it was actually quite surprising that it is that efficient without feeling paper thin like so many polos out there right now. With that presence material wise, it should be no surprise that the collar, while not super rigid, maintains good form and function.
The rest of the story here though is the cut of the Albartros 37.5. Overall, it is a bit of a unique shaping. Throughout the core/chest there is a good bit of room, not being overly box-like but also not on the Euro-cut side of things. The uniqueness for me came in the sleeves being on the shorter side than I anticipated.
All in all, there is a definite quality to the polo, even if its use of a zipper in exchange of buttons reminds me a lot of the early 2000’s and trends we went through in my high school days. It is an interesting blend of simple, modern, and technical. The question for most golfers though is bound to hinge around the $140.00 price tag and if the 37.5 Technology makes that price more palatable.
For more information, check out their website here. Would you give the Albartros 37.5 from Abacus a try? Jump into the discussion and let us know just how you feel!
