Is Port Authority a Good Brand? Built to Carry Your Logo

Key Takeaways

• SanMar's Port Authority Signature trademark covers clothing sold to businesses to carry their logos.
• The J317 soft shell suits wind and light rain, and the F217 fleece suits dry, cool days.
• Reviewers say the women's soft shell and vest run small; try one jacket first.
• No minimum, and bulk pricing lowers the price per jacket as one design's quantity grows.

Table of Contents

• Is Port Authority a Good Brand?
• Who Makes Port Authority?
• Port Authority vs Port & Company: What Is the Difference?
• Soft Shell or Fleece: Which Port Authority Jacket Fits Your Crew?
• Are Port Authority Jackets Waterproof?
• Where Does a Logo Go on a Port Authority Jacket?
• The Port Authority Polo We Carry: Dry Zone UV K110
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Which Port Authority Piece Should You Order?

Yes. Port Authority is a good brand for jackets and polos that carry a company logo, because that is the job it was made for. Its maker, the apparel distributor SanMar, holds a Port Authority Signature trademark covering clothing sold only to businesses and groups to carry their logos.

As of October 2026, we carry three Port Authority styles: the J317 soft shell, the F217 fleece jacket, and the K110 polo. All three run from XS to 6XL.

Is Port Authority a Good Brand?

Port Authority is a good mid-price choice for logo jackets and polos, made for decorating and sized for a whole crew. On our site, the Core Soft Shell J317 costs far less than either Carhartt jacket we carry. It is not a premium outdoor brand, though, and its soft shell is not a rain jacket.

In a YouTube video, a Wisconsin decorator summed the brand up: "it's not a huge name brand but it is a dependable name brand." Of the Core soft shell embroidered in that video, the decorator says "they take embroidery extremely well." Buyer reviews on one reseller's site praise warmth and long wear. A buyer who ordered about 100 J317s wrote, "Over all we are very satisfied with the product." One reviewer got 21 years from a Challenger jacket, another 17 from a Team Jacket, two Port Authority styles we do not carry.

On the same site, reviewers of the women's soft shell and vest say those cuts run small. A small-business owner on r/smallbusiness wanted one jacket and a few polos, but found that shops "expect you to order 10+ items at once." With no minimum, you can order one jacket in your usual size and check the fit before the crew order.

Shop custom jackets to see the Port Authority jackets next to the Carhartt ones.

Who Makes Port Authority?

SanMar makes Port Authority. The company, an apparel distributor near Seattle, says it launched the line in 1994 with a couple of jackets. In the early 1990s, promotional products dealers wanted more to decorate than T-shirts and sweatshirts, so SanMar chose to source those styles itself. Today Port Authority apparel covers polos, outerwear, fleece, woven shirts, caps, and bags for businesses to put their logos on.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office lists SanMar as owner of the Port Authority Signature trademark, and its record says who the clothing is for. It covers shirts, polos, golf shirts, and jackets "all sold only to business and organizations for embellishment with the marks and logos of others." The mark was registered in June 2004, was last renewed on December 30, 2024, and is still live.

In practice, that means you usually buy Port Authority from a decorator like us, with your logo already on it.

Port Authority vs Port & Company: What Is the Difference?

Port Authority and Port & Company are both SanMar's own labels, and on our site they split the work. Port & Company covers basics, mostly cotton and cotton blends, in wide color ranges. Port Authority covers jackets and a polyester polo in fewer colors, at higher prices.

Color counts are from our site in October 2026, and weights are per square yard of fabric. Choose Port & Company when color choice and price lead, and Port Authority when the piece is a jacket or a performance polo.

Soft Shell or Fleece: Which Port Authority Jacket Fits Your Crew?

The J317 is the jacket for wind and light rain, and the Value Fleece F217 is the simple warm layer for dry, cool days. A soft shell is a woven outer fabric, and on the J317 it is bonded to a water-resistant film and lined with microfleece. One UK outdoor retailer describes it as the step between a fleece and a rain shell.

The Wisconsin decorator who embroidered the Core soft shell on YouTube calls it a spring or mild-weather coat that layers well. On its own, it is not for zero degrees. For a crew that works outside in the shoulder seasons, that makes the J317 the everyday outer layer. The F217 suits staff who move between indoors and out on dry, cool days, and it layers under a shell.

Are Port Authority Jackets Waterproof?

Not the two we carry. The J317 soft shell is sold as water-resistant, wind-resistant, and water-repellent, with a 1000 mm waterproof rating listed for its fabric. The F217 fleece makes no water claim. "Water-repellent" and a rating in millimeters come from two different kinds of test.

Water repellency is measured at the fabric's surface. In AATCC's spray test (TM22), water is sprayed onto a taut sample and the wet pattern is graded against a chart. A waterproof rating in millimeters comes from a hydrostatic pressure test, which measures how well a fabric resists water pushed through it. The J317's sheet does not say which test produced its figure, so treat it as the maker's number.

For steady rain, Port Authority sells a separate waterproof line, the Torrent, which we do not list. Its J333 jacket lists 5000 mm, five times the J317's figure. If your crew needs it, contact us; we can source styles that are not on our site.

Where Does a Logo Go on a Port Authority Jacket?

A crew jacket often has a logo on one side of the chest, a name on the other, and a bigger mark across the back. On the J317, each chest placement takes a design up to 4 x 4 inches by embroidery, patches, or printing. A back print can run up to 14 x 16 inches. On the upper back, embroidery or a patch can be up to 4 x 4 inches.

The F217 fleece is simpler. It takes a left or right chest logo and a back neck mark, each up to 4 x 4 inches by any method. With no full back placement, a big back logo belongs on the soft shell.

A marching band buyer on r/SCREENPRINTING asked about this exact layout for black soft shells. A decorator's reply was to print the big back design and keep embroidery for "smaller designs and personal customization like adding names to garments." You can do the same on a Griwolfe order and pick the method for each side of the jacket. Each placement you add carries its own fee per jacket.

A different name on each jacket makes each one its own design in the cart, and each design is priced on its own. Our guide to custom work shirts with names shows how a crew order groups them.

The Port Authority Polo We Carry: Dry Zone UV K110

The Dry Zone UV Micro-Mesh Polo K110 is a 4.6 oz, 100% polyester double knit pique with a UPF 30 rating. It has a flat knit collar, a 3-button placket, side vents, and snag-resistant fabric, in 16 colors (October 2026). SanMar sells it as moisture-wicking, with a breathable mesh knit, which suits staff working outdoors in warm months. For stronger sun protection, the Sport-Tek Posi-UV Pro we carry lists UPF 50; it runs XS to 4XL, two sizes short of the K110's 6XL.

UPF 30 sits in the band the Skin Cancer Foundation calls "very good." Our guide to golf shirts vs polos explains what UPF ratings measure. On a thin polyester polo, a large, dense, fully filled embroidered logo can pucker the fabric. A lighter, more open chest logo sits flatter, and the design proof is where we flag a design that is too dense.

Browse custom polo shirts to compare the K110 with the other polos we carry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Port Authority the same as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey?

No. Port Authority clothing is SanMar's apparel label, and the agency that runs airports, bridges, and tunnels around New York City is a separate public body. SanMar says its founding Lott family picked the name from a list because Seattle, their home, is a port, and they liked the nautical theme.

Do Port Authority jackets run small?

Some buyers say the women's cuts do. On one reseller's site, a review of the women's soft shell, the L317, reads "Runs small, size up," and a vest review agrees. With no minimum, you can order one decorated jacket in your usual size to check the fit. A one-piece order is not refundable unless it arrives defective or does not match your approved proof. You can also ask us for an undecorated sample jacket for a small fee plus shipping. We can source the L317 on request.

Can I order one Port Authority jacket with my logo?

Yes. There is no minimum on any customization method, so one J317 with a chest logo is a real order. We email a design proof within 1 to 2 business days. Standard production then takes 2 to 3 weeks for embroidery or printing and 4 to 6 weeks for patches. Rush is available on request if you contact us before ordering.

Is Port Authority as good as Carhartt or The North Face?

For cold days and heavy work, no. Our two Carhartt jackets cost far more and carry Carhartt warmth ratings. The Gilliam is a lightweight Cordura nylon shell over 100-gram insulation, and the Duck Active is 12 oz cotton duck with a thermal lining. The J317 wins on price and size range: it runs XS to 6XL, while the Gilliam stops at 3XL and the Duck Active at 5XL. The North Face piece we carry, the Glacier, is a lightweight recycled-polyester microfleece quarter-zip with stretch and The North Face logo on the left chest. It costs far more than the midweight F217 fleece jacket and stops at 3XL. Pick it when The North Face name matters more to your crew than price or size range.

Which Port Authority Piece Should You Order?

Port Authority is a good brand for a crew's logo jackets and polos, so pick the piece by the weather and the work.

• Wind, light rain, and room for a back print: the Core Soft Shell J317.
• A simple warm layer with a chest logo: the Value Fleece F217.
• A light polyester polo for warm days: the Dry Zone UV K110.
• Steady rain: ask us about Port Authority's Torrent line, which is sold as waterproof.
• Cold days or heavy work: the Carhartt Gilliam (insulated) or Duck Active (thermal-lined cotton duck).

Browse custom jackets →

Have a question about your order? Contact us. We'll get back to you the same day.