is best regards a good way to end an email

Yes, “Best regards” is one of the best and safest ways to end a professional email. It is widely considered a “semi-formal” sign-off, meaning it strikes a perfect balance between professional respect and friendly warmth without sounding overly stiff or robotic.

When to Use “Best Regards”

Because it sits right in the middle of the formality spectrum, it is incredibly versatile. It is ideal for:

• Familiar colleagues and coworkers
• Clients or vendors you have interacted with before
• Routine business correspondence where you want to maintain a polite but approachable tone

When to Choose an Alternative

While it is an excellent default option, you may want to swap it out depending on your relationship with the recipient:

Formality Level Sign-off Option Best Used For

Highly Formal Sincerely,

Respectfully, Job applications, formal cover letters, or first-time outreach to executives.

Semi-Formal (Standard) Best regards,

Kind regards, Daily business emails, ongoing projects, and existing client relationships.

Informal / Casual Best,

Thanks / Thank you,

Cheers, Close teammates, work friends, or quick email threads where you’ve already built rapport.

Formatting Tip

To format it correctly, place “Best regards” on its own line after an empty space, capitalize only the first letter (“Best regards,” not “Best Regards”), and follow it with a comma.