Best Regards Email: Meaning, Usage & Alternatives

The Sign-Off as a Final Impression

When it comes to digital communication, the email sign-off is often seen as just a formality, a quick closing before the sender's name. But this approach misses the fact that it's a key part of writing powerful and effective emails.

So let’s ask the real question: do sign-offs still matter in 2025?

Absolutely. And here’s why.

A best regards email sign-off isn't just tradition; it’s the last thing you write in an email that can have a big impact on how the person you're talking to takes it, how you come across professionally, and whether your message is clear. A well-chosen sign-off is not an afterthought; it's the final, crucial part of the email etiquette that completes and reinforces the communication.

And when it comes to secure email, tone does double-duty. It builds trust and assures the recipient you’re not just some phishing bot or marketing automation.

What Does “Best Regards” Mean in an Email?

The phrase "Best regards" is one of the most common and useful ways to sign off, especially in business communication.

At its core, a best regards email sign off is a polite way of saying, I respect you, and I’m closing this message with goodwill. It walks the line between formal and friendly – less stiff than "Yours faithfully," more polished than "Cheers."

Let’s break it down:

• "Best" implies well-wishing, without emotional overkill.
• "Regards" stems from the Latin regardare, meaning to look at, to consider.

Put together, it’s essentially saying: You have my best consideration.

That’s timeless. But in modern usage, especially in a best regards email closing, the phrase has evolved. It’s now a default for people who want to sound professional but not cold. And thanks to its flexibility, it works across industries, from software development to law to small business.

But don’t confuse its popularity with thoughtlessness. Used well, "Best regards" creates a sense of structure, calm, and closure. Used poorly, or in the wrong context, it can feel lazy or inappropriate.

That brings us to our next point.

When to Use “Best Regards” (and When Not To)

Here’s the trick with sign-offs: context is everything.

Use a best regards closing in the following situations:

• With Colleagues: It is a perfect sign off for emails to colleagues with whom you are familiar but not necessarily close friends.
• With Established Clients and Vendors: For clients, suppliers, or partners with whom you have an existing relationship (e.g., worked with for several months), "Best regards" reflects an established rapport and continued goodwill.  
• With Prospects After Initial Contact: Once you have moved past the initial cold outreach and have engaged in a two-sided conversation, shifting to "Best regards" can signal a transition toward a more collaborative relationship.  
• In Follow-Up Communications: When following up on a previous conversation or a completed task, "Best regards" maintains a polite, professional, and positive tone.  
• With Mutual Connections: When being introduced to someone by a mutual friend or colleague, "Best regards" strikes an appropriate balance.
• In Cover Letters: While "Sincerely" is the most traditional choice, "Best regards" is widely considered a safe, modern, and professional alternative for closing a cover letter.

Don’t use a best regards email sign off when:

• Highly Formal or Sensitive Situations: For official documents, formal legal correspondence, or letters addressed to high-ranking government officials, "Best regards" may lack the requisite gravity.
• Initial Cold Outreach: In the very first email to a potential client, a senior executive, or anyone with whom you have no prior connection, "Best regards" can feel slightly too familiar. 
• Very Casual Correspondence: When emailing close friends, family, or very close work colleagues with whom you have a highly informal relationship, "Best regards" can feel unnecessarily stiff or formal. In these situations, more casual closings like "Talk soon," or even a funny email sign-off are more appropriate and natural.
• Reaching Out In a Crisis. When urgency is paramount, "Best regards" can sound bizarrely calm and detached. Your closing should match the gravity of the situation.
• Responding to a Complaint or an Emotional Message. It can come across as dismissive or cold, as if you’re not acknowledging the other person’s feelings. A more empathetic closing is required here.

Instead of guessing, ask yourself: what tone will this recipient expect and appreciate?

The way you sign off should be flexible, as relationships in the workplace change over time. If you're a good communicator, you can use the way you sign off to show changes in your relationship with someone without saying a word. For example, here's an example of how a relationship might progress:

1. Stage 1 (Initial Contact): The sender uses "Kind regards" or "Sincerely" to establish formal respect and professional distance.
2. Stage 2 (Rapport Building): After a few positive exchanges, the sender might shift to "Best regards." This change signals an increase in warmth and a move from a purely transactional interaction to a more relational one. It acknowledges that a comfortable professional rapport is forming.
3. Stage 3 (Established Relationship): With a trusted colleague or long-term client, the sender might continue using "Best regards" or, depending on the industry and individual dynamic, adopt a more casual sign-off like "Best" or "All the best" to reflect a familiar, comfortable partnership.

Let’s look at a few real-world examples:

• ❌ To a potential client in a cold outreach email: My company offers solutions that could benefit your team... Best regards, ← This can feel too familiar and presumptuous. You haven't earned "Best" yet.
• ✅ To a business contact:
  It was great connecting with you. Looking forward to our collaboration. Best regards,
• ✅ To a recruiter:
  Thank you for considering my application. I’m excited about the opportunity. Best regards,
• ❌ To a colleague you’re joking with:
  Did you really just delete the shared folder again? 😄 Best regards, ← sounds sarcastic or too formal
• ❌ To a close friend:
  Let’s grab coffeeon Thursday. Best regards, ← robotic

How to Write an Email with “Best Regards” the Right Way

As well as picking the right words, getting the formatting right is really important if you want to look professional. If there are errors in capital letters, punctuation, or spacing, they can make an otherwise well-written message seem less professional and can make the person sending it seem less credible.

So what’s the formula?

Start with clarity

Keep your message focused and free of fluff. Whether you’re emailing a vendor, an investor, or your tax consultant, email format matters:

• Opening: A direct but warm greeting.
• Body: Clear purpose, relevant info, and a human voice.
• Sign-off: Your best regards email closing.
• Signature: Your name and contact details if needed.

Capitalization

One of the most persistent areas of confusion is whether to capitalize both words in a sign-off. Modern email clients, such as Gmail's autocomplete feature, have been noted to use the "Best Regards" format. This has led many to believe it is an acceptable, or even preferred, style.  

However, the authoritative rule, grounded in centuries of formal letter-writing etiquette, is that only the first word of the closing should be capitalized.

✅ Best regards,

❌ Best Regards,

Punctuation

The sign-off should always be followed by a comma. This punctuation mark separates your parting words from your name, a fundamental rule of letter-writing grammar that has carried over directly to email.

✅ Best regards,

❌ Best regards

❌ Best regards.

Spacing & Placement

For clarity and proper formatting, the sign-off should be placed on its own line. A blank line should separate the body of the email from the sign-off, and the sender's name should then appear on the line immediately following the sign-off.  

Correct Formatting Example:

Best Regards Alternatives: Sign-Offs for Every Tone & Occasion

While the best regards email is a reliable choice, it's not always the best fit. A really skilled communicator has a whole toolkit of sign-offs, ready to be used based on the audience, context, and tone they want to achieve.

Mapping the "Regards" Family

First, let's explore the immediate relatives of "Best regards." These variations carry slightly different temperatures.

• Kind regards: A bit more formal and buttoned-up than "Best regards." Excellent for an initial cold outreach or when you want to create a respectful distance.
• Warm regards: Adds a touch of genuine friendliness. It’s "Best regards" with a smile. Use it when you have an established, positive relationship with the recipient.
• Regards: This one is tricky. While it’s the root of the family, on its own, it can come across as abrupt or chilly. It’s so neutral that it can feel impersonal. Unless you’re intentionally aiming for a terse tone, adding "Best" or "Kind" is usually a better bet.

Friendly Alternatives

Great for semi-casual communication with warmth, without sounding sloppy.

• Warmly — Empathetic, human, gentle.
• Cheers — Casual, used often in tech and creative fields.
• Talk soon — Implies continuity; good for collaborative vibes.
• Take care — Calm, kind, non-intrusive.

Formal Alternatives

When professionalism needs to be crystal clear, without emotional leanings.

• Sincerely — Clean, classic, slightly more neutral than "Best regards."
• Yours faithfully — Used when the recipient’s name is unknown (common in the UK).
• Yours truly — A more traditional American counterpart.
• Respectfully — Very formal, often used in legal or political settings.

Assertive or Modern Sign-Offs

You’re confident, respectful, and expect action.

• Thanks in advance — Be careful with this one; it implies obligation. But when used right, it’s strong.
• With appreciation — Formal, but adds gratitude.
• All the best — Slightly more relaxed than "Best regards," but still polished.
• Thanks again — Warm, efficient, works in almost any scenario.

Every email closing should be intentional. These alternatives aren’t just stylistic choices – they’re tone-shaping tools.

Atomic Mail: Why Your Sign-Off Should Travel with Encrypted Email

We’ve spent this entire time focusing on the immense power of a few simple words in your email. 

Now, are you sending that email securely?

We’ve seen this too many times: people writing sensitive content with thoughtful sign-offs… only to send it through providers that mine, scan, or expose metadata.

This is where the concept of respect and professionalism transcends mere words. At Atomic Mail, we believe that the ultimate mark of respect for your clients, colleagues, and contacts is making sure their privacy is protected.

Here's how Atomic Mail protects your messages:

• Advanced End-to-End Encryption: Our technology ensures your message is locked the moment you hit send and can only be unlocked by the intended recipient. 
• Zero-Access Architecture: We physically can't read your email. Not now. Not ever.
• Anonymous Sign-Up: No phone number. No tracking. Just email, private and simple.
• Alias Support: Use custom aliases for different contacts or purposes – no need to reveal your primary identity.
• 100% Ad-Free Zone: Your inbox is a workspace, not a billboard. We never scan your emails to sell you ads or products.
• Generous Free Plan: All of these essential security features – end-to-end encryption, anonymity, aliases, and our ad-free promise – are available to you for free. We believe everyone has a right to privacy.

When you pair a thoughtful, intentional email sign off with the security of Atomic Mail, you’re sending more than just a message. You’re sending trust. Professionalism. Privacy.

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Because if your message matters, how you send it should too.