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25 Incredible Polynesian Tattoo Ideas for Men & Women in 2024

Polynesian tattoos often get confused with the tribal style as they look similar but there is a significant difference and it’s got to do with the history of Polynesian tattoos. Original Polynesian tattoos form a significant part of the culture and were used to express status, maturity, rank, and genealogy. The original way to get a Polynesian tattoo was through the technique of hand poking, using a bone of an animal such as a whale, or boar teeth.

But before you go and get your own Polynesian tattoo, let us help guide you in choosing the perfect piece of ink. Below we’ll show you the prettiest, most outstanding, and best-looking Polynesian tattoo ideas for 2024. You’ll surely be inspired with the perfect idea of which tattoo style to get, as well as where to get tattooed on your body.

With that said, let’s begin.

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Sword-Like Polynesian Leg Tattoo

Welcome to another list of tattoos to inspire you. On today’s agenda, we’ll be focusing on Polynesian tattoos, not to be confused with Tribal. If you’ve been thinking of getting a Polynesian design, then this is the list for you.
First off, we have this awesome sword-like leg piece. What really stands out is the use of blue ink. Usually, this style of tattoo is done in solid black or black and gray, but the artist took the style and added their own twist, and it paid off.

IG: stephenthorpearts

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Incredible Wrap Around Full Sleeve Polynesian Tattoo

I love it when Polynesian tattoos wrap around a certain area of the body, especially the way this one is done. The way the artist designed this tattoo, gives it the illusion of movement. The varying directions of the lines create a busy look and feel. As you can see the artist added shading to give it a three-dimensional appearance. The linework, shading, and solid black packing are absolutely gorgeous, credit to the artist for doing such a good job.

IG: wilsonjrtattoo

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Amazing Polynesian Full Sleeve On Man’s Arm

Here’s another awesome Polynesian sleeve that wraps around in a busy motion. What I enjoy about this tattoo are the clean linework and consistent blackwork. Many artists fail to pack black ink solidly and it ends up healing poorly and requiring touch-ups. Lucky for this client, artist IG: @ akb_future is a professional and knows exactly how to use his ink and machine.

IG: akb_future

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Double Polynesian Tattoos On Woman’s Outer Forearms

At first glance, these two tattoos look identical but as one looks closer you begin to notice that they have slight differences. That’s a cool idea as many people enjoy symmetry but also don’t want to get two of the same things. Therefore, slightly adjusting one of them means you get two different pieces but can still stick with a symmetrical theme. Placing them on the outer forearm works perfectly for the style and shape.

IG: stephenthorpearts

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Feminine Wrap-Around Polynesian Thigh Tattoo

It’s the fine lines that give this tattoo a feminine touch as well as the flow of the design; it’s very soft, especially the flow of the negative spaces. The positioning on the thigh is lovely and the way it wraps around and looks like a garter is really cool. If you like this then you’ll definitely enjoy the rest of artist IG: @tikinuts work, so give his Instagram some love.

IG: tikinuts

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Incredible Polynesian Chest Tattoo

This is definitely a sexy tattoo, or maybe it’s a mixture of his body and the tattoo, whatever it is, it’s working for him. Often you’ll find people marry themselves to a certain style and will decorate their entire body in that same style. Here we can clearly see this client is going for perhaps a full bodysuit in the Polynesian style. This is a beautiful design, I love how it blends together with the original work. Fantastic!

IG: art_tattoo_reunion

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Lovely Dainty Polynesian Tattoo Wrapping Around Leg

Often, Polynesian and Tribal tattoos don’t have a specific gender regarding how they are designed. Usually when bold lines and solid packing are incorporated, one automatically assumes it’s masculine. However, this piece is a perfect example of a feminine Polynesian tattoo. The way it wraps around the leg is lovely and certainly accentuates it, especially the way it flows onto the foot.

IG: d.russ.tattoo

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Beautiful Polynesian Owl Forearm Tattoo

This tattoo is extremely smooth, from the shading to the solid blackwork; there’s not a single inconsistency. It appears to wrap around the forearm which is a common practice with this style. The cool thing about this design is that you can add onto it at a later stage. The composition of it allows for it to be incorporated into a sleeve, a great option to have if you’re aiming for a sleeve.

IG: didemtattooist

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Gorgeous Fusion Polynesian Half-Leg Sleeve

This Polynesian tattoo is a fusion of Japanese and Polynesian, if you’re wondering how, notice the shape of the waves, very Traditional Japanese. The black is saturated and blended nicely, but it’s the crispy linework that really gives this piece a 10/10 rating. Not only is it done extremely well, but its composition and placement are to die for. The artist truly did an outstanding job!

IG: borneoarttattoo

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Amazing Masculine Polynesian Back and Full-Sleeve Tattoo

Okay, this is really unique and not because of the design, but because of the placement. Usually, when people get their back done, they’ll do their whole back, here we can see the client focused on getting one side completed first and who’s to say he’ll go over to the opposite side? Either way, this is such a sick tattoo and I love that the parts morph into each other so smoothly.

IG: temata_tattoo_deutschland

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Lovely Half-Sleeve Polynesian Arm Tattoo

Half sleeves are always fun to adorn your body with and that’s because you can get the lower half of your arm done and it will appear as though you have a full sleeve, like this one in particular. Again, there’s a fun motion to this piece created by the various directions of flow. I love the subtle and smooth shading, especially on the flower. From the shading to the placement, this is one amazing tattoo.

IG: adria.tattoo

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Elegant Polynesian Chest Tattoo

This may be a simple tattoo but wow are those lines insanely smooth and consistent? The line work is the basis of your design and can often determine how good the piece will turn out. While you can indeed hide imperfections with shading or solid packing, it can be tricker to do that when it comes to the Polynesian style because the lines are more exposed. Luckily this artist knows exactly what he’s doing and gave his client an almost perfect Polynesian tattoo.

IG: caio.spada

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Realistic Black and Gray Tiger Sleeve Tattoo on Forearm

The great thing about Polynesian tattoos is the fact that they are all so unusual and unique. Here we have one that has a beautiful form and flows perfectly with the shape of the body. I like how it flows from the chest onto the shoulder and back. The artist used both solid black ink and a dark gray which work nicely together by creating a complementary contrast. Nice job.

IG: kurtistattoos

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Amazing Blackwork Polynesian Forearm Tattoo

Okay, this might be one of my favorites on this list, and for good reason. Firstly it’s clean, from the black packing to the linework, secondly, the design itself is very cool, and lastly, the placement on the forearm is a great idea. The flow of the design fits the forearm like a glove without any significant warping or wrapping. Check out the artist at IG: @caio.spada for more like this.

IG: caio.spada

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Awesome Matching Black and Blue Polynesian Tattoos On Back Of Legs

Once again we have a pair of tattoos that look identical at first glance but when looking closer you notice how different they truly are. Again, this a great idea for those that want to keep things symmetrical but can’t justify wasting prime tattoo space for two of the same designs. I love the addition of color, which is very unique. Nice clean linework and smooth packing, all come together to create these fantastic leg pieces.

IG: stephenthorpearts

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Incredible Sword-Like Black and Red Polynesian Thigh Tattoo

Here we have another Polynesian tattoo that almost looks like a sword. What’s really amazing about this piece is the use of red ink. It adds that extra pop and breaks away from the usual black and gray. The tiny details and fine lines are also very nice and complement the design. The only issue that I could comment on is the bottom area of the tattoo; the lines become a bit shaky but that can be touched up easily.

IG: stephenthorpearts

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Stunning Geometric Polynesian Forearm Tattoo

This stunning forearm tattoo is absolutely breathtaking and not only because of how pretty the design is but because of how consistent the linework and saturation is. It almost looks like the artist printed this on their client’s skin, very impressive. I’d love to see this piece healed; hopefully, it stays looking as fresh and solid as it does here.

IG: nikutatau

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Perfect Blackwork Polynesian Back and Arm Tattoo

Thick lines make for a great tattoo because as the saying goes, “bold will hold”. In this case, the client never has to worry about his tattoo falling out, a common occurrence with blacking out an area. I love that even though this is a Polynesian piece it looks almost like a blackout. Amazing placement and an even cooler design, I love the varying patterns and shapes.

IG: stefano_miani_tattoo

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Cool Half-Sleeve Polynesian Arm Tattoo

The circular shapes in this Polynesian half-sleeve gives it a really nice busy motion. I like the bold lines and smooth solid packing, you can tell the artist understands packing especially since the skin hasn’t been overworked. The shape of the design looks really good on the arm and I like that the client will be able to add to it in the future.

IG: manu_tattoos

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Dainty Feminine Polynesian Hand Tattoo

Any ladies out there looking to get a Polynesian hand tattoo? If so, then this is the call to go out and get one immediately, look how gorgeous this one is! The best part about this piece is how dainty it is; the linework is soft and thin unlike many of the other designs on this list. As a hand tattoo, I feel like it’s one of those pieces that doesn’t come across as too busy and therefore draw as much attention, which is great if you want your hands tattooed but are worried it will draw too much attention. Absolutely gorgeous!

IG: kaipekatattoo

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Unique Realistic Polynesian Back and Shoulder Tattoo

Do you like a more realistic touch to your Polynesian tattoo? Here’s one that has a very soft Black and Gray touch as opposed to simple negative spacing, and linework. I enjoy the three-dimensional feel created by the shading and blacked-out background. It’s also a really nice shape and fits the shoulder blade and arm perfectly.

IG: islandtat

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Masculine Black and Gray Polynesian Arm Tattoo

The mix of negative spacing, shading, and solid/bold outlines come together beautifully to create this amazing half-sleeve Polynesian arm tattoo. I like how the flow of the design nicely highlights the muscle. Another thing is if the client needs to hide this tattoo for whatever reason, he can because of its placement. .

IG: akb_future

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Half Sleeve Blackwork Polynesian Outer Forearm Tattoo

The bottom half sleeves are so cool. Here we can see the artist makes use of white ink which gives this tattoo that extra little pop to make it stand out. I enjoy the symmetry of this tattoo; it’s very pleasing to the eyes. Kiwi Burt is based in Las Vegas and specializes in Polynesian designs, so if you’re looking for similar pieces, give his Insta some love.

IG: kiwi.burt

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Outstanding Full-Sleeve Polynesian Leg Tattoo

Here’s a hot number for you, an outstanding full-leg sleeve with some amazing patterns. I like that it’s not solid and bold but leans more toward a soft black and gray. The artist did an awesome job at giving this piece depth by shading it to create a 3D effect. I can’t begin to imagine how sore it must have been at the back of the knee. Those of you who have gotten that area tattooed will know exactly what I’m talking about.

IG: akb_future

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Gorgeous Feminine Polynesian Hand Tattoos

More hand tattoos and I’m absolutely adoring this one! Again, there’s the element of symmetry and mirroring without actually tattooing two of the same pieces. The designs are perfect for the shape of the hand. How they extend onto the fingers truly accentuates the hands. Another reason to like this tattoo; if she puts her hands together they link up perfectly.

IG: d.russ.tattoo

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Simple and Clean Half Leg Sleeve Polynesian Tattoo

You’ll notice that almost all Polynesian tattoos have these swirls and swooshes, which is often why they look busy. The subtle shading in certain areas of this piece is nicely done and creates a simple yet elegant contrast against the negative spacing and solid blackwork.

IG: tattoomaori

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Adorable Polynesian Turtle Calf Tattoo

Our final tattoo on this list is this adorable Polynesian turtle. The placement on the calf is a bold decision because of the fact that this design is very rectangular. Often you would want an oval-shaped piece in this area due to the natural curve of the calf, but this artist makes it work. It’s super impressive. Gorgeous black saturation and clean, bold lines merge together to give us this lovely tattoo.

IG: manu_tattoos

We hope you found what you were looking for and had as much fun looking at these tattoos as we had writing about them. Until next time, happy inking!

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