The Russell HD are very good quality ( as are Russell garments in general - they are Fruit of the Looms 'premium' brand).
It is worth noting that polyester is much lighter weight than cotton, and is softer, adding to the light weight feel. That light weight feel is what makes them appeal to the sports and fitness market. Most poly t-shirts come in at around 140-150gsm as opposed to mid weight cotton starting at 165gsm+.
The xpres subliplus are a nice weight ( about 210gsm), but come in at nearly double the cost of other shirts.
The new vanilla range mentioned by Ricky@xpres seems a good alternative at 180gsm. The price seems reasonable - Charterhouse are usually a bit overpriced for own brand garments.