The deformation behavior of a range of polyethylene materials which differ with respect to both their short-chain branch content and molecular weight has been studied. Mechanical measurements carried out over a wide range of temperatures have shown that there is a sudden transition in the measured tensile yield strain at a temperature which is dependent on both the grade of material and the applied strain rate. Above the transition temperature all of the materials behave in a nonlinear viscoelastic manner and the wide-angle X-ray scattering patterns obtained have shown that at low applied strains reorientation of the lamellae is observed before necking. Below the transition temperature the materials all behave in an elastic-plastic manner and there is no evidence of lamellar reorientation before necking. This transition in yield mechanism is not apparent when considering the yield stress data alone.