10 Best Scrub Brands
How To Choose The Best Scrub Brands For Nurses
Here’s to our frontline workers and scrubbed-in professionals that keep the world turning day after day.
To celebrate those who put their lives into endless hours of work, we’ve put together a review dedicated to finding comfort in those long hours through a look into the best scrub brands on the market.
What may seem like an afterthought or an unnecessary investment can actually alter those lengthy hours through simple comfort in design.
We’re not the first to admit that it also makes a big difference wearing clothing that leaves you feeling comfortable and stylish. Scrub fashion can only go so far in terms of design, but style and fabric can bring on a huge confidence boost.
We’ve put together a list of the best scrub brands 2021, looking beyond the names and into what makes them the best scrubs on the market. To doctors, nurses, vets, and more, this one’s for you.
Why Buy Quality Scrubs When They Just Get Dirty?
When it comes to buying scrubs, cost always plays a part in the purchase. For a uniform often made dirty through working hours, it’s hard to justify investing more money in better brands. That said, sometimes that investment makes all the difference.
Higher-quality brand names will likely cost more than cheap scrub options, but those extra dollars may mean longer-lasting quality.
Saving money on cheaper scrubs may seem smart in the short game, but in the long run, it’ll be a hefty investment that will never end. A few pairs of durable scrubs to cycle through will save money and time.
Comfort also plays a part in scrub quality with cheaper pairs made from thinner and harsher materials.
It’s a running joke how easily scrubs can pass for pajamas in appearance, but when purchasing the top-quality brands, these pieces are soft enough they can pass for PJs in feel as well. Why work through long hours in uncomfortable clothing rather than staying busy and cozy?
While it’s true that pairs may be ruined through work, the best scrubs are found through a balance of cost, comfort, and strength. Considering the hours that will be spent running around in scrubs, you may as well pay a bit more for something soft and built to last.
10 Best Scrub Brands
We understand that searching for quality scrubs is hard work, so we’ve taken care of that for you. Let’s hop right into the top 10 picks for scrubs and see how they stack up with one another.
1. Care+Wear
Born from a desire to help patients maintain an element of dignity through healthwear, Care+Wear launched in 2014 to deliver products that promised “quality, function, and experience.”
This company originally began solely in healthwear designed to allow access to ports while providing the warmth and security of street clothes.
Rather than lying in exposing gowns and struggling to find the perfect loose pajamas, this company answered the call through their innovative designs moving beyond ports to NICU suits, post-birth bras, and more.
Related: Read the full Care+Wear Review to learn more about the brand.
In 2021, as a result of the pandemic, Care+Wear launched a new scrubs line, hoping to become one of the best scrub brands for doctors and nurses during the long and exhausting hours they now face.
Celebrating frontline workers, these scrubs are available for men and women in a variety of blue shades with a number of pocketed designs to cover all needs on the go.
Including underscrub wear, scrub caps, and the standard top and pants, this line is available for the reasonable price range of $18 – $45 depending on the product.
2. Jaanuu
Jaanuu understands that the medical world is an eternal race to the next patient and they designed each piece accordingly. Launched in 2013, this brand was designed to inspire the best work possible while keeping professionals comfortable and confident in their journey.
Derived from a Hindu word, this company name actually translates to “life,” relating to the journey each individual and professional takes as they fight to overcome the obstacles that often surround us all.
Easily one of the best scrub brands on the market, this company prides itself on taking into account the athletics that accompany trauma and medical work by designing 2-in-1 pieces that double as scrubs and athletic wear.
Related: Check out our Jaanuu Scrubs review for a full analysis.
All scrubs are made with an athletic trim in mind to make pieces breathable, secure, and comfortable for long periods.
With 8 standard color options and an additional 10 special edition options listed, customers can mix and match favorites with the new Scrub Set Builder tool to find a style that works for them.
Prices for scrubs typically range from $35 – $60 depending on the style. Scrub jackets are also available for $95 – $100.
3. Figs
All hail Figs, the company born to become one of the best scrub brands for nurses. Originally conceived by co-founder Heather Hasson, these athletically inclined scrubs were designed as a result of watching her nurse practitioner friend work 16-hour days in unflattering and all-around uncomfortable scrubs.
After partnering with Trina Spear, the duo set forth crafting soft, durable, and functional designs that fit form without sacrificing professional style.
Related: View our full Figs Scrub Review to learn more.
Combining athleticwear with traditional scrubs, this brand crafted Jogger Scrubs to keep all professionals cool and comfortable throughout the day.
Created in over 8 colors, these designs include waterproof jackets, high-waisted joggers, under-scrubs, scrub kits, and more to help every customer piece together their dream work attire.
Single pieces run for $35 – $55 depending on the piece, with full kits costing upwards of $100 for full outfits or multiple-piece sets in a variety of colors.
4. Cherokee
Since 1972, Cherokee has been bringing health care worker styles to a new level. Coming into this best scrub brands list with ease is a company created to provide comfort and care in every outfit.
Spanning a number of plain and patterned looks, this brand takes scrubs to a new level through design, fabric, quality, and more.
Cherokee offers more than 10 categories for their scrubs, organized by style and design, but all built with comfort, stretch, aeration, and fashion at the heart of each product.
Partnered with a world of cartoon franchises, scrub tops are available in favorite characters as well as funky patterns to individualize the uniform while maintaining function.
Unfortunately, prices are unavailable online for these products, but reviews show that their products run for roughly what is listed with the other brands in our review.
5. Heartsoul
Serving the medical population since 1995, Heartsoul was born with the dedication to becoming one of the best scrub brands for nurses.
Made with a mission of bringing expression, joy, comfort, and confidence to the medical community, this brand markets tops, bottoms, jackets, and accessories for professionals. Style is at the forefront of these designs with over 60 patterned and plain looks in scrub tops alone.
Whether color or pattern is your ideal style, this brand offers a variety of scrubs to suit any medical professional on the job. Crafted from a polyester-spandex blend, this company aims to keep scrubs comfortably fitting and perfectly fashionable no matter how long the shift lasts.
This brand runs cheaper than some on our list, with prices from $25 – $40 depending on the piece.
6. Dickies
Not the first name that comes to mind for the best scrub brands, Dickies medical wear joins this list with a surprisingly strong product.
Originally founded in 1922, this brand has always geared their stock towards supplying the working population with durable and affordable options for labor work.
Since their launch, this brand has moved into more than just working clothes, offering casual lines, career attire, and more recently, medical scrubs.
Though not as clearly displayed as other brands, Dickies does offer a wide range of scrubs with more than 150 results appearing in the search.
Listing a range of quality, this company offers both cheaper options from polyester as well as more expensive athletic-style scrubs to offer comfort and durability. Prices range from as low as $10 to higher costs of $50 depending on the design.
7. Wonderwink
Working through a world of sustainability and durable designs, Wonderwink’s sole focus surrounds scrubs and the potential they have in the future.
Crafting beyond the standard polyester blend that stretches most scrubs to a great fit, this brand works with microfiber material to create a product that protects from stains as well as provides that airflow necessary to get through the day.
Comfortable, cooling, and a nice loose fit, these scrubs are made to mimic the comfort of sweats, making them easily one of the best scrub brands available.
Made in men’s, women’s, and plus sizes, this ethically sourced brand offers over 10 colors in each scrub style and size. With designs in zip tops, wrap tops, v-necks, and more, Wonderwink expands beyond the standard v-neck style to new fashions to mix up your daily working look.
Wonderwink prices are not currently available online, but keep an eye out for this brand and mark it as one to buy for a comfortable and durable fit.
8. MedCouture
Founded in 1987, MedCouture combines activewear designs with standard scrubs to create comfortable and strong outfits that will outlast the longest shifts.
MedCouture is a brand designed solely around female scrubs while men’s attire reflected in their sister company RothWear. Originally named Peaches by founder Barry Rothschild, this brand rebranded in 2015 for a classier approach to this element of women’s fashion.
Named as one of the best scrub brands for its focus on authenticity and quality, the real fun comes from the pants section, showing off scrub styles aligning with joggers, yoga pants, cargo pants, and more.
These sleek styles alongside the tops sell for reasonable costs of $20 – $40 through online and in-store retail partners.
9. LifeThreads
LifeThreads brings a new material forth, combining innovative antimicrobial methods with soft and comforting materials that simply beg to be worn.
Founded in 2015, this company set out to help medical professionals feel comfortable and stylish in their daily outfits, believing that everyone deserves to wear a decent fit no matter the job.
This brand has since expanded their stock to scrubs, lab coats, and jackets, with the company supporting frontline workers by donating over 10,000 sets of scrubs during the 2020 pandemic.
Building beyond the typical stretch fabrics, LifeThreads material includes fluid-resistance, anti-fungal, and antimicrobial elements to keep all scrubs looking and feeling great no matter what the day throws at you.
Lightweight, easy fit, and odor controlled, these scrubs are designed to handle endless shifts and exhausted spills. With prices in the $20 – $35 range, this company easily becomes one of the best scrub brands to buy for quality material at a great price.
10. DAGACCI
For those looking to save money on the whole outfit and stick to scrub sets, DAGACCI enters the list of best scrub brands with deals for days. With over 15 years in business, this company strives for providing quality products at affordable prices.
DAGACCI knows how easy it is for scrubs to be ruined on a daily basis, so they keep prices low and sell in sets as well as individual pieces to keep all medical workers in ample supply of that standard and well-known uniform.
Selling 18 color options for their unisex scrubs and a further 25 options in the women’s scrubs, this brand knows just how important personalizing a look can be.
Even better, DAGACCI knows how quickly professionals can go through scrubs and offers a subscription service (with a discount) to keep fresh pairs coming your way on a scheduled basis.
For those buying one-time purchases, the deal is still great with single tops and bottoms available for $11 and sets sold for $15 – $20.
What Are The Best Materials For Scrubs?
First thing’s first, be aware that most scrubs are made of blended material to achieve lasting durability and higher comfort. Blended fabrics do tend to have a great list of benefits, but many are also designed with certain climates in mind.
While some spandex-blended scrubs made to be soft and soothing to the skin may function well in cooler climates, they don’t hold up well in humidity and can often cause discomfort.
Scrubs are typically made from four key materials with a variety of blends between the fabrics. We’ll go through some of the pros and cons of each type, but make sure to read labels before purchasing any scrubs to ensure the mix will work with the intended climate and region.
Cotton – easily one of the most standard fabrics for all clothing, cotton is popularly chosen for its light and breathable nature. This material is best for keeping cool in the summers due to the aeration and lack of static cling.
Quick to clean and durably designed, this material holds up well under constant wear, but it can be prone to shrinking in the wash.
The other downside comes from its lengthy drying times, making any underarm sweats uncomfortable. Due to these reasons, cotton is often paired with water-resistant and moisture-wicking materials for longer-lasting scrubs.
- Polyester – Resisting all wrinkles, water, and stains, polyester is a standard choice when creating blends for scrubs.
Due to the synthetic build, this fabric maintains its size no matter how often it’s tossed in the wash, and it’s also quick to dry should any liquids come your way.
There are a few downsides to this carefully crafted fabric, starting with its static cling. Shocks occur far more often with polyester clothing, and this material doesn’t handle heat all too well.
The other big downside comes from the texture as polyester tends to be a harsher material against the skin, a big reason why it’s often only seen in blends.
- Spandex – Very popular amongst the best scrub brands, spandex is another synthetic fiber with a lot of pros to its name. This material is well-loved for its stretch, providing a comfy fitting to any material it is blended with.
Water-resistant, shrink-resistant, and easy on the wallet, spandex is typically found in softer athletic wear and works perfectly in scrubs to give a bit of fit to the style without clinging too tightly to the body.
Don’t be alarmed at a low spandex content when looking into scrubs. Lower is actually better for this material as anything with more than 10% spandex content will be stuffy as airflow becomes limited.
For the best breathability and fit, look for 3-4% of this fabric in any blend.
- Rayon – Last, but certainly not least, rayon joins this list with many of the same benefits as cotton but for a cheaper price.
Rayon is actually a natural material made from cellulose fibers (think wood pulp), and through its production, the material retains those lightweight and airy qualities that mimic cotton.
Quick to dry and soft to the touch, rayon often blends with spandex or polyester as a cheaper method of gaining the benefits of cotton blends.
Similar to cotton when it comes to overall pros, it also copies a lot of the cons. This material doesn’t hold up well in humid environments and is susceptible to shrinking.
All fabrics listed are quite durable and hold up well to the elements, but it’s about finding the best blend for your space.
Any blends with cotton or rayon are likely to be a softer material to make scrubs more comfortable for longer durations, but inclusions of spandex or polyester can greatly alter the fit as well as the features of water and wrinkle resistance.
Check out street clothes to see what blends have felt most comfortable in the past and use that as a guide for what blends to try when turning to scrubs.
It may take time to find that perfect blend, but durability, style, and comfort are all possible if you take the time to look around and experiment with different options.
Men’s vs. Women’s Scrubs: What Are The Differences?
Scrubs are a uniform for a variety of professions – whether for a surgeon, nurse, vet, or any other medical professional, chances are these will be the required attire for your profession.
As with many clothing styles, scrubs come in a variety of designs, catering to both men and women. But what exactly are the differences between the two?
- Sizing – Sexist though it may be, a lot of smaller sizes for scrubs are designed for women, with larger sizes available for men or in a unisex design.
The assumption that smaller sizes equal women is an antiquated thought and it should be noted that some of the brands listed above include plus sizing to provide female styles for those who fit more than a medium.
With that being said, if we’re looking for straight and standard differences, men’s sizes will always come larger, especially in scrubs.
- Style – Considering the uniformity of scrubs, one might think style has no place in gendered fashion, but it’s interesting to note that while most scrubs maintain a similar style slight differences do appear between the two.
Pocket placement is a more subtle style choice that some have picked up on with many women’s tops putting the pockets waist height rather than matching the chest height of the men’s designs.
- Fit – The most obvious difference comes down to the fit where, let’s face it, women’s clothes are always made to be tighter to the body. Men’s and unisex scrubs fall to straight fits for pants and tops, leaving room for the body to breathe.
Women’s scrubs often contain extra stitching or elastic to draw the waist in and accentuate the stereotypical curvature of female bodies.
We have to admit it, the world is used to sexualizing girls by showing off their figure. The thing is, a lot of women don’t mind displaying their curves which makes women’s scrubs a great option for those looking for a better fit in their daily attire.
For those who don’t fit the petite mold or simply would prefer a baggier design, men’s and unisex scrubs are a perfect option that keeps anyone looking professional while allowing a little slack in the fabric.
Despite women having the obvious option, women’s scrub pants can work for men too. The only major difference is a slimmer leg rather than the straight cut, but it’s a look that anyone can pull off if they want to.
Don’t let the label of men or women stop you from perusing the scrub section. Just focus on the materials and colors to find the best fit.
Things To Consider When Buying The Best Scrub Brands
With a bold list of the best scrub brands to buy, there’s been a lot of information thrown out. We’ve looked at names, prices, patterns, and more, but it’s time to bring it all together into one last piece to help you decide just how to find the best brand.
We’ve listed 6 key elements to consider before buying, so keep them in mind while shopping and you should be set.
1. Material – Looked at extensively above, scrub material is key to finding the best outfit for daily wear. While it’s likely a few pairs will be rotated throughout the week, each material blend works best in certain climates.
Keep in mind the points we mentioned earlier to help determine the best blend to fit the situation at hand.
Cotton and polyester blends are fairly common to find in North America due to the climate, working conditions, and costs. They aren’t the cheapest find (that goes to rayon blends), but they’re often some of the most durable fabrics on the market.
With that in mind, a number of blends with spandex or rayon also work wonders, so we won’t decide this one but instead suggest testing out what fabric feels the best (since those shifts never truly end).
2. Price – Set a budget before buying to know what exactly is being shopped for. More money doesn’t automatically mean it’s the best, so try and put the price-quality hierarchy out of mind before going to purchase.
The fact is, scrubs do generally get stained, so don’t put money into incredibly expensive sets or you’ll just end up disappointed.
Choice of fabric can make a big difference in cost, but ultimately the choice should be something durable, hopefully water-resistant, and something with a good fit.
This can all be achieved for a reasonable cost so there’s no reason to go broke while stocking up on scrubs. Many brands listed above go for reasonable prices of around $20 – $30, so be sure and check those out if that’s the desired price range.
3. Brand – While it doesn’t always matter in the end, the brand can make a difference. Many medical professionals have a go-to brand they shop from, so check in with colleagues to ask about their preference for some ideas before shopping.
While we obviously think the above companies are some worth checking out, colleagues and peers may have some other ideas to add to the list.
Don’t get obsessed with brand name, but make sure to buy from a reputable source to ensure quality will match the cost. Sometimes the bigger brands are worth those few extra dollars just for the security of customer reviews alone.
Be sure and do some research before checking out that cart and hitting submit.
4. Styles – Style and fashion aren’t typically considered when it comes to scrubs, but the fact is they can get pretty crazy with designs. Be sure and check if your business has a required color or dress code before shopping. Many places in the medical field require uniformity to the color of scrubs so don’t go wasting money on a Disney-themed scrub top that will never see the light.
Styles also come into play for women’s scrub tops with the different fashions available. Beyond standard V-neck cuts, there are wrap styles, zip styles, and many other designs to break up the monotony of everyday wear.
See if alternative options are available and allowed in required colors to jazz up those dull and dreary days.
5. Sizing – Key to comfort is sizing. Find the fit that works for your body, whether that’s a fitted top, a straight cut, or athletic style.
Many companies are moving towards jogger-style scrub pants rather than a straight cut, so check the feel and fit to make sure it’s comfortable enough to function throughout the day.
Once a style is found, don’t be afraid to branch out and try new looks. Just because one fit works doesn’t mean another can’t. Mix and match to find those perfect sets that will brighten any day.
6. Accessories – Often overlooked, we can’t forget to mention accessories that accompany scrubs. Whether it’s scrub caps or jackets, different brands offer different options to spice up that routine wardrobe.
Built for form and function, be sure to check out what each brand has to offer for additional purchases that will keep you warm during the cooler seasons.
We know…it’s a lot, but once it’s broken down into those key elements to look out for, there shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Once those six points are in mind, it’s incredibly easy to find the brand and style that will add comfort to any day.
Look around, find the right fit, and be comfortable and confident in the work you do. We all truly appreciate it.
Looking for other top brands? Check out these curated lists below:
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