Finding the best scrubs for nurses can be a tricky business… When you wear anything for over half the day, you really want to make sure you’re happy with both the appearance and comfort.
Like all clothing, scrubs for nurses come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The definition of “best” is different for everyone:
- What’s your body type?
- How much does price factor into your decision?
- Are there any particular features you’re looking for? (Pockets? A specific color?)
No matter what your needs are, we made a list of the best scrubs for nurses with different suggestions by category, including:
- Best Scrubs Overall
- Best Scrubs For Women
- Best Scrubs For Men
- Best Cheap Scrubs
- Best Scrubs With Pockets
- Best Plus Size Scrubs
- Best Jogger Scrubs
- Most Comfortable Scrubs
- Best Maternity Scrubs
And more! Let’s dive right in.
A Quick Look At The Best Scrubs For Nurses By Category
Author’s Note: FIGS is an extremely popular brand of scrubs, but I personally choose to avoid them because I am not a fan of their business practices. There’s some controversy surrounding their stance on racism, they favor their influencers in a non-inclusive way, and they’ve had a number of sexist advertising campaigns recently.
The other scrubs brands in this article not only have high quality, size-inclusive scrubs but also great and ethically sound business and marketing practices:
Best Scrubs Overall: Cherokee Workwear Professionals
True to their name, they are professional in appearance and comfortable enough to be worn over long duty hours.
Best Scrub Brands: Cherokee Uniforms, Grey’s Anatomy, Jaanuu Scrubs
These are among the top-rated scrub brands liked by a vast majority of healthcare workers. They offer variety in style, color, and sizes with durable and comfortable material.
Best Scrubs With Pockets: Dickies Women’s GenFlex Cargo Scrubs Pant
Every nurse requires adequate storage space on their scrubs and GenFlex by Dickies has plenty of it, without compromising quality and elegance.
Best Cheap Scrubs: Just Love Women’s Medical Scrubs
They offer a durable material and comfortable experience for those on a budget. At less than US$ 25, they are cheap without appearing so in either form or function.
Best Scrubs For Women: Cherokee Infinity Scrubs
Another solid offering by Cherokee, the Infinity scrubs feature an antimicrobial and moisture-wicking fabric that is lightweight and stretchable for a comfortable day-long shift.
Best Maternity Scrubs: Cherokee Women’s Maternity Scrubs
This carefully designed scrub top features top drawstrings, which can be adjusted as the baby bump progresses, for added comfort.
Best Scrubs For Men: Carhartt Men’s Ripstop Utility Scrub
Men looking for durability in their work attire don’t need to look further. Carhartt’s wide range of sizes means men of every build and physique will find a pair suitable for them.
Most Comfortable Scrubs: Grey’s Anatomy by Barco
The super-soft, moisture-wicking fabric of Grey’s Anatomy offerings is a comfort-king and ensures that during long shifts your dress doesn’t become a burden to wear.
Best Jogger Scrubs: Cherokee Infinity Jogger Pants
With a sporty look and stretchable material, these jogger pants can add a new sense of style to your medical wardrobe, while maintaining a professional appearance.
Best Plus Size Scrubs: WonderWink Women’s Plus-Size Scrubs
With the right dress, a body of any size can look elegant. This WonderWink offering does just that for plus-sized people, with comfort, professional look, and functionality.
Best Yoga-Style Scrubs: Grey’s Anatomy Yoga Pants
This polyester and rayon fabric provides a nice fit and comfort with the flexibility of yoga pants. They come in a wide range of vibrant colors and feature an adjustable tie closure.
Best Stylish Scrubs: KOI Basics Becca Scrubs
These cute-looking scrubs take the crown for the best stylish scrubs. The top comes in a variety of colors and features a classic V-neckline.
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Best Scrubs Overall: Cherokee Workwear Professionals
Cherokee Workwear scrubs top our list for the best scrubs overall for their perfect blend of style and comfort. When it comes to hospital apparel, Cherokee is a well-known brand, providing quality scrubs to health professionals for more than 40 years.
Their Workwear lineup includes offerings both for men and women. The professional look, durability, soft and comfortable fabric, and ample pocket space are well complemented by a variety of rich colors and sizes suitable for most body types.
At less than US$ 40, they provide quality hospital wear without breaking the bank.
Runner up – Dagacci Scrubs Medical Uniform: This unisex offering from Dagacci featuring a classic V-neck top and pants with three cargo pockets is another stylish and affordable option worth considering.
Best Scrub Brands:
Cherokee Uniforms: With a wide variety of scrub sets, excellent fabric quality, and true-to-size fit, Cherokee Uniforms sit right at the top. Their Workwear lineup sports a professional look with durability while the Infinity lineup offers an antimicrobial Certainty fabric.
Grey’s Anatomy by Barco is another scrub brand popular among a large number of nurses and healthcare workers. They offer quality hospital apparel for a variety of body types and sizes without costing a fortune.
Lastly, Jaanuu Scrubs, with its varied line-ups of products for both men and women, is among the top-rated scrub brands. They sport a modern, tailored style that is a nice blend of comfort, pragmatism, and affordability. The fabric is wrinkle-free and moisture-wicking and colors stay true even after repeated washings.
Best Scrubs With Pockets: Dickies Women’s GenFlex Cargo Scrubs Pant
Regardless of their unit and duty hours, nurses need to carry a number of professional and personal items. This makes having pockets on your scrubs a necessity.
Many scrub sets come with at least one pair of pockets, but they may not be enough if your professional cargo is considerable. This is where the GenFlex Cargo Scrubs by Dickies come in handy.
In addition to two cargo pockets, these work-ready pants feature two front-patch, an extra exterior, and two back pockets – enough to hold daily used instruments from bandage scissors to micropore tape.
The synthetic fiber is a nice mix of 52% cotton and 45% polyester with 3% spandex thrown in for good measure to provide durability without compromising on comfort.
Best Cheap Scrubs: Just Love Women’s Medical Scrubs
When it comes to this affordable pair of scrubs, being on a budget doesn’t mean you have to compromise on functionality or durability.
This V-neck top and cargo pant offering by Just Love comes in 23 colors and sizes ranging from extra small to 3x large, all while costing less than US$ 25. The material, a balanced mix of 55% cotton and 45% polyester, is soft enough to be comfortable for a day-long shift. Regarding fit, they are true to size for most people.
Those on the curvy side, however, may find them slightly tighter for their liking.
Just Love’s apparel is an affordable option for women but men don’t need to feel left out too. The Adar Universal Unisex offerings are inexpensive scrubs that feature a V-neck scrub top with side vents to facilitate movement and drawstring tapered scrub pants.
The fabric is a 65-35 mix of polyester and cotton. They are known to run large and you may want to order a size down for a better fit.
Best Scrubs For Women: Cherokee Infinity Scrubs
The Infinity lineup by Cherokee Uniforms is among the best-rated scrubs for healthcare workers. The 4-way stretch fabric has antimicrobial and moist-wicking properties which help during long shifts.
They are stylish and trendy, have enough pockets for storage space, and are offered in a wide range of sizes and colors. The V-neckline on the front is well complemented by a rib-knit back panel for a comfortable fit.
Runner up – Jaanuu Scrubs: Jaanuu provides a wide range of scrub tops and pants for women which are stylish, affordable, and comfortable. Their well-liked offerings include the Ladder Lace Scrub Top, Tulip Top, and Princess Zip-Front Tops.
(Buy them here using my affiliate link)
Best Maternity Scrubs: Cherokee Women’s Maternity Scrubs
These true-to-size offerings feature top drawstrings which can be adjusted as your baby bump progresses for a comfortable experience throughout pregnancy.
The material is a mix of polyester and cotton, the scrubs themselves are lightweight and provide the much-needed extra stretch over your stomach. The empire waist and a decorative tie on the side make them stylish without losing functionality.
Best Scrubs For Men: Carhartt Men’s Ripstop Utility Scrub
Carhartt is a well-known name in the field of nursing scrubs and for them durability is paramount. Coupled with the 8-pocket Carhartt Utility Scrub Bottom, this is a solid scrub pair for men, offering strength without compromising on functionality or comfort. The material is a combination of cotton and polyester. The scrubs are true to size and the back length is kept slightly longer than the front for added coverage. They come in a variety of colors and the size range is wide enough to cater to men of different heights and sizes.
Most Comfortable Scrubs: Grey’s Anatomy by Barco
Their fabric is easy to care for and maintains its shape and color well. Their modern, body-contoured fit couples fashionable design with practicality, featuring 3 pockets for convenience and side vents for ease of movement and breathability. They are true to size and come with more than a dozen color options.
Runner up – KOI Women’s Stretch Scrub Pants: The Koi scrubs sport a soft fabric with a slim leg profile and just the right amount of stretch for a nice fit and day-long comfort.
Best Jogger Scrubs: Cherokee Infinity Jogger Pants
Whether you are bored of your run-of-the-mill baggy scrubs or want to jump on the fashion-forward medical attire bandwagon, jogger scrubs will inevitably be towards the top of your shopping list. The best-known among them are those offered by the Infinity line from Cherokee.
For men, the Natural Rise Jogger Pants feature a modern-looking tapered leg with a natural rise waistline in place of drawstrings. Five pant pockets ensure adequate space for your belongings and a combination of polyester and spandex make up the Certainty fabric with its moisture-wicking and antimicrobial properties. They come in relevant masculine colors and a wide range of sizes.
For women, the Midrise Tapered Leg Jogger Pants offer comparable quality and comfort in six colorful shades.
Runner up – Helio Women’s Jogger Pants by Medelita: This premium offering by Medelita comes in three colors. With a slim profile and antimicrobial and moisture-wicking fabric, they are lightweight, stretchable, and comfortable to wear for long durations of time.
Best Plus Size Scrubs: WonderWink Women’s Plus-Size Scrubs
The fabric is a mix of polyester and cotton and the scrub pants come in a variety of colors and sizes that range up to 5x large. The material and fit allow the right amount of stretch for ease of movement.
Runner up – Jaanuu Women’s Plus Size Scrubs: Jaanuu offers a whole line of scrub pants and tops for plus-sized women, with the tagline “Empower the curve”. The variety ranges from tulip tops to joggers and waist-high yoga pants.
(Buy them here using my affiliate link)
Best Yoga-Style Scrubs: Grey’s Anatomy Classic Women’s Yoga Pant
Yoga-style scrub pants provide the flexibility required for excessive movement with a professional look. The Grey’s Anatomy Yoga Pants by Barco combines athletic styling with functionality. They come in a wide range of vibrant colors and sizes suitable for most people. They feature a wide waistband with adjustable drawstring tie closure, front and back pockets, and side vents at the hemline for breathability. The fabric, made from a blend of polyester and rayon, is soft and comfortable for day-long wear.
Best Stylish Scrubs: KOI Basics Becca Scrubs
The most common compliment they receive in reviews is that they are cute. The top, made up of polyester and spandex, features a classic V-Neckline and a bungee loop for your ID badge. They come in more than 20 colors. The material is lightweight and comfortable.
Runner Up – Medelita Vista Scrub: Medelita pride itself on providing a functional design with true feminine style. Their Vista lineup includes offerings in non-flashy but rich colors and is worth checking for those who desire elegance in their hospital wear.
Important Things To Consider When Buying Scrubs For Nurses:
“Are expensive scrubs worth it?”
Premium price doesn’t guarantee premium quality. In fact, many of the top-rated scrubs on Amazon, like Cherokee Workwear, cost less than $40. Some, like the Just Love Women’s Medical Scrubs, are even cheaper, costing less than$25. Aside from the dirt-cheap generic offerings, you don’t need to spend a fortune to find a pair that is perfect for day-to-day use.
“What should I look for when buying scrubs?”
The five key aspects of scrubs are comfort, style, pocket space, price, and material. Since scrubs are going to be used daily for long hours, a durable and comfy material takes precedence over everything else.
“How many pairs of scrubs should I own?”
While the requirements may differ depending on a person’s working hours and shift frequency, a typical nurse who does 3 shifts per week will need three sets of scrubs. Most people will like to have an extra 4th set in reserve in case they decide to do an extra shift every now and then.
“Should scrubs be tight or loose?”
Scrubs should be loose enough to allow easy movement and other activities but not too loose to appear baggy. Very loose scrubs run the risk of exposing your undergarments and more skin than you intend during routine activities. On the other hand, tight, skin-hugging scrubs may not be suited to the professional hospital environment and hinder mobility.
“What are the most durable scrubs for nurses?”
The durability of scrubs depends on the nature of the fabric and the quality of stitching and seam. Most sturdy scrubs use a mixture of polyester and cotton or rayon. Some may contain spandex as well. Cherokee’s offerings are known for their durability as are the Carhartt men line up.
Now that you’ve checked out the best scrubs for nurses, you might be wondering where to go from here. We’ve got some great articles on NICU Nurses, Aesthetic Nurses, Travel Nurses, Cardiac Cath Lab Nurses, and Labor and Delivery Nurses just to name a few!
About Post Author
I am an RN of the old school. We wore dresses. Sometimes aprons too. The scrubs of today are marvellous, look very professional and comfortable. No more black stockings and black shoes! I haven’t yet worn them but I intend to buy some just for around the house. They look great!
Have you looked in Jannuu? What are your thoughts on their scrubs?
Hi Mary,
We actually do mention Jaanuu scrubs in this post under best scrubs brands – they have a great lineup for both men and women and are comfortable and affordable! 😉
Hannah
Team Résumé Rx
Talking about comfortable scrub sounds good. But, In addition to this, I would also recommend wonderwink scrub. They are perfect for all sizes.