Top 10 Features To Look For When Buying Scrubs

We recently surveyed 200+ professionals who wear scrubs for work. We asked what was important to them, when choosing new scrubs.

According to the survey respondents, here are the top 10 features to look for, in order of importance:

Anti-stain – Dentists and beauticians feel strongly that this is a very important aspect of any new uniform. Stains can come from many sources – glue and other solvents, make-up, amalgams, paste etc. Oil based stains are the hardest to remove from fabric. Being able to wear uniform that day to day muck doesn’t stick to, is a revolution. Stain resistant fabric is being used in some rages of scrubs and workwear, such as the HP range from Wonderwink.
Soft material – Gone are the days of wearing starched or crinoline uniforms to work ( thank goodness!). Everyone works long hours and have to suffer many hours standing up, so a soft fabric is an important feature of modern workwear and uniform.
Practical – this means different things to different people, but we expect that most respondents look for scrubs that can be washed and ironed easily, as well as being quick drying. Some people will also think that scrubs are practical to put into use if they are available in many colours and a wide range of sizes so that the whole team can wear the same design for a unified team look.
Durability – No-one wants holes on the elbows or the seams coming undone after a few wears! Choosing scrubs made of durable fabrics such as polyester definitely helps. Look for scrubs that have double-stitched or even triple-stitched seams, such as the WonderFlex range from Wonderwink.
Easy Care – Chuck them in the washing machine and hang to dry or tumble dry has to be the easiest version of easy care. If ironing is not your favourite pastime, then choose a 4-way stretch fabric like the Four Stretch range from Wonderwink, as you don’t need to iron these.
Stretchy material – Most professionals find that they enjoy work more if they can move about without restriction. Scrubs that stretch comfortably can make all the difference. The fabric doesn’t need to contain elastane to be stretchy, a blend of polyester and cotton can provide a decent stretch too.
Washable at high temperatures – Scrubs that can be washed at 60 degrees or hotter appeals to professionals who come into contact with infectious pathogens, especially vets and medical staff. Interestingly, only 31% of medical staff surveyed chose hot washing as a priority.
Advanced 4 way stretch – Going one step further than just “stretchy material”, some people specify they need scrubs that have 4 way stretch. Scrubs that are made of a fabric containing some Lycra or Elastane will provide four-way stretch. The fabric stretches both across the width AND the length. Scrubs or uniforms with 4 way stretch are ideal to wear for very active tasks.
Lots of pockets – So many professionals find that they carry around a lot of essential equipment and need pockets to store them in. Depending on your role, you might be carrying pens, torches, scissors, combs, stethoscopes, tongue depressors, thermometer etc etc. The brand Wonderwink specialise in providing many pockets for this purpose. Some of the pockets have pockets inside them to hold your equipment securely.
Anti-microbial – Linked to being washable at high temperatures, the anti-microbial feature is important for professionals who need to be sure their scrubs are properly cleansed before wearing them next time. Look for scrubs that wash at 60 degrees or hotter to achieve effective thermal disinfection.