Talkin' Textiles

• Posted on 5 May 2023
• By JH
• 0

Our ultimate scrubs fabric guide - we talk about all the common scrub fabrics and what makes them great, including a couple of blended fabrics!

It can be hard purchasing scrubs online for yourself or as a gift for someone with all the different fabrics and blends available. Certain people don’t like the feel of a certain type of fabric or require something specific like the breathability of cotton but prefer a more stretchy fabric.  If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, this is your crash course on scrub fabrics!  Let us know if we missed any that you’d like to see covered!

Here's a breakdown of non-blended fabrics and their general properties:

• Cotton: Cotton is a durable, yet soft and lightweight fabric that can withstand multiple uses, static electricity, and chemical-cleaning products. It’s also absorbent and comfortable. However, it can wrinkle easily and may not be as durable as other fabrics.

• Polyester: Polyester is a durable fabric that helps maintain shape and doesn’t shrink or deform like cotton. It’s also wrinkle-resistant and easy to care for. However, it may not be as breathable as other fabrics.

• Rayon: Rayon gives scrubs a nice texture and makes fabric absorbent. However, it may not be as cool as cotton and may pill when washed.

• Spandex: Spandex is stretchy and provides flexibility. However, it may not be as breathable as other fabrics.

• Nylon: nylon is lightweight, breathable, and sturdy. Nylon resists wrinkling and shrinkage and you will have no issue throwing it in the washing machine and dryer.

When comparing the different fabrics found in scrubs, it’s important to consider factors such as comfort, durability, ease of care, breathability, and flexibility.  Most scrubs you see will be a blend of some type and it’s good to know what you’re getting into even if you can’t try on the scrub set or feel it before you purchase.

Blended fabrics became popular because they combine the benefits of different fabrics. For example, a cotton-polyester blend combines the comfort of cotton with the wrinkle resistance and toughness of polyester. This blend is easier to wash than 100% cotton because polyester doesn’t shrink or deform like cotton. A blend of fabrics can provide a balance of these factors to create a comfortable and durable scrub that’s easy to care for.

Let’s take a look at the fabric contained in some of our most popular pants and see how they compare:

Cherokee Form Pant (CK095)

This is our most popular pant and when you take a look at the fabrics it’s no surprise! This pant is made up of 86% nylon and 14% spandex and the heavy nylon content makes this pant extremely light and breathable while the spandex lends its flexibility to create a ridiculously comfortable and stretchy uniform that we’ve heard described as “like wearing pajamas to work”. This pant is made to fit snug and typically people want to order a size-down from what they would normally order.

Koi Good Vibe Jogger Pant (740)

Our second most popular pant is made up of 73% polyester, 22% rayon, and 5% spandex. This pant is somewhat less stretchy than the ever-popular Form pants but is incredibly light and wrinkle-resistant thanks to the perfect poly/rayon/spandex blend. This pant is meant to have a looser fit but Koi is definitely sized a little large so you may want to size down for these as well.

Healing Hands Tate Jogger Pant (9350)

This pant is 90% polyester and 10% spandex. The polyester ensures you stay wrinkle-free all day long (and sometimes when you pick them up from a pile on the floor) while the spandex gives you that bit of stretch you need to crouch, kneel, and backflip through your shift. Additionally, this fabric dries extremely quickly so it does a great job of wicking sweat especially in the hot summer-time months or in work settings that are kept a degree or two too warm. These pants fit true-to-size.