What Makes The Best Scrubs

The designation “best scrubs” belongs to the medical apparel company that most effectively combines its expertise in design, materials, and production to enhance the appearance, comfort and functionality of the clinicians who wear them. Given the number of choices available in the marketplace, before any practical assessment of the relative merits of each brand can be made, we first must narrow the field using some logical threshold to decide which brands are even worthy of consideration. So what are the minimum requirements for medical scrubs? And once that threshold has been met, what are the attributes of the very best scrubs? At minimum, one would expect medical scrubs to:

1. Comply with whatever color requirements have been established for the workplace.
2. Conform to the body in a manner that is not inappropriately revealing, especially the neckline.
3. Launder well enough that they don’t require ironing.
4. Be sufficiently durable that the pockets don’t tear and the pant legs don’t fray for at least 3 months.
5. Be comfortable against the skin and resist pilling or fading for at least 3 months.

The very best scrubs, however, would possess the following attributes:

1. Designs based on patterns that reflect the differences between male and female bodies.
2. Fabrics that are soft to the touch and comfortable on the skin but don’t pill, fade, or wrinkle.
3. Material made of performance fabrics that provide relevant functionality such as the ability to breathe; wick away perspiration; effectively resist odors; etc.
4. Fabric treatments that resist almost all spills and stains, even blood.
5. Durability achieved through certification of materials, design, construction, and sewing standards.
6. Innovative yet practical features such as secret pockets to secure money and a zippered fly in scrub pants for men.
7. Superior fit accomplished through more precise apparel sizing scales. For example, the standard 0 – 16 sizing for women is comprised of 9 sizes. By comparison, the Small – XXX Large sizing scale used for most women’s scrubs covers an even larger range, but is comprised of just 6 sizes.
8. Designs that not only enhance the appearance of the wearer but reinforce their professionalism.
9. Value that justifies the inherently higher cost of quality designs, materials, features and workmanship, in addition to the higher inventory costs related to stocking additional sizes. Value achieved by virtue of the simple reality they last so much longer, on a cost per wearing basis, they actually cost less than most of the low priced scrubs they’re replacing.
10. Materials and workmanship guaranteed for one year.

Regrettably, the scrubs from most medical apparel companies still look and fit more like pajamas than the professional uniform one would expect to see on individuals who are among the best educated in our society and bear such extraordinary responsibility. It truly is one of the great ironies in contemporary society. Medelita www.medelita.com is the only company that meets and surpasses all the attributes required for designation as best scrubs. Founded by a clinician who deplored the cheap unisex scrubs she was required to wear in the Emergency Room each day, Medelita is continuously raising the bar on what qualifies for best scrubs. For those who wish to present themselves to their patients in a manner that reinforces their professional skills with their presence, wearing the best scrubs should be their minimum standard.