Best Scrubs for Nursing Professionals 2023–2024

Nursing can be physically demanding, so it’s important for you to find the best scrubs that can tolerate all aspects of the job. On any given day, you’re bathing and lifting patients, engaging in procedures involving bodily fluids, performing CPR, and more. So your uniform better work with you, not against you.

Who better to weigh in on the topic of nurse scrubs than the nurses and nursing professionals that are part of the IntelyCare family? We asked 1,020 of these IntelyPros to rate a variety of brands based on key features you’d want from any work uniform: comfort, fit, quality/durability, stain resistance, stylishness, and wrinkle resistance. IntelyPros responded with their valuable insights on the best scrubs to wear on the job.

Here are the 26 brands of nursing scrubs included in our 2023–2024 poll:

We know the importance of looking good and feeling good while you’re putting in long hours at your nursing jobs. We hope the results of this poll can help save you time and money when you’re in the market for a new pair of scrubs. But before we dive into each category, let’s review the brands of nurses’ scrubs that IntelyPros rated most popular.

Best Nursing Scrubs Overall: Figs and Healing Hands (Tie)

These two brands were neck and neck in nearly all categories, and the difference between the first and second spots was decided by .01%, so we’re calling it a tie. Here’s a look at what IntelyPros think of each.

Figs

Pros:

• Received the most points of any brand in any category for stylishness.
• Received the second highest score of any brand in any category for durability.

Cons:

• Expensive — something many of our IntelyPros made sure to call out in their comments.
• This brand runs small, so it can be difficult to determine your size.

Figs boasts unique and sophisticated designs, and vibrant color selections. In addition, these stylish scrubs have a reputation for being comfortable and durable. They offer two categories of trademarked materials: FIONx and FREEx.

FIONx is 72% polyester, 21% rayon, and 7% spandex. It’s soft, wrinkle and odor resistant, and wicks moisture. FREEx 92% recycled polyester and 8% spandex. Not only is it environmentally friendly, but it’s also lightweight, water repellent, and minimizes static.

Cost: Between $38–98 at the time of publication.

IntelyPros on Figs Scrubs

• “Stylish, durable, hold up through many, many washes, and fit very well.”
• “Great material.”
• “Last a long time and wash well. Color doesn’t fade.”

Healing Hands

Pros:

• Received the most points out of any brand in the “Fit” category.
• Nearly tied for first place for wrinkle resistance.

Cons:

• Lack of light color choices.
• Certain styles use a heavier fabric.

Healing Hands are another fashionable option popular among nurses worldwide. This brand is owned by Careismatic, the parent company for Cherokee, Dickies, Med Couture, and other medical apparel lines. Healing Hands scrubs are known for providing comfort and breathability, and our IntelyPros also gave them high marks for stain resistance and wrinkle resistance.

Cost: Between $25–$52 at the time of publication.

IntelyPros on Healing Hands

• “Not too expensive and not cheaply made. They fit and contour the body well.”
• “The best quality.”
• “By far the best brand of scrubs I have ever worn. Super-soft and extremely comfortable.”

Best Scrubs Runner-Up: Grey’s Anatomy

Grey’s Anatomy — a brand under the Barco company umbrella — received the next highest score. The brand touts a premium fabric blend and tailored details, which could certainly explain why Grey’s Anatomy ranked number one in the Comfort category. On the flip side, IntelyPros commented that the sizing is small and the brand’s hefty price tag can be a deterrent.

Nursing Scrubs 2023 Honorable Mentions

Koi and Sketchers often followed the top choices. Our IntelyPros liked that Koi scrubs are comfortable and fit well. Sketchers scrubs also got high marks for comfort while also being fashionable.

Best Scrubs: The Specifics

Comfort

As a nursing professional, you’re often spending 8 to 12 hours a day on your feet. The last thing you need is uncomfortable clothing to distract you from patient care. It’s important to have a uniform that allows you to move with ease without feeling like a burlap sack is rubbing against your skin throughout your shift.

Top 5 Best Scrub Brands

1. Grey’s Anatomy
2. Healing Hands
3. Figs
4. Koi
5. Sketchers

Fit

If your scrubs are too tight, they’re restrictive. If they’re too loose, you’re stuck re-adjusting them all day. On top of that, what you wear can impact your self-esteem and sense of professionalism. Well-fitting nursing scrubs can provide an extra boost to your mood.

Top 5 Best Scrub Brands

1. Healing Hands
2. Grey’s Anatomy and Figs (tie)
3. Koi
4. Sketchers

Quality/Durability

We know we’ve already mentioned that nursing is an active job, but this can’t be emphasized enough. Scrubs need to stand up to a lot: reaching or pulling as you transfer patients to different positions and constant bending are only a few examples. This is a job where durable clothes are an absolute must. You want a pair of scrubs that can withstand the job and hold up to repeated washes without falling apart. Avoid spending money on scrubs every month by investing in workwear that’s meant to last.

Top 5 Best Scrub Brands

1. Figs
2. Grey’s Anatomy and Healing Hands (tie)
3. Koi
4. Sketchers

Stain Resistance

Ideally, as a nurse, you won’t come into physical contact with various bodily fluids, but that’s not always the case. In addition, CNAs often feed and bathe patients, which increases their chances of their scrubs getting soiled. Then there’s the occasional clumsy coffee or soda spill during your break. Buying scrubs with little to no stain resistance will lead you to replacing them far too often.

Top 5 Best Scrub Brands

1. Figs
2. Healing Hands
3. Grey’s Anatomy
4. Koi
5. Sketchers

Stylishness

Here’s an understatement: Nursing can be tough. We’ve already mentioned the physical strains of the job, but those don’t overshadow the emotional ones. Anything that keeps you feeling upbeat is important to maintaining your overall well-being on the job. Finding a way to make scrubs stylish is key. What you wear can impact your self-perception, so show yourself some love by buying scrubs that both feel and look good.

Top 5 Best Scrub Brands

1. Figs
2. Grey’s Anatomy and Healing Hands (tie)
3. Koi
4. Jaanuu

Wrinkle Resistance

Nurses’ scrubs may look like pajamas to civilian eyes, but that’s as far as that comparison goes. Scrubs are work uniforms, and they’re subjected to the same professional standards as those for any other profession. Looking neat and put-together can instill confidence not only in yourself but also in the people you’re caring for. Buying a wrinkle-resistant set will help ensure you always appear ready for the job.

Top 5 Best Scrub Brands

1. Figs and Healing Hands (tie)
2. Grey’s Anatomy
3. Sketchers
4. Koi

Best Scrubs for Women and Best Scrubs for Men

We asked our IntelyPros to tell us what kinds of scrubs their peers prefer. Figs was the brand most mentioned as the best scrubs for women, and Cherokee was the most cited as the best scrubs for men.

Best Scrubs 2023 Honorable Mentions

Although Scrubstar and Mandala weren’t included in the brands we polled this year, they both received enough write-in votes by IntelyPros to be worth noting in our best scrubs roundup.

Scrubstar is a line of scrubs by Walmart that is more affordable in comparison to many other brands. According to our IntelyPros, these nurse scrubs are also stretchy and fast drying. Mandala Scrubs were also praised for affordability, in addition to being stylish and durable.

IntelyPros on Scrubstar

• “Scrubstar scrubs are durable, look great, and the price is ALWAYS less than $25 per piece. Can’t beat that!”
• “They’re comfortable and provide several pockets to carry your notes, pen, debit cards, and phone.”

IntelyPros on Mandala

• “Mandala Scrubs are basically affordable Grey’s Anatomy knockoffs.”
• “Stylish and good quality but cost much less than other higher-end scrubs.”

Which Are the Best Scrubs for You?

Now that you’re more knowledgeable about your scrub options, you can make an informed choice during your next purchase. Upgrade your scrubs if you haven’t already, then let IntelyCare match you with nursing jobs that are a great fit for you. No pun intended.

Our Methodology

We polled our IntelyPros from May 9, 2023, through May 24, 2023, and 1,020 nurses and nursing professionals responded. We presented them with 26 brands and asked them to rate the brands of scrubs that they wear or have worn in the past. The categories were comfort, fit, quality/durability, stain resistance, stylishness, and wrinkle resistance.

IntelyPros could award a brand a rating of Poor (1 point), Fair (2 points), Good (3 points), Great (4 points), or Excellent (5 points) in each category. The results were analyzed to determine how each brand performed in each category. IntelyPros were also given the opportunity to submit write-in votes for brands that weren’t included in our list, as well as comment on their most preferred brands and least preferred brands.

Category winners: You will see rankings for each of the six categories as well as an overall ranking. In the six categories, the rankings derive from the average rating for each brand. The overall ranking derives from each brand’s average for its six category ratings.