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When you’re shopping for medical scrubs, two prominent brands you always see are: Greys Anatomy Scrubs and FIGS Scrubs.
Everyone always wonders, what is better Grey’s Anatomy Scrubs or FIGS scrubs? What are the best scrubs for nurses? What are the best scrubs for medical students?
Being a male nurse, I am always on the search for scrubs. It can be hard to find a good pair of scrubs for males. Grey’s Anatomy scrubs and FIGS both have scrubs for men and women. And they’re some of the most popular scrubs on the market.
Why compare Greys Anatomy Scrubs vs FIGS scrubs? Because they’re the best scrubs you can buy! These are two of the most premium branded scrubs, and easily the highest quality you’ll find.
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Why Do Nurses and Doctors Wear Scrubs?
Why wear scrubs? Scrubs are considered sanitary clothing worn by nurses, physicians and other healthcare professionals.
They were originally made for surgeons and surgical staff to be worn in the operating room. After scrubbing in, medical staff would put on “scrubs” to keep sanitary and sterile.
Nowadays, scrubs are worn by several varieties of healthcare professionals ranging from hospital workers to veterinary workers. They are made to be simple, comfortable, easy to clean and cheap to replace.
Scrubs are simple so that bacteria and other contaminants don’t have easy places to hide. They have straight lines, no curves and no “pocketed” areas that bacteria could easily breed. Additionally, the simplistic design helps make scrubs easy to launder. In the United Kingdom, scrubs are called theatre blues (source).
What are Surgical Scrubs?
Surgical scrubs are different than other scrubs because they are generally not owned by the wearer. Operating room staff changes in and out of surgical scrubs on a day-to-day basis as they enter and leave the hospital. This ensures that the surgical scrubs are correctly laundered and sterilized to decrease any transmission of bacteria.
Jogger Scrubs
What are jogger scrubs? Why are they so popular?
Jogger scrubs or jogger scrub pants have become very popular over the past few years. Joggers in general are pants that basic pants, but with elastic at the bottom (source). They typically come to a “point” or get skinnier as the pant goes towards the bottom of your leg.
FIGS were one of the first brands to really market jogger scrubs. They have been quite successful at this, especially with a recent trend towards this style. Jogger scrubs provide the same comfortable feel as traditional scrubs. However, with a more trendy modern style.
Most hospitals will have no issues with these styles of scrub pants. But, just make sure it’s okay with your institution.
Greys Anatomy Scrubs
Grey’s Anatomy is a television show about hospital life. It follows a team of surgical interns throughout their journey. It has become one of the most popular shows to ever exist. As it was gaining popularity, ABC and Barco saw an amazing opportunity.
Grey’s Anatomy scrubs are made by Barco Uniforms. In 2006, they partnered with ABC and created the official Grey’s Anatomy Professional Wear. Recently in 2019, Barco launched the Grey’s Anatomy Edge styles and fabric.
The biggest features that the Greys Anatomy scrubs showcase are: all-day freshness, easy care, extremely soft to the touch, and unmatched style. They’re made from super scretchy fabric that has moisture wicking properties.
Typically these scrubs cost anywhere from $30-40 for bottoms and $20-40 for a top. However, you can occasionally find them on sale. One of the best parts is that you can find Greys Anatomy scrubs for men and women. This is a huge plus because sometimes scrubs can sway towards women.
Are Grey’s Anatomy Scrubs Good?
Grey’s Anatomy scrubs (at least the ones we tried) were absolutely amazing. These were Greys Anatomy men’s scrubs from Amazon (top and bottom). I went with two different styles because of the feel of the fabrics.
The top is made from 74% polyester, 23% rayon, and 3% spandex twill. The rayon (bamboo) really adds a premium sense and feel to the scrubs. For anyone who hasn’t experienced anything made from rayon, it is similar to spandex, except softer. The bottoms are made from 74% polyester and 24% spandex. These are their new Edge Evolution fit which are very easy to clean fabric, an excellent fit and a breathable comfort.
Overall, I was extremely happy with the design and feel of the Greys Anatomy scrubs from Amazon. They felt premium and comfortable while still providing an amount of breathability.
For pricing and sales, check out Greys Anatomy on Amazon here.
How Do Grey’s Anatomy Scrubs Fit?
Grey’s Anatomy scrubs have different fits and styles for both men and women. The natural relaxed fit is the type that describes the Stretch Top and Edge Bottoms. Depending on how to play out your sizing, you could have a different result.
FIGS Scrubs
Why are FIGS Scrubs so popular? What are FIGS scrubs?
FIGS was created by Heather Hasson while grabbing coffee with her friend who is a nurse practitioner. Heather than partnered with Trina Spear to improve scrubs and transform the way healthcare workers experienced uniforms. They started selling scrubs in 2014 and since has had a huge impact on the healthcare field.
Now they are easily one of the biggest names in healthcare scrubs, especially for physicians are nurses. Even students can get FIGS at an affordable price thanks to their student discounts. However, you can typically find an even better deal on Amazon. They make scrubs for both men and women, and with various styles.
Are FIGS Scrubs Good?
This wouldn’t be a complete FIGS scrubs review if we didn’t try out the entire set! So I got the Chisec top, Axim cargo bottoms, and Bobi hoodie.
Starting off with the FIGS Chisec top. It is made from premium materials that provide a tailored fit and ridiculously soft fabric. No, seriously, they are extremely soft. It has similar stretchiness when compared to the Grey’s Anatomy scrubs. However, it does have a slightly more premium feel. Additionally, they use their “FIONTechnology” to achieve four-way stretch, moisture wicking properties, anti-wrinkle properties, and a lightweight comfortability.
Next up are the FIGS Axim cargo bottoms. They are made from the same ridiculously soft and premium feeling FIONTechnology fabric. It provides the same moisture-wicking properties along with anti-wrinkle properties, liquid repellent and maximum comfort. These pants also have a similar feel to their Grey’s Anatomy counterparts. But, they do still have a more premium feel to them.
Lastly is the FIGS Bobi hoodie. This hoodie is made from 52% cotton and 48% FIONTechnology fabric. It is a relaxed fit design to offer an athletic appearance while still being casual. FIGS claims that you can “wear it over your scrubs, in the break room or out to dinner”. But, I probably would not wear it out to dinner. I would reserve it for hospital use over your scrubs. It does compliment the other scrubs very well.
For sales and pricing, check out FIGS scrubs on Amazon here.
How Do FIGS Scrubs Fit?
FIGS scrubs also have several different fits and styles that you can choose from. Depending on what style you pick, you could have different results. However, the Chisec top and Axim bottom both fit in a relaxed natural manor.
How to Care for Your FIGS Scrubs?
- Wash in cold water, inside out.
- Tumble dry at low heat.
- Four-way stretch and other properties will last the entire lifetime.
Final Thoughts: FIGS VS GREYS ANATOMY?
So which premium scrubs should you buy: FIGS or Grey’s Anatomy?
In my opinion, FIGS take the win on this one. While they are more expensive, FIGS definitely provide the better experience. Most of us wear our scrubs for 12 hours at a time.
Clothes that get worn for long periods of time need several qualities. First and for most they need to be comfortable. That is where FIGS scrubs provide the biggest value. They are literally ridiculously comfortable (as their marketing states).
If you’re in the market for new scrubs, I would not hesitate to check FIGS out. The best part is, if you look on Amazon, typically you can find them on sale.
One difference between Figs and Grey’s Anatomy are that Figs are not made in larger sizes aka big and tall. Figs has been around long enough that they really should be doing this. Most major scrub brands make scrubs in big and tall sizes. Without sounding bitter I think this is somewhat of a conscious marketing decision on the part of Figs’manufacturer. Figs seem to consider themselves the high fashion of the scrub world and what easier way to market yourself as such than to have your product only seen on more svelte bodies.
Thank you for your input. You make some good points.