Most people shop for scrubs by the top, because that is what shows. But the pants are where a 12-hour shift goes wrong: the drawstring that digs in after lunch, the hem that drags through whatever is on the floor, the waist that gaps every time you squat to read a urine bag. Get the pants right and the top barely matters.
The short answer: if you want one pant to start with, get the Healing Hands Tori in your inseam length. Its yoga waistband has no drawstring to dig in. If you squat, lift and reach all shift, the Cherokee Infinity jogger has the most stretch and zipped pockets. If you want the most pockets for little money, the Dickies EDS Signature cargo pant is the old reliable, and the Cherokee 4101 is the cheapest way to match a unit color in petite or tall.
How we chose: the makers’ own product pages for fabric, fit, pockets, rise and inseams, and the amazon.com listings for buyer rating volume. Every pick below has more than 15,000 ratings at 4.3 stars or higher. We have not worn or wash-tested these ourselves.
The short version
4 picks- 01 The pant to start with Healing Hands Purple Label Tori Scrub Pant $39.99 Amazon
- 02 Most stretch Cherokee Infinity Mid Rise Jogger Scrub Pant (CK110A) Amazon
- 03 Most pockets Dickies EDS Signature Women's Pull-On Cargo Scrub Pant $21.99 Amazon
- 04 Budget, petite and tall Cherokee WW Originals Flare Leg Drawstring Pant (4101) Amazon
The four choices that matter
Every scrub pant is a combination of four decisions. Make them in this order and the shortlist writes itself.
1. Waistband: yoga, elastic or drawstring
- Yoga or rib-knit waistband. A wide, soft band that sits flat, with no cord or knot. It is the most comfortable over a long shift and does not leave a red line. The trade-off is that you cannot cinch it, so if the size is a little big, it stays a little big.
- Full elastic. Pulls on, stays up, cheap to make. It can roll on some bodies, especially when you bend.
- Drawstring with back elastic. A flat front and elastic at the back, plus a cord. The most adjustable option, and the most forgiving if your weight changes through the year. The knot is the part people complain about by hour ten.
If you have had a drawstring dig in, try a yoga waist. If you are between sizes or expect to change size, keep the drawstring.
2. Leg: jogger, straight or flare
- Jogger. Rib-knit cuffs at the ankle keep the hem off a wet floor and out from under your heel. Joggers suit fast units, short wearers and anyone who kneels or squats a lot.
- Straight leg. Looks tidier and hangs well on taller people. The hem should just touch the top of your shoe, not the floor.
- Flare. Wider at the hem, with side vents on some styles so the leg sits over a chunky running shoe. A classic look, but the hem is the first part to fray if the length is wrong.
3. Stretch: what the fabric label tells you
US law requires clothing to be labeled with its fiber content, by generic fiber name and percentage, so you can compare pants from the listing or the label without trying them on. The FTC’s Care Labeling Rule also requires a washing or dry cleaning instruction on clothing labels, which tells you how much fuss a pant will be.
- Spandex at 5% is a properly stretchy pant. The Cherokee Infinity jogger is 95% polyester and 5% spandex, and Cherokee sells it as 360 degree stretch.
- Spandex at 2% to 3% gives some movement without feeling athletic. The Healing Hands Tori is 77% polyester, 20% rayon and 3% spandex, which Healing Hands lists as two-way stretch.
- No spandex means the pant relies on its cut for movement. The Cherokee 4101 is a 65% polyester, 35% cotton poplin, and Dickies lists its EDS Signature pant as 55% cotton, 45% polyester.
Rayon makes a pant softer and drapier. Cotton breathes and feels familiar but wrinkles more. Polyester holds color and dries fast.
4. Inseam: the one most people get wrong
A hem that drags wears through, catches under your heel and picks up whatever is on the floor. A hem that is too short flashes your socks every time you sit. If regular lengths have ever been wrong on you, buy a line that comes in petite and tall rather than hemming.
| Pant | Petite | Regular | Tall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healing Hands Tori | 28.5 in | 30.5 in | 32.5 in |
| Cherokee Infinity jogger | 26 in | 28.5 in | 31.5 in |
| Cherokee 4101 | 28.5 in | 31 in | 34 in |
| Cherokee WW120 | 28.5 in | 31 in | 34 in |
Inseams are from each maker’s own product page. Note that a jogger’s inseam runs shorter by design, because the cuff sits at the ankle rather than at the shoe.
The picks
Best place to start: Healing Hands Tori
The Tori is the pant that gets passed around break rooms. Healing Hands lists a rib-knit yoga waistband, a mid rise, a straight leg with an 18 inch leg opening and five pockets: two front, one cargo and two back. Sizes run XXS to 5XL, in petite, regular and tall.
The one thing to know: Healing Hands calls the cut junior contoured, so it is closer through the hip than a relaxed pant. If you are between sizes or like a loose fit, size up. We cover the rest of the line in our Healing Hands scrubs guide.
Healing Hands Purple Label Tori Scrub Pant
The yoga-waist pant that made the brand, in petite, regular and tall.
A mid-rise straight-leg pant with a rib-knit yoga waistband and five pockets, in a polyester, rayon and spandex blend with two-way stretch.
- Fabric
- 77% polyester, 20% rayon, 3% spandex, per Healing Hands
- Pockets
- 2 front, 1 cargo, 2 back
- Inseams
- Petite 28.5 in, regular 30.5 in, tall 32.5 in
Best for
Anyone who hates a drawstring digging in by hour ten, and petite or tall wearers who are tired of hemming.
Worth knowing
Healing Hands calls the cut junior contoured, so it is closer through the hip than a relaxed pant. Check the size chart before ordering your usual.
Most stretch: Cherokee Infinity jogger
If your shift is lifting, turning, squatting at the bedside and reaching over rails, this is the pant built for it. Cherokee lists 95% polyester and 5% spandex with 360 degree stretch, a soft rib-knit waistband, rib-knit cuffs and five pockets: two zippered front pockets, a cargo pocket with reflective tape and two back pockets. Sizes run XXS to 5XL.
The zipped front pockets are the detail that matters on a busy unit. Your phone and keys stay put when you bend over a bed. Like the Tori, it is junior contoured, so it runs closer than Cherokee’s Workwear lines.
Cherokee Infinity Mid Rise Jogger Scrub Pant (CK110A)
Cherokee in athletic mode: a stretchy jogger with zip pockets.
A mid-rise jogger in a polyester and spandex stretch poplin with a rib-knit waistband, two zippered front pockets and a cargo pocket with reflective tape. Cherokee lists PROTX2 odor-fighting fabric technology.
- Fabric
- 95% polyester, 5% spandex, per Cherokee
- Pockets
- 2 zippered front, 1 cargo, 2 back
- Inseams
- Petite 26 in, regular 28.5 in, tall 31.5 in
Best for
ICU, ED and anyone who squats, lifts and reaches all shift and wants the hems off the floor.
Worth knowing
Cherokee calls the cut junior contoured, so it runs closer than the Workwear lines. It also costs about twice as much as an Originals pant.
Most pockets: Dickies EDS Signature cargo pant
The old reliable. A full elastic waist, cargo pockets on both legs and an instrument loop, in a brushed cotton and polyester poplin, with petite, regular and tall lengths. It has more than 26,000 buyer ratings on amazon.com, the most of any pick here.
It does not stretch, so it feels more like a work trouser than a yoga pant. If you carry shears, tape, a penlight and alcohol pads in your pants rather than a pouch, this is the one. For what goes in those pockets, see our pocket kit guide.
Dickies EDS Signature Women's Pull-On Cargo Scrub Pant
The old-school cotton-heavy pant with tens of thousands of reviews behind it.
A full elastic waist cargo pant in a brushed cotton and polyester poplin, with cargo pockets on both legs and an instrument loop, in petite, regular and tall.
- Fabric
- 55% cotton, 45% polyester, per Dickies
- Lengths
- Petite, regular and tall
- Care
- Wash cold, tumble dry low
Best for
People who prefer the feel of cotton, and anyone who wants plenty of pockets for little money.
Worth knowing
No spandex, so it does not stretch like modern sets. The label says wash cold and tumble dry low.
Budget, petite and tall: Cherokee 4101
The plain, cheap Cherokee pant. Cherokee lists a natural rise, a flat front with back elastic and a drawstring, a flare leg with side vents and three pockets: two front and one back. The inseam choice is the best of the four picks, from petite 28.5 inches to tall 34 inches.
The catch: only three pockets, no stretch in the fabric, and sizes stop at 3XL. If you want the same inseams with more pockets and a softer stretch twill, Cherokee’s WW120 flare pant has five pockets and goes to 6XL; search Amazon for “Cherokee WW120” and check the rating on that listing. Our Cherokee scrubs guide compares the lines in detail.
Cherokee WW Originals Flare Leg Drawstring Pant (4101)
The plain, cheap Cherokee pant, in petite, regular and tall.
A natural-rise flare-leg pant with a flat front, back elastic and a drawstring, in polyester and cotton poplin, with petite, regular and tall inseams.
- Fabric
- 65% polyester, 35% cotton poplin, per Cherokee
- Inseams
- Petite 28.5 in, regular 31 in, tall 34 in
- Sizes
- XXS to 3XL
Best for
A low-cost pant for a unit color code, and short or tall wearers who need a real inseam choice.
Worth knowing
Only three pockets and no stretch in the fabric, and Cherokee lists sizes to 3XL only on this style.
Which pant for which shift
- ICU, ED and anywhere you lift a lot: the Infinity jogger. Stretch and cuffs win when you are on your knees one minute and boosting a patient the next.
- Med-surg and tele, miles of walking: the Tori. A waistband you forget about matters more over 12 hours than an extra pocket.
- Tools in your pants, not a fanny pack: the Dickies cargo.
- A strict unit color code on a tight budget: the 4101, bought in multiples.
- Petite: any of the four in petite, but the Infinity jogger’s 26 inch petite inseam is the shortest here.
- Tall: the 4101 or WW120 at 34 inches.
How to check the fit at home
Order two sizes if the listing allows free returns, then test both before you cut the tags.
- The squat test. Squat as if you are checking a drain. If the back of the waist gaps or pulls down, size up or switch to a higher rise.
- The pocket test. Load the pockets with what you really carry: phone, pens, shears, tape. Walk around. If the waist sags under the weight, the elastic is too soft for how you work.
- The hem test. Put on your work shoes. A straight or flare hem should touch the top of the shoe. A jogger cuff should sit at the ankle bone, not bunch up the calf.
- The sit test. Sit down for a minute. A pant that digs in sitting will dig in at the charting station for hours.
Washing scrub pants
Read the care label first, since the FTC requires one on every garment. The CDC notes that uniforms not soiled with blood or body fluids are likely about as dirty as street clothes and that home laundering would be expected to clean them, while hospitals set their own rules. Anything visibly soiled follows your facility’s policy.
To make pants last, close any zips before washing, turn them inside out, and skip fabric softener on stretch fabrics. Our main scrubs guide covers washing in more detail, and how many sets to own.
What to skip
- Buying five pairs before the first one has been through a shift. Sizing differs between lines from the same brand.
- Regular length if you are petite. Hemming stretch fabric at home rarely looks right, and a dragging hem wears through.
- Light colors as your everyday pants, unless your unit requires them. Every floor splash shows.
- Pants with only two pockets if you do not carry a separate pouch.
Do scrub pants shrink?
Some do, and heat in the dryer is the usual cause. The care label gives the washing and drying settings the maker stands behind, so follow it, and dry on the setting it gives rather than the hottest one. Cotton-heavy pants like the Dickies and the 4101 are the ones to be most careful with.
Follow your own unit’s dress code and color rules, which always come first.