Scientist vs. Doctor Lab Coats: 6 KEY Differences to Look For

Are you wearing a lab coat designed for a doctor? Or for a scientist? How can you tell? In this video, I’ll break down the key things you should look for when deciding what you should buy.
1. Polyester is usually used in doctor’s lab coats. But it’s not safe around flames. Go for 100% cotton or at least 65% cotton in general chemistry labs. Polyester can work well in microbiology labs where flames and exothermic reactions aren’t a threat. Flame retardant (FR) lab coats and Nomex materials are also great choices.
2. Stain-resistant coatings and anti-microbial coatings shouldn’t be used around flames or chemicals. Some of these coatings can make the fabric more flammable, and it’s hard to know how they will react when you splash chemicals on them.
3. In a lab, make sure the lab coat covers your neck. Most chemists will experience at least one exploding waste container in their career. Liquid and glass can come flying straight at your collar bone from the front of the fume hood!
4. Get long, elastic or knit cuffs when working with chemicals to protect your skin when you reach.
5. Avoid threaded plastic buttons, and get all-metal snaps instead. These let you get out of the lab coat quickly in an emergency.
6. Make sure the pockets, loops, and zippers make sense for your work. This will help you stay organized and efficient while you work!
The lab coat I’m wearing in this video will be available at the end of 2023.
Go here to learn more about The Lab Coat Project and drop your email there to get back-in-stock notifications and new releases.
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We’ll also post video updates right here, so subscribe and follow to be in know! AND if you want to help us design the next version, fill out the survey form at the top of that page and we’ll incorporate your feedback in our next data sets.

[@JrnieJade]

Love love love this! 😊 Thank you for sharing, I’m designing and sewing one. I used a generic one during my undergrad and I never fully understood the depth and details and history that went into the coat! This is so great! Thank you

[@StephanieHWLS]

Thanks for the info, I need to make one for my nephew for school and thought that the doctor lab coat was the way to go, but decided to do a bit more research before and this video was the first suggestion. First and best, so thank you

[@geniuslabgear]

Awesome! What did you end up doing for the lab coat?

[@StephanieHWLS]

@@geniuslabgear I got white 100% cotton from a fabric store (did a burn test of course) then drafted a pattern using some cheap polyester cotton. When the fit was right I made the coat knee length with the high collar, lomg sleeves with ribbed cuffs and had metal snap fasteners put in at another fabric store. There is a small note pad pocket on the left chest and two closed bottom pen holders on the right chest and I did a side seam pocket on each side at high hip level. I tested out how quick it is to remove and it takes about a second because of the snaps.

[@PankajYadav-hr8tp]

Do you have one for engineers as well.....I am dying for one.....

[@felinegoodrescue61]

Thank you. I bought Red Kap unisex-adult Kp70 (Amazon)

[@Andy_M.S.c]

I had understood that the lab coat was first used in the lab (surprise?) by scientists and that it was then adopted by physicians in order to seem more modern and differentiate themselves from snake oil vendors and old medicine. Seems more obvious to me like that anyway since day-to-day clinicians at most come into contact with sick people or vomit and wear them more as a fashion statement (see: open lab coats everywhere), but chemists and microbiologists come into contact with chemical and biological hazards since the beginning and wear them for what they are: PPE Can I get the source behind your version of physicians first, scientists later?

[@geniuslabgear]

Hey Andy, totally agree that clinicians rarely actually need them. A lot of them are moving towards wearing scrubs day-to-day, both for practicality but also to reduce anxiety of their patients (i.e. the "white coat syndrome"). Thanks for your tip on the the timeline. I went back and realized that this was something I had heard verbally several times from the medical side - surgeons first adopting them. Checking several sources, it looks like most are reporting that scientists used them first. So I edited out that section from the video. I appreciate you helping me correct that early on before it gets out to too many people. Rest assured, the info about the materials and preferences in the remaining part of the video come from several university safety sources and our own survey data.

[@Andy_M.S.c]

@@geniuslabgear No worries, I also don't doubt the materials section and I will absolutely be getting a lab coat for myself once pre-orders drop on the 31st :)

[@geniuslabgear]

@@Andy_M.S.c that would be amazing 🤩. My background is in materials science so I've paid special attention to those here

[@vawcreations5887]

I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH ❤❤❤

[@geniuslabgear]

Aw thank you! I hope it was helpful

[@seanlowkey9388]

I have the bulwark lab coat

[@geniuslabgear]

Oh nice! That's got some great specs for protection. Do you like it? I know it's very expensive.

[@Cucucumberpie]

Damn it guyysss .... Why the f that guy is so low on subs :'/ (also f i have a problem with importing out of eu hope u grow bigger to make it a world wide think )

[@geniuslabgear]

We're planning to ship these worldwide, no worries!

[@Cucucumberpie]

@@geniuslabgear never worried about compassionate ppl ❤️ (more like my country's unorthodox additional fees 😅💀)

[@Mrshiv-sb2wg]

🫤🫤🫤