Lab coats is a staple of the medical field. Wearing lab coats is not just essential for your safety but it also exudes a stylish and professional aura. Lab coats have served the medical industry well since the 1800s. But not all lab coats are made from the same material, and with all the variety available in the market, how do we know what type of lab coats are best? This is why we have researched and compiled a list the fabrics that are used to make lab coats to help you understand the pros and cons of your best lab coat materials.
Types of Fabrics
The first thing you need to understand as medical professionals interested in purchasing your best lab coats is the material used to make the fabric for lab coats. There are two types of fabrics. Simple fabrics and blended fabrics.
Simple Fabrics
Simple fabrics are made from pure 100% materials and are the most common material used for making the best lab coats. They are also used to make fabric blends as they contain beneficial characteristics. The most common fabrics used to make the best lab coats are:
1. Cotton
One of the most basic material used to make clothing and garments is cotton. It is used in its most pure 100% form as well as blended to add additional qualities to provide you with optimum comfortability and practicality. The best lab coats usually have a high percentage of cotton blended with other fabrics as well.
PROS:-
Cotton is a most light-weight material. This makes it comfortable for you to wear. The fabric also breathes so you can wear it in hot temperatures too without heating up. This is the type of lab coat that is most commonly bought in schools and universities for science classes. Best lab coats made from cotton are long lasting and are often treated with fire resistant and stain-release coatings, making them a budget friendly choice that lasts long when taken care of properly.
CONS:-
Cotton in itself is a material that wrinkles easily and may shrink if you launder it at high temperature of water or drying. This is why there are other materials like polyester blended with cotton to make it wrinkle resistant and allow low shrinkage. Though the best lab coats made of cotton are flame, chemical and stain resistant. Over time your laundering and washing process can wear out the coating, leaving the fabric and you unprotected. This is why when working with corrosive material such as acids, the best lab coats made of cotton are worn under chemical splash apron and acid resistant gloves that cover the arm.
2. Polyester
Polyester is a material that you find most commonly blended with cotton in order to make comfortable and sturdy lab coats. There is usually polyester blended in with most different type of he best lab coat materials.
PROS:-
Polyester is a material that has elasticity so it makes the fabric stretchy and comfortable. It stays wrinkle free and does not lose its shape when you make it wet or when it is weighed down with water. Polyester maintains its color when washed according to directions, and is durable when worn during strenuous work. Its water resistant properties also make it an excellent choice of material to blend for the best lab coats.
CONS:-
100% polyester has a coarse feel to it and can become itchy when you wear it for long periods of time. It also is not flame resistant and does burn fast. When melting, if the lab coat is not disposed right away, the material will melt onto the skin and cause burns and other injuries.
3. Nomex
Because its fibers are made from flam resistant material instead of being coated with a solution, Nomex is the most ideal choice of fabric that is used to make the best lab coats. It also works well in environments where you have to use open flames, pyrophoric compounds, electrical and other fire hazards.
PROS:-
Nomex is flexible, tear resistant and tough. It can also resist most chemicals and is fire resistant, making it safe to wear around open flames like Bunsen burners and where pyrophoric chemicals that can cause a fire hazard are used.
CONS:-
As sturdy as Nomex is, it is also quite delicate if you do not care for it properly. When washed with chlorine bleach, Nomex decomposes. It is also susceptible to solvents like acetone. Because the fibers of Nomex material are fire resistant in itself, it is also one of the most expensive materials that is used to make lab coats.
4. Nomex IIIA
Nomex IIIA is a fabric that is interlocked in a knitted blend with Kevlar and P-140 in different percentages. This strengthens the barrier between you and the heat source causing reduced injuries and maximum protection.
PROS:-
The best lab coats made from Nomex IIIA are flame resistant in high temperature. This flame resistant quality cannot get washed away and when heated it does not melt or drip. In the best lab coats range, Nomex IIIA is currently the material providing you with maximum protection.
CONS:-
Because it is Nomex material, it is expensive. It also provides limited variety in color and style options. Nomex IIIA is susceptible to bleach and the fabric can wear down if laundered with it.
5. Polypropylene
Usually used to make the best lab coats that are disposable, Polypropylene is a material that is a heavy weave. It is a good choice of lab coat to for you to wear in a biohazard lab.
PROS:-
Polypropylene is inexpensive and made from a light and breathable material that is highly resistant to moisture. It creates a barrier between your skin and the contaminant in the environment where pathogens are at risk of cross-contamination.
CONS:-
Extremely combustible near flames and decomposes under UV light.
6. Tyvek
Rather than being a material, Tyvek refers to a brand that makes garment that is made from high-density polyethylene.
PROS:-
Tyvek is durable, tear and rip-resistant. It also provides total protection from dust particles and any other types of bacteria or germs. Tyvek also provides protection against radioactive materials and biological hazards.
CONS:-
Tyvek does not breathe, making it a less comfortable choice that is selected to make the best lab coats. Though Tyvek can be worn to deal with asbestos, spray paint and lead dust, you should not wear it near high flame risk areas.
Blended Fabrics
Blende fabrics are a combination of two or more materials. Materials are usually blended together to make the best lab coats, to provide you with characteristic that can enhance the protective qualities of the lab coast while increasing its comfortability and making it more manageable.
1. Cotton and Polyester Blend Lab Coats
As both cotton and polyester have strong characteristics required to keep safe in chemical environments, lab coats are usually made with a basic blend of these two together. The best lab coats made from a cotton and polyester blend may be blended equally or in a ratio that would allow other materials to blend in and add their unique properties to the fabric of the lab coat.
PROS:-
The best Lab coats made from a cotton and polyester blend do no shrink or change their shape when wet or worn for long periods of time. They are also easier to wash and dry, making them easier to manage for you. Cotton and polyester materials also keep the best lab coats wrinkle free and comfortable. The blend of polyester and cotton lab coats is quite affordable as well so it doesn't burden your pockets.
CONS:-
Polyester is a material that is not as breathable as 100% cotton and thus does not cool you down right away. The best lab coats made from a polyester and cotton blend might be lightweight however, you get hot while wearing them all day.
2. Nylon Blend Lab coats
Nylon is another material that is commonly used in blending fabric for lab coats. It adds softness to the best lab coats for added comfort. Nylon can also be dyed easily and adds additional strength and durability to your lab coats.
PROS:-
The best lab coats made from Nylon blends are strong and lightweight. You can wash and sanitize them easily. They are also wrinkle-resistant, making them easier to keep crisp looking.
CONS:-
As Nylon burns easily, in order to maintain flame resistant, the best lab coats are blended with materials that are flame resistant themselves.
3. Rayon Lab Coats Blends
Rayon is a material that is extracted from wood pulp in the form of purified cellulose fibers. In order to make the best lab coats, Rayon is added to blends with cotton, polyester and spandex.
PROS:-
Rayon is less expensive than cotton and is breathable, absorbent and lightweight. The best lab coats with Rayon material are blended with polyester or spandex in order to increase elasticity of the fabric to provide you with a more comfortable fit.
CONS:-
Because rayon is a material made from organic material, it degrades quickly in acids and liquids. Therefore, you should only wear the best lab coats made from rayon in environments where fire and chemical hazards are not present.
4. Modacrylic Lab Coat Blends
Modacrylic material is a synthetic copolymer. This is a special material and the best lab coats made from it are only worn when a safety officer recommends it for your work environment.
PROS:-
Best lab coats made from modacrylic material are fire- resistant. They are also resistant to chemical and solvents. They do not wrinkle, rip or tear easily and are durable and easy to care for.
CONS:-
Modacrylic materials are very heat sensitive and should not be laundered and sanitized in high water temperatures or steam temperatures.
5. ESD/ Anti-Static Conductive Lab Coats
ESD/Anti-static lab coats are usually used in environments where technology manufacturing is being conducted. They are also utilized for fire control, explosive environments, and during conducting electrical work. The best ESD/anti-static lab coats are blended with cotton and polyester to create safe and comfortable protective wear.
PROS:-
ESD/Anti-static lab coats prevent electrostatic discharge. They provide protection against liquids that are water based. Along with shielding against dust particles, the best ESD/anti-static lab coats also are resistant to light chemical spills.
CONS:-
EDS/anti-static lab coats are not durable against flames as they have no flame-resistant properties.
Conclusion
On order to do your best in the medical field, you need to be prepared mentally and physically. Wearing the correct protective gear provides safety and allows you to move forward and make challenging discoveries. Knowing which the best lab coat is correct for you, is the first of the many important decisions you will have to make as a medical professional.