A guide to scrub colours

For many nurses, the colour of their scrubs is decided for them. The hospital or college picks it, and that is that. But when you do get a say, or when you are a nursing office choosing a colour for a whole team, the choice is more than just taste. Colour affects how marks show, how the uniform looks after many washes, and how easily patients can tell who is who.

Here is a simple guide to the colours in our range and what each is good at.

Navy

The most popular scrub colour in many hospitals, and for good reason.

• Looks smart and professional on almost everyone.
• Hides small stains and splashes well.
• Pairs neatly with a white coat.
• Shows lint and pale fluff more than you might expect; a quick lint roller helps.

Available in both the Women’s V-Neck Scrub Set and the Men’s / Unisex set.

Teal

A fresh blue-green that feels lively without being loud.

• Looks bright and clean on a ward.
• Sits between light and dark, so it hides marks reasonably well.
• A popular choice when a team wants something less formal than navy.

Women’s set only in our standard range.

Wine

A deep red-purple, sometimes called maroon.

• Looks smart and a little different from the usual blues.
• Hides stains very well, including Betadine splashes.
• Can look dusty if washed with too much detergent; rinse well.

Women’s set only in our standard range.

Ceil blue

The light, soft blue that many people picture as classic hospital scrubs.

• Looks calm and clean.
• Feels a little cooler than dark shades on a sunny walk in.
• Shows stains more easily, so it suits clinics and areas with fewer splashes.
• Should be washed with light colours so it does not pick up dye from darks.

Women’s set only in our standard range.

Grey

A neutral, low-key option.

• Looks modern and understated.
• Good at hiding lint.
• Shows sweat marks more than navy on humid days.

Available in the Men’s / Unisex set.

OT green

The traditional colour for operating theatres.

• Used for the OT Green Surgical Scrub Set and matching caps.
• Often reserved for theatre so OT staff are easy to identify.

Other OT colours are possible for institution or bulk orders.

Colours at a glance

Colour	Hides marks	Look	Our sets
Navy	Very well	Classic, smart	Women’s, unisex
Teal	Well	Fresh	Women’s
Wine	Very well	Distinctive	Women’s
Ceil blue	Less	Calm, light	Women’s
Grey	Moderately	Understated	Unisex
OT green	Moderately	Theatre	OT set

Choosing for yourself

If you are free to choose:

• Busy ward with lots of splashes? Navy or wine.
• Clinic or outpatient work? Ceil blue or teal.
• Want something quiet and modern? Grey.
• Working in theatre? Follow your OT’s colour rule, usually green.

Always check your hospital’s or college’s uniform policy first. Colleges set their own uniform, and many hospitals use colour to separate roles.

Choosing for a team

Nursing offices often use colour to show roles, such as one colour for staff nurses and another for students or supervisors. Our scrub caps come in navy, teal, wine, ceil blue and OT green, so they can match or contrast with the sets. For a hospital or college, see how approved colours work on our for institutions page.