Lab coats are more than just uniforms; they play an important function in the laboratory. Their purpose is to protect your skin and clothes from chemical or biological spills. Lab coats come in a variety of styles and lengths. Laboratory staff generally wear the longer, knee length lab coats that have long sleeves to protect the arms.

Some lab coats have elastic at the sleeve ends to help prevent the sleeve from being caught on equipment while you are working. Lab coats usually button or snap closed. Shorter lab coats may have zippers. Lab coats are designed to be rapidly removed in case of a spill.

Lab coat styles vary when it comes to pockets although most versions have two large patch pockets and a small breast pocket. The pockets may be designed to hold pens upright so they can be easily accessed.

Although uniform scrubs come in a variety of colors and prints today, lab coats have traditionally been white and most of them still are, although they can sometimes be seen in other colors like blue and green.

The lab coats that laboratory staff wear are normally made from cotton and polyester so they are comfortable and lightweight. They can be treated to be flame and chemical resistant.

Although there are various types of lab coats for laboratory staff to wear today, they all have the same purpose and that is to protect you. A lab coat should always be worn when working with hazardous materials like biological samples or chemical solutions. The sleeves should be rolled down and when gloves are worn, the lab coat sleeves should be tucked into the tops of the gloves.

While lab coats protect you from contamination, they are considered to be contaminated themselves and should not be worn out of the lab. For example, when leaving the lab for lunch or to go home for the day, your lab coat should remain inside the lab. Your facility may provide your lab coats and launder them as well. You may have to buy your own and launder it at home, if you do, wash it separately from your regular laundry.

If your lab requires that you buy your own lab coat, you will find they are very affordable. You can buy a basic unisex lab coat for under $20. Fashionable lab coats and coats specially treated to repeal chemicals may cost more.

The employer may dictate the exact type of lab coat worn by laboratory staff. There are a few basic types like long or knee length, short or hip length, jacket style, gowns like surgical gowns, one size fits all, and fitted lab coats.

There are also various types of lab coats according to material used to make them. Polyester makes the lab coat resistant to liquid spills; cotton makes them cool and comfortable. If you work in a biohazard lab, you may wear a disposable lab coat that is made from polypropylene. Some lab coats have carbon fibers added which increases their ability to repel fluids. Chemical resistant lab coats are made from cotton twill and treated with ammonia or made from fire retardant material like Nomex from DuPont.

The type of lab coat you choose will depend on the type of lab you work in. You need a higher level of protection if you work with infectious materials or dangerous chemicals.