Blog

Are FIGS Scrubs Still Worth It in 2026? Here's What r/nursing Actually Thinks

· Hedy Nie· 4 min read
Are FIGS Scrubs Still Worth It in 2026? Here's What r/nursing Actually Thinks

A few years ago, asking "are FIGS scrubs worth it?" on r/nursing got a near-unanimous yes. Premium feel, flattering cut, the kind of scrubs you'd actually wear out of the hospital. The answer in 2024 and 2025 looks different.

We pulled threads from r/Figsscrubs, r/nursing, and r/Residency from the last two years. The pattern is consistent: customers are still paying $86 and up per set, but they're getting noticeably less garment for it.

What's actually going wrong with FIGS

The complaints aren't about taste. They're about durability:

  • Pilling at month 7. One r/Figsscrubs post from a nurse working two shifts a week documents pilling on the thigh and knee at seven months in.
  • Stitching coming undone. Multiple reports of side-pocket seams failing within two months. In one case the entire pocket detached.
  • Color fade. Owners on Trustpilot and r/nursing describe colors looking "old" after a few washes. For a $50–100 garment, color-fast dye should be table stakes.
  • Batch inconsistency. The "old FIGS were better" sentiment shows up in nearly every recent recommendation thread.

The most-cited recent thread on this is r/nursing · "When did you stop wearing FIGS?" — the responses are a clinic in how a beloved brand loses its base.

What FIGS still does well

To be fair, FIGS isn't a scam. The cut is still flattering on a lot of body types, the petite line genuinely fits petite, and a meaningful chunk of customers report multi-year use without issues. If your current FIGS rotation is holding up, there's no reason to swap.

The frustration is specifically with new purchases at the current price point. Paying $86 for a set that pills before your year-end review feels different than paying it for one that lasts three years.

What to look at instead

The active alternatives showing up in recommendation threads are Cherokee Infinity, Barco One, Mandala, and Eipnare. The differentiators worth checking before you commit:

  1. Published pilling grade. On the standard 1-to-5 pilling scale, 5 is "no pilling." Most brands won't print this number because their fabric grades lower. Eipnare's ShiftWeave™ tests at 4–5, which is why we put it on the page.
  2. Mix-and-match sizing. Sets that lock you into one size for top and bottom punish anyone whose proportions don't match the standard pattern.
  3. Color longevity policy. If your hospital's Ceil Blue is discontinued in two years, your rotation is dead. Brands with stable, long-running color lineups are safer for travel nurses and dress-coded units.
  4. Real-customer photography. Brands that show actual healthcare workers in the product, not stock models, tend to have a stronger feedback loop with the people wearing the clothes. (Worth scrolling past the homepage to check.)

The price point that actually makes sense

$68 a set is roughly where the math works. That's enough margin for a real fabric and real construction without paying a logo tax. Eipnare lands here intentionally. Same fabric stack as the premium tier, three pocket configurations (3, 8, and 9 pockets) so you can match your shift, 23 colors that don't get discontinued, tops and pants sold separately so you can size each one independently. Tested on real shifts by our own team before each batch ships.

If you've been running FIGS and the new sets aren't holding up, swapping a few pieces over is a low-risk experiment. Browse Eipnare here.

FAQ

Are FIGS scrubs really worth $90 a set in 2026?

If you've owned FIGS for years and they've held up, stay. If you're buying new at current prices and seeing pilling within a year, you have alternatives at $68 that match the comfort and beat the durability.

What is the best FIGS alternative for the price?

The most-recommended in r/nursing threads are Cherokee Infinity, Barco One, and Eipnare. Eipnare publishes a 4–5 pilling grade on ShiftWeave™ fabric and sells sets at $68.

Why are FIGS scrubs pilling so quickly now?

Customers across Trustpilot, r/Figsscrubs, and BBB suggest a fabric or sourcing change in recent batches. FIGS has not publicly addressed this. Pilling within a year on a premium price point isn't normal wear.

Do FIGS pockets really fall off?

It's not universal, but it shows up in enough recent reviews that it's worth checking the pocket stitching when your set arrives. The most-reported failure is the side pocket seam on women's straight-leg styles.

Read next

Hedy Nie is COO of Eipnare. Connect on LinkedIn.

Back to Blog