What to look for in durable workwear

21st April 2021

When it comes to buying workwear, you want clothing that’s going to last shift after shift. Yet, with many garments on the market, it’s challenging to know which ones will last.

Some of the most important factors to consider when purchasing durable work clothing are the manufacture, quality of materials and whether the product is suitable for your role. Here is some helpful advice that will help you kit yourself out.

Find out whether the product is suitable for your role

Every industry has regulations to which its workwear needs to comply. For example, it’s paramount to wear a Class G hard hat as soon as you enter a construction site. Hence, when you shop for work clothing, you need to make sure the manufacturer makes their clothing to the correct standards.

To help you purchase suitable clothing, shop online at stores that segment their clothing into categories by industry. That way, you know the garments you’re buying are the ones designed for your sector and role.

The manufacturer pedigree

Alongside checking the workwear conforms to your industry’s regulations, you should also check you’re purchasing from a legitimate manufacturer. The easiest way to do this is by looking at online reviews about the company and seeing whether they’ve won any awards.

A great example of a supplier of medical clothes, UK wide, with a pedigree is Alexandra. Their Trustpilot score sits at a very high 4.1 for over 6,000 reviews, suggesting they have many happy customers. Their website also confirms they’re an official supplier to the NHS and have received a Royal Warrant to trade. All of these points add up to make Alexandra one of the most reputable companies for workwear.

Whether there’s a guarantee

Another great way to tell whether the clothing you’re buying is durable is if the manufacturer offers a guarantee. When companies don’t provide one, it might suggest they don’t have much trust in their own products’ durability. Whereas those that do likely design and make their garments to last.

One of the reasons why Alexandra is one of the highest-rated companies for workwear is that they offer a two-year guarantee on their products. This suggests their clothing is sure to last a long time and is proven in their review ratings.

The quality of the materials

The final thing to look at when considering what workwear to buy is the quality of its material. Specifically, whether the material is suitable for your role. To be sure of this, choose to purchase from manufacturers that cite reasons for their fabric choices in the product description.

One of the best examples of this is with healthcare tunics. While most tunics are made from a cotton and polyester mix, not all of them have the same percentages of each material. These slight changes can make the difference between a tunic being suitable for use by nurses – who need to have their workwear washable to 60ºC for infection control – or only by carers and beauticians who don’t.