9 out of 10 scientists hate their lab coat

An informal survey of 1000 chemists and life scientists has shown that most dislike their lab coats – not enough pockets, no choice of colour, inconvenient open cuffs and, most of all, terrible fit. Respondents to the survey conducted by Genius Lab Gear were unhappy about the length of their coats’ sleeves, the shoulders being too wide or too narrow and the overall shape too boxy to fit anyone who isn’t a perfect cylinder. The company is now working to address these complaints with their lab coat, which will likely be available for purchase in August 2023.

The project was born out of Genius Lab Gear founder Derek Miller’s frustration with his own lab coat. The former materials scientist remembers the coat’s pockets being too big to securely hold a phone or tweezers, the sleeves being so wide that they knocked over glassware and the collar too low to feel protected from spills. He recently put out a survey on social media that was answered by around 1000 undergraduates, PhD and postdoctoral researchers, technicians and research assistants working mostly in chemistry or biology.