# What Size Scrubs Should You Order? The Real Size Run, From 38,015 Garments

*https://affordablescrubs.com/what-size-scrubs-should-you-order/*

The most expensive mistake in a uniform order is not the price per piece. It is ordering the wrong size run and finishing with a stack of 2XL nobody wears while three people wait on a small. This page shows the size split we actually ship, so you can order against real numbers instead of a guess.

## The short answer

Across every garment we have shipped since 2020, just under two thirds of the volume sits in Small, Medium and Large. Medium is the single largest size at 22.5%. If you order nothing else, weight the middle of the run.

| Size | Share of everything we ship |
| --- | --- |
| XXS | 1.9% |
| XS | 8.2% |
| S | 17.6% |
| M | 22.5% |
| L | 21% |
| XL | 15.4% |
| 2XL | 8.1% |
| 3XL | 3.7% |
| 4XL | 0.9% |
| 5XL | 0.7% |

Measured across 38,015 garments shipped from our Van Nuys warehouse since 2020.

That is 38,015 garments, not an industry average and not a guess. It is what left our warehouse.

## How to turn that into an order

Multiply your headcount by the percentages above. For a 50 person team that gives roughly 1 XXS, 4 XS, 9 S, 11 M, 11 L, 8 XL, 4 2XL and 2 3XL. Our [size run planner](/home-v2/#bulk) does this for you on any product page: choose a colour, pick a headcount, and it fills the grid.

### Then adjust for who you actually employ

- **Collect sizes first if you can.** Nothing beats asking. The mix above is the right starting point when you cannot.
- **Add a spare in the edge sizes.** One extra XS and one extra 2XL costs very little and saves a second order when someone is between sizes.
- **Order the full run, not the middle only.** A team of 50 will almost always contain at least one person outside S to XL.
- **Unisex styles run differently to women’s cuts.** Check the individual product page, some styles are noted as running large.

## What about the sizes at the ends?

XXS through 5XL together are 15.3% of what we ship, so roughly one in seven garments. They are not an afterthought. Core styles run XXS to 5XL with selected styles to 6XL, and full runs are held in stock rather than made to order.

## Ordering practicalities

- The minimum is **$250 per order, counted in dollars and not in pieces**. A small clinic clears it with about a dozen sets.
- You can mix any sizes and any colours in one order.
- Logo embroidery is **$7.00 per item with no setup fee** once an order reaches 50 embroidered pieces.
- Everything ships from Van Nuys, California to all 50 states. Purchase orders and tax exempt accounts are welcome.
- Plain unworn items can be returned within 14 days. Embroidered items are made to order and cannot be returned, which is another reason to get the run right first time.

## Common questions

### Should I just order equal numbers of each size?

No. An even spread across nine sizes would put 11% in each, which over orders XXS and 4XL by several times and under orders Medium by half. It is the most common way teams end up with unusable stock.

### How many sizes should a first order cover?

All of them, in the proportions above. The cost of one spare XXS is far lower than the cost of a second shipment.

### Can I reorder single sizes later?

Yes, as long as the order still meets the $250 minimum. Full size runs are held in stock, so a top up is normally quick.