Cargo Scrub Trousers: 4 Brands for Pockets, Fit, and Price

The best cargo scrub trousers (US retailers list them as cargo scrub pants) give you five to seven well-placed pockets, a stretch fabric, and a waistband that matches how you work. Blue Sky Scrubs suits you if you want one pair that works as a straight leg or a jogger. Wink suits budget-minded and unisex shoppers. Landau suits anyone who wants to choose between several waistbands. Cherokee suits you if you want a pull-on cargo at a low price.

The trouble is that cargo listings look almost identical online. Pocket counts, waistbands, rises and prices vary widely. A pair that looks right in photos can ride low, bind at the knee or sag once you load the pockets with a phone, shears and a pen light.

This list compares four brands on their cargo styles, fit, fabric and price. Then it sets them side by side and gives you a checklist for ordering. Blue Sky Scrubs has made scrubs in Austin, Texas for over 20 years, so we list ourselves first and judge the other brands only on what they publish.

1. Blue Sky Scrubs

Blue Sky Scrubs offers three cargo-style pants built from its own stretch fabrics: the Peyton for women, the Niles for men, and the Josephine jogger. All three are athletic cuts rather than boxy traditional scrubs, and each has a different pocket layout.

Cargo styles to compare

Here is what each pair offers:

• Peyton Cargo 7-Pocket Scrub Pants, $36: a women's cut with a hem elastic you cinch and tie for a jogger look, or leave loose for a straight leg. It comes in 11 colors, including Black, Navy, Ceil Blue, Surgical Green and Wine.
• Niles Technical Cargo Scrub Pants, $26 (regular price $52): a men's cut with seven pockets, in Black, Charcoal, Grey Melange or Navy.
• Josephine Jogger 5 Pocket Scrub Pants, $52: two front, two back and one zippered cargo pocket, plus a striped drawstring, in Black or Navy.

Fit, fabric and who it suits

Peyton and Niles use Medleisure fabric, a 94% polyester / 6% spandex blend that is light, wrinkle and fade resistant, and sweat-wicking. Josephine is 97% polyester / 3% spandex. Wash it on a gentle cold cycle and tumble dry low.

Sizing runs XXS to XL on the Peyton in Regular and Tall. The Niles runs S to XL with a 33" regular inseam and a 35" tall inseam. A size M Niles fits a 35" to 37" waist and a 42" to 44" hip. Choose Blue Sky if you want a convertible hem or tall inseams. Look elsewhere if you need sizes above XL, because these styles stop there.

The Peyton is the one pair on this list that works as both a straight leg and a jogger.

2. Wink

Wink's cargo range centers on the W123 unisex 6-pocket cargo and the WonderWORK drawstring cargo. Both are unisex cuts aimed at everyday value, and Wink also runs a women's cargo collection built around plenty of pockets and stretch.

Cargo styles to compare

• W123 Unisex Cargo Scrub Pant: six pockets, described by Wink as naturally soft and stretchy. You can buy it through Wink's own site or its Amazon store.
• WonderWORK Drawstring Cargo Pants: a unisex drawstring pair that retail listings put at about $19 to $25.
• Women's cargo collection: a separate group of cargo pants with a more shaped fit.

Fit, fabric and who it suits

A unisex cut usually means a straighter hip than a women's-specific pant. Check the size chart against your hip and inseam measurements before you order, and do not size by habit.

Wink fits shoppers who want low-priced cargo pants for a shared household or a team, or who prefer to order through Amazon. If you want a jogger hem or a tall inseam, confirm that the specific style offers it first.

Wink is the simplest pick when you want a unisex cargo at the lowest price on this list.

3. Landau

Landau offers the widest spread of cargo waistbands here, from drawstring to elastic to rib knit. Its cargo pants and joggers have between three and seven pockets and list from about $16 to $39.

Cargo styles to compare

• Proflex Endure 5-Pocket Cargo Pant: the entry point, at about $16.
• Proflex 5-Pocket Elastic Waistband Cargo Pant: about $22 to $27, and one of the better-reviewed budget options.
• Forward 7-Pocket Rib Knit Waistband Cargo Pant: about $39, with more than 250 reviews on a major retailer listing.
• Forward 7-Pocket Cargo Jogger: about $32 to $39.
• Forward 3-Pocket Cargo Maternity Jogger: about $32, one of few maternity cargo options.

Fit, fabric and who it suits

The waistband is the real choice with Landau. A rib knit band lies flatter under a lab coat, while an elastic waistband tends to feel looser and lighter. A drawstring lets you fine-tune the fit through a long shift.

Landau suits you if you want to compare waistbands within one brand, or if you need a maternity cargo. Fabric blends vary by line, so read each product page before you decide.

Landau gives you the most waistband and price choices from a single brand.

4. Cherokee

Cherokee sells cargo pants as pull-on, elastic-waist and drawstring styles across several lines, starting around $17. Its women's pants collection lists 49 styles, so cargo is one slice of a large catalog.

Cargo styles to compare

• Revolution Elastic Waistband Cargo Pull-On: from $28.
• WW Professionals Elastic Waistband Pull-On Cargo: from $26.
• Originals Ultra Drawstring Cargo Straight Leg: from $22.
• Originals Unisex Drawstring 2-Pocket Cargo: from $17.

Fit, fabric and who it suits

Cherokee describes its pants as a balance of stretch and breathable fabric, with elastic waistbands, adjustable drawstrings and strategically placed pockets. Note that the cheapest cargo, the Originals unisex pair, has only two pockets. If you carry a lot, count the pockets before you chase the lowest price.

Cherokee fits you if you want a recognizable workwear brand at the low end of the price range. Pull-on styles suit those who dislike fussing with drawstrings.

Cherokee is the pick for a low-cost cargo, as long as you check the pocket count.

How to compare cargo scrub trousers before you buy

Compare cargo scrub trousers on four things: pocket layout, waistband, leg shape and price per pair. A small table makes the trade-offs plain.

Side by side

Prices vary by retailer and sale, so treat them as a guide. Here is a worked example for a three-shift week. Three pairs at $36 cost $108, three at $28 cost $84, and three at $22 cost $66. A cheaper pair only wins if its pockets and fit work for you.

What to check before you order

• Pocket location: thigh cargo pockets hold a phone and shears. Back pockets rarely do.
• Waistband: elastic is light, drawstring adjusts, and rib knit lies flat.
• Hem: straight, jogger, bootcut, flare or wide changes how the pants look with clogs and sneakers.
• Inseam: look for regular, tall or petite options.
• Fabric: check the spandex share and the care label.
• Returns: confirm the policy before you buy more than one pair.

If these four brands do not fit, a few others offer cargo with workwear roots. Carhartt's Force Cross-Flex 6-pocket bootcut cargo lists at about $37 to $42, and Dickies' Scrub Cargo Terrain at about $38 to $41. Grey's Anatomy's Momentum 6-pocket straight leg cargo runs about $44 to $48.

Count pockets by location, not total, and match the waistband and hem to how you actually move.

Picking your pair

The right cargo scrub trousers carry your essentials where you can reach them, stay comfortable through a full shift, and fit your build without a fight. Wink and Cherokee keep the price low. Landau gives you the most waistband choice. Blue Sky Scrubs offers a convertible jogger-or-straight fit with tall lengths, as long as you fall within XXS to XL.

Start with your pocket needs and your inseam, then let price decide between the pairs that pass. Order the size your measurements suggest, not the size you usually wear, and read the care label before the first wash.

If you want to know who designs the pants behind the Peyton and Niles, read about how Blue Sky Scrubs makes its scrubs.