Dickies Cargo Scrub Pants: Best Styles, Prices & Where to Buy
If you have worked a twelve hour shift with your phone, badge, trauma shears, and half a roll of tape stuffed into one pocket, you already know why dickies cargo scrub pants exist. Cargo pockets are not a gimmick when you never sit still and never have a free hand. Dickies built its reputation on workwear that survives hard use, and their scrub line carries that same logic into hospitals, clinics, and surgical centers.
This guide answers the practical question you actually came here with: which Dickies cargo styles are worth your money, what they cost, and where to buy them without overpaying or guessing on sizing. We break down the fit differences between the popular lines, from relaxed straight legs to more tapered, modern cuts, and point out which fabrics hold up best through daily washing.
We also cover pricing across retailers, so you can see where the same pair runs cheaper and where you are just paying for the name. As a team that has spent 20 years making scrubs ourselves at Blue Sky Scrubs, we know exactly what separates a pocket that lasts from one that rips out by month three, and we'll point out where our own designs fit into that comparison.
1. Dickies EDS Signature mid rise drawstring cargo scrub pant
This pant is the workhorse of the Dickies scrub lineup, and it's usually the first one people mean when they search for dickies cargo scrub pants. It's been around long enough that most hospital supply closets have a few pairs floating around, and for good reason: the fabric blend and cut have barely changed because they didn't need to.
Key features
The EDS Signature runs on a poly-cotton blend with enough stretch to bend at the knee without pulling at the seams. It has a mid rise waist with a drawstring and elastic combo, so it sits comfortably without a belt. You get two cargo pockets on the thighs, two front slash pockets, and a back pocket, giving you six total storage spots for a shift where you're not going back to your locker.
Who it's best for
This style suits nurses, techs, and anyone doing floor work where you're moving fast and need gear within reach. If you carry a phone, badge reel, penlight, and trauma shears at the same time, this is the pant built for that load. It's less ideal if you prefer a slimmer, tapered leg, since the cargo pockets add bulk at the thigh.
A cargo pocket only earns its place on the pant if it survives a full shift of bending, reaching, and washing, and the EDS Signature has proven it can.
Price range
Expect to pay $28 to $34 depending on color and retailer promotions. Sale events can drop it closer to $24.
Where to buy
You'll find this pant at Dickies' own site, Scrubs & Beyond, and Amazon, with pricing that shifts often between them. Checking two or three retailers before buying saves you a few dollars without any real tradeoff in quality or fit.
2. Dickies EDS Essentials drawstring cargo scrub pant
Budget matters when you need three or four pairs to rotate through a workweek, and this is where the Dickies EDS Essentials line earns its keep. It trims some of the extras from the Signature model but keeps the cargo storage that makes these pants useful on a busy floor.
Key features
This pant uses a lighter poly-cotton weave with a bit less stretch than the Signature version, paired with a full elastic and drawstring waistband. You still get two cargo pockets, front slash pockets, and a back pocket, so storage isn't the tradeoff here. The fabric is thinner, which some staff prefer during long summer shifts in a warm unit.
Who it's best for
This style fits new grads and anyone stocking up on multiple pairs without blowing a paycheck on scrubs. It also works well for lighter clinical settings like outpatient clinics or urgent care, where you don't need heavy-duty fabric built for constant kneeling or rough surfaces.
Fewer bells and whistles isn't a downside when the price lets you buy more pairs and do laundry less often.
Price range
This pant typically runs $22 to $27, making it one of the more affordable cargo options in the Dickies catalog.
Where to buy
Look for it on Dickies' website, Amazon, and Scrubs & Beyond, where seasonal sales often push it under $20.
3. Dickies EDS Essentials cargo jogger scrub pant
Joggers have crept into scrub lines because staff want the cargo storage without the boxy fit of a straight leg, and this pant answers that demand directly. It's the closest thing Dickies makes to streetwear inside the Essentials collection, and it's becoming a common pick among younger staff who want their scrub pants to look intentional, not just functional.
Key features
The jogger uses the same lightweight Essentials fabric but tapers at the ankle with an elastic cuff instead of a straight hem. You still get two cargo pockets and a drawstring waist, so you're not sacrificing storage for style. The tapered leg means less fabric flapping around your ankles near equipment or foot pedals.
Who it's best for
This style fits staff in the OR, ICU, or anywhere a loose hem is a hazard around machinery or wheels. It also appeals to anyone who just prefers a modern, fitted look over the traditional scrub silhouette.
A tapered cuff isn't a fashion choice on a unit full of equipment, it's one less thing that can snag.
Price range
These jogger cargo scrub pants run $24 to $29 most retailers.
Where to buy
Find them through Dickies directly, Amazon, and Scrubs & Beyond, with stock varying by color.
4. Dickies EDS Essentials men's cargo scrub pant
Men's scrubs built off a women's block often fit wrong through the shoulders and hips, and Dickies fixed that by cutting this pant specifically for a men's frame. It belongs to the same Essentials family as the drawstring pant above, but the rise, inseam options, and pocket placement are all adjusted for a man's build rather than borrowed from a unisex pattern.
Key features
This pant offers a relaxed fit through the hip and thigh with a straight leg down to the hem, built from the same lightweight Essentials poly-cotton blend. It comes with two cargo pockets, front slash pockets, and a back pocket, plus a full elastic waistband with an internal drawstring. Inseam lengths run short, regular, and tall, which matters more here than on unisex cuts.
Who it's best for
Male nurses, techs, and physicians who found unisex scrubs baggy in the wrong places will notice the difference immediately. It suits anyone who wants men's cargo scrub pants without paying Signature pricing for fabric they don't need.
A pant cut for your actual build beats a cheaper fabric every time you're on your feet for twelve hours.
Price range
Expect $22 to $28 depending on inseam and retailer.
Where to buy
Check Dickies' site, Amazon, and Scrubs & Beyond for current stock and inseam availability.
5. Dickies Forge straight leg cargo scrub pant
Dickies built the Forge line to sit above the Essentials tier without jumping all the way to Signature pricing, and the straight leg cargo pant is the standout piece. If you want heavier fabric and a more tailored look than the boxy Essentials cut, this is where you land in the Dickies catalog.
Key features
The Forge pant uses a heavier four-way stretch fabric that holds its shape better through repeated washing than the lighter Essentials weave. It has a straight leg with a slightly slimmer cut through the thigh, two cargo pockets, and a back pocket, plus a wide waistband with an internal drawstring for a cleaner front. The fabric also resists wrinkling, which matters if you're on camera or in front of patients all day.
Who it's best for
This style suits staff who want durable cargo scrub pants with a more polished silhouette than the standard Essentials fit, including charge nurses and physicians who move between clinical and administrative duties.
Heavier fabric pays for itself once you count how many wash cycles it survives compared to the thinner Essentials weave.
Price range
Expect to pay $30 to $36, putting it between the Essentials and Signature tiers.
Where to buy
Find this pant on Dickies' website and Scrubs & Beyond, with Amazon stock varying by color and size.
Picking the right pair for your shifts
Matching the pant to your actual workday beats chasing whichever style is trending. If you're on your feet moving fast with gear in every pocket, the EDS Signature earns its price. If you're stocking up on multiples for a tight budget, the Essentials line covers you without cutting corners on storage. The jogger and Forge styles solve specific problems: snag risk near equipment and fabric that holds up under heavier wash cycles, so weigh those against your actual unit before buying.
Once your dickies cargo scrub pants are sorted, don't overlook the rest of your kit. A well-made cap does for your head what cargo pockets do for your hands, keeping hair contained and gear off your mind during a long shift. Browse our scrub caps for men and women built with the same durability standards we've applied to scrubs for twenty years.
