What Is the Minimum Order Quantity for Wholesale Scrubs?

The mechanics behind that number matter more than the number itself. Get the color-model math wrong and a "simple" order for two shirt colors can quietly turn into a 400-piece commitment.

What does a 100-piece MOQ actually cover?

The 100-piece minimum is set per color and per model, not per purchase order, and sizes within that block can be mixed freely.

MOQ stands for minimum order quantity: the smallest volume a manufacturer will run for one defined product configuration. In custom scrubs, that configuration is a single model in a single color.

Order 100 navy V-neck tops and you've filled one MOQ. Add 100 navy scrub pants and you've opened a second one: a different garment on a different production line. Switch the top from navy to ceil blue and you've created a third configuration, even though nothing else about the design changed.

This trips up buyers who assume colors can be pooled. Fifty navy tops and fifty ceil-blue tops don't add up to a qualifying 100-piece lot, because each color needs its own fabric prep and cutting run. The same logic applies to pocket layouts, trims, or any other detail that functions as a distinct model.

Sizes are where the flexibility actually lives. A single 100-piece color-model order can run from XS to 3XL in whatever quantities match an approved headcount.

Why do manufacturers hold the line on minimums?

One MOQ consolidates a single production setup into one run: fabric sourcing, pattern grading, cutting, sewing, decoration, inspection, labeling, and packing.

Custom apparel carries fixed setup costs no matter how small the order gets. Fabric and trims have to be sourced, patterns graded, cutting markers built, machines configured. Add embroidery or printing and there's artwork approval and placement work on top of that.

There's a quality argument too: one production lot gives a buyer consistent color and construction. Split a small order across three colors and three models and the number of variables climbs without the useful quantity in any single configuration going anywhere.

Read the MOQ as a production rule, not a target to negotiate down. Buyers who want to stay lean can do it by narrowing scope (one core scrub set, a controlled color palette, shared branding across models) rather than by shrinking each individual lot.

Buyers still comparing manufacturers can use the wholesale medical scrubs supplier guide to check how sourcing scope, sampling, and documentation stack up across options.

Can sizes be mixed inside the 100-piece minimum?

Yes. Sizes can be split across the 100-piece block as long as color, model, and every other production spec stay the same.

The split should come from real data: employee measurements or historical issue records, not a guess. Ordering equal quantities across every size tends to leave a business overstocked at one end of the range and short at the other.

A workable size plan has three pieces:

1. Employee measurements collected under one consistent method
2. A fit sample for each relevant body-size group
3. A final quantity table listing every model, color, and size together

Men's, women's, and unisex patterns often count as separate models. Their blocks, grading, and markers aren't the same garment underneath, so confirm that classification with the manufacturer before the purchase order goes out.

One more thing worth locking down early: don't relabel sizes after a sample is approved without rechecking the measurements. A "medium" on one garment block isn't automatically a medium on another. The scrub sizing guide for bulk orders walks through building a measurement chart and tolerance table that holds up across a full size run.

How do colors and models multiply the wholesale minimum?

Two colors and two models can add up to four separate 100-piece minimums if every combination is genuinely required.

Take a hospital ordering a V-neck top and a drawstring pant in navy and wine. If both models need to exist in both colors, that's four color-model combinations, not two:

That's 400 individual garments, or 200 complete sets if every set pairs one top with one pant.

A custom pocket layout, a contrast panel, or a meaningfully different neckline can each establish another model on top of that. Embroidered department names usually don't create a new model on their own, but they do change decoration setup and packing, so get those details written into the quote rather than assumed.

Hospitals running several department colors can map the order matrix against a color-coded scrub program by department before quantities get locked in.

Do samples count toward the bulk minimum?

No. Samples are a separate approval step and don't count toward the 100-piece bulk quantity unless the quotation says otherwise.

A sample exists to verify what a spec sheet can't: fabric hand, opacity, movement, actual garment dimensions, pocket access, embroidery quality, and how the color reads in person.

Sample development typically takes 5–7 business days once the technical requirements, artwork, and materials are locked. Ask for a revised pattern, fabric, or logo placement and expect another approval round on top of that.

Before bulk production starts, a buyer should sign off on:

• Fabric composition, construction, and the approved color
• Finished garment measurements and tolerances
• Logo size, position, thread colors, and label content

A verbal note like "make it a bit looser" isn't a production instruction. That change needs to land in the measurement chart or the revised sample record before it's real.

What labeling rules apply to wholesale scrubs sold in the US?

US-bound scrub orders need verified fiber, origin, responsible-business, and care information locked in before the full lot goes into production.

The FTC's textile labeling guidance covers what most apparel needs on the label: fiber content, country of origin, and the manufacturer or another responsible business. Care instructions are required too, under the FTC's separate rules for covered wearing apparel.

Fiber percentages need proper generic names, generally listed in descending order by weight. A functionally significant fiber like spandex can be listed below 5 percent when the legal conditions for that allow it. Imported garments need accurate origin information on the label. That's not optional for private-label programs sourcing overseas.

General apparel can also fall under the Consumer Product Safety Commission's 16 CFR Part 1610 clothing guidance, which sorts clothing textiles into three flammability classes. Standard scrubs shouldn't be marketed as flame-resistant unless they've actually been tested and documented against the separate standards that claim requires.

Private-label buyers should sign off on every line of label text before sampling starts. Catching a labeling error after 100-plus pieces are already cut is expensive to fix.

What does a manufacturer need to quote wholesale scrubs accurately?

An accurate quote needs one consolidated spec covering quantities, sizes, materials, construction, branding, labels, packing, and destination.

TB Uniform manufactures custom scrubs in Istanbul, Turkey, and exports to North America. There's no US factory, office, warehouse, or local stock. Everything ships from Istanbul. Monthly capacity runs up to 50,000 pieces depending on the product group.

A workable quote request includes:

• Quantity broken out by model, color, and size
• A reference garment, sketch, or measurement table
• Fabric, logo, label, packaging, and delivery requirements

Custom patterns, institutional colors, private labels, embroidery, and printing are all part of the standard offer. OEKO-TEX, ISO 9001, GOTS, and REACH compliance can be discussed where it's relevant to the material and order in question, but match a certification to what it actually covers. OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100, for example, tests for specified harmful substances. It says nothing about garment durability or clinical protection, and shouldn't be presented as if it did.

Once the order is approved, production and delivery generally run 4–6 weeks. Check that requested destination, packing method, and approval schedule actually fit inside that window before committing to it.

How can a buyer meet the wholesale MOQ without overordering?

Consolidating demand into fewer models and colors, while still allowing a measured size spread, is the efficient way to hit the wholesale minimum.

Start with a verified headcount and decide upfront whether the target number refers to individual garments or complete sets. A 100-piece top order plus a 100-piece pant order produces 100 sets, but only if the size allocation across both actually lines up.

Add replacement stock based on a documented issue plan rather than a flat percentage pulled from nowhere. Then freeze the color-model matrix before sampling begins. Late changes to color, pockets, or labels can force new approvals and, in some cases, an entirely new production configuration.

For a first order, one core model in one color is the simplest way to clear the 100-piece threshold. Larger hospital systems can build this out gradually with a phased bulk scrub purchasing plan organized by department, keeping each production lot clean as the program grows.

You can contact TB Uniform directly for a sample and a quote.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum order quantity for wholesale scrubs?

100 pieces per color and model. A navy scrub top and a navy scrub pant count as two different models, so each needs its own 100-piece order. Confirm upfront whether quantities refer to individual garments or complete sets when preparing a purchase order and quote request.

Can I mix scrub sizes within a 100-piece order?

Yes. Sizes can normally be distributed across the 100 pieces as long as color, model, fabric, and other production details stay the same. Base the split on employee measurements or reliable issue records. Men's, women's, and unisex patterns may be classified as separate models, so confirm that with the manufacturer.

Can I combine two colors to reach the minimum quantity?

No. The MOQ applies per color and model, so 50 navy tops plus 50 wine tops don't form one qualifying 100-piece lot. Ordering both colors would typically mean 100 pieces of the navy model and 100 pieces of the wine model, 200 tops total.

How long does a wholesale scrub sample take?

Generally 5–7 business days once the fabric, pattern, dimensions, color, and artwork requirements are confirmed. Revisions add another approval round. Check fit, construction, pockets, logo application, labels, and care instructions before signing off on the bulk lot.

How long does bulk scrub production and delivery take?

Production and delivery generally take 4–6 weeks after order approval. That clock starts once the sample, quantities, size breakdown, artwork, labels, and commercial terms are all approved. Material availability, revisions, and destination requirements can all affect the working schedule, so confirm them in the quotation.

What information does a wholesale scrub quote need?

Quantity for every color, model, and size; a garment reference or technical drawing; fabric requirements; measurement tables; logo files; label text; packing instructions; and the delivery destination. A complete request lets the manufacturer classify each MOQ correctly and flag anything that needs sampling or clarification before pricing goes out.

Recommended image alt text

• Wholesale scrub order matrix showing 100-piece minimums by color, model, and size
• Hospital buyer checking fabric, embroidery, and labels on a custom scrub sample
• Stacked navy medical scrubs prepared for bulk inspection and institutional delivery