Guides · lab coats
Press-Stud vs Button Lab Coats: Which Fastening Suits Your Team?
Buttons look traditional and are easy to repair; press studs are faster, easier with gloves and let a coat come off in one movement. A practical comparison and a role-by-role guide.
Buttons give lab coats a traditional, tailored look and are cheap and easy to replace; press studs (also called snaps or poppers) open and close faster, work better with gloved hands and let a coat be pulled off in one movement if it gets splashed. For consulting doctors and retail pharmacists, buttons are usually fine. For laboratories, dental and aesthetic clinics and anyone who takes the coat on and off many times a shift, press studs are often the more practical choice.
This post compares the two in detail, covers laundry and repair, and suggests which roles suit which.
How the two fastenings differ
Buttons
Buttons on lab coats are usually plastic (often polyester) and sewn through the front placket, with matching buttonholes cut on the other side. They are familiar, look smart, and can be replaced with a needle and thread. A coat with buttons often reads as more formal, closer to the classic doctor's coat.
Press studs
Press studs are two-part metal or plastic fasteners fixed into the fabric with a press. One half has a stud, the other a socket. They close with a firm push and open with a pull. On a coat, they are usually set in a row down the front placket, sometimes concealed under a fly front.
Side-by-side comparison
| Factor | Buttons | Press studs |
|---|---|---|
| Speed on and off | Slower, one at a time | Fast; can be pulled open in one movement |
| Use with gloves | Fiddly | Easy |
| Removal in a splash | Slower | Quick to remove |
| Look | Traditional, tailored | Clean, modern; can be concealed |
| Repair | Easy to sew a new button on | Needs a press tool and the right part |
| Laundry | Can crack or chip in hot or heavy washes | Generally durable; metal studs may corrode if poor quality |
| Fabric stress | Buttonholes can fray over time | Studs can pull out of thin fabric if not reinforced |
| Cost | Usually lower | Usually slightly higher |
Practical questions to think about
How often is the coat taken on and off?
A consultant who puts on a coat in the morning and keeps it on all day hardly notices fastening speed. A dental assistant, lab technician or aesthetic therapist who removes the coat between procedures, breaks or room changes will notice. Press studs save time and frustration for these roles.
Do staff wear gloves when adjusting the coat?
Undoing buttons in gloves is awkward and can tempt staff to remove gloves at the wrong moment. If staff need to open or close coats while gloved, press studs are easier. Your infection-control team will have views on when coats should be adjusted at all.
Does the coat need to come off quickly?
In a laboratory, a coat that is splashed may need to come off fast. Press studs allow a coat to be pulled open in one movement. This is one reason they are common on laboratory coats. Bear in mind that an ordinary workwear coat is not certified protective clothing; if your risk assessment calls for protection against chemicals or biological agents, see workwear lab coats vs protective lab coats.
What image do you want?
Some clinics want the formal look of buttons on a notch-lapel coat for doctors who see patients in consulting rooms. Others prefer the clean line of a concealed press-stud front, especially on a high-collar coat in aesthetic or dental settings.
Laundry, durability and repair
Fastenings are often the first part of a coat to fail, so think about how coats will be washed.
Buttons in the wash
Plastic buttons can crack, chip or loosen over many hot wash and tumble-dry cycles, especially in industrial laundries with heavy loads. Loose threads are the usual sign. The fix is easy: sew on a spare button. Ask for spare buttons with each order so replacements match.
Press studs in the wash
Good-quality press studs are durable, but cheap metal studs can corrode and leave marks on fabric, and any stud can pull out of the fabric if it is not reinforced with an extra layer behind it. Repair needs a press tool and matching parts, so it is less of a staff-room job. Ask how the studs are reinforced and whether replacement parts are available.
Simple care tips
- Close fastenings before washing so buttons and studs do not catch on other items.
- Turn coats inside out if your laundry process allows, to protect fastenings and embroidery.
- Check fastenings when coats come back from the laundry, and fix them before reissuing.
- Avoid overloading machines, which increases wear on both buttons and studs.
For the wider wash routine, see our guide on how to wash lab coats.
Which roles usually suit which?
These are common patterns, not rules:
- Consulting doctors: buttons on a notch-lapel coat for a traditional look.
- Retail pharmacists: buttons or press studs; both work in a front-of-house setting.
- Hospital pharmacists: press studs if they go onto wards and change often.
- Laboratory technicians and research staff: press studs for quick removal.
- Dental and aesthetic teams: press studs, often concealed, on a high-collar coat.
- Students: either; buttons are often the economical choice.
A note on MRI and imaging areas
Metal press studs, like other metal items, may be restricted in MRI areas. If any of your coat wearers enter MRI zones, your imaging team's MRI safety policy decides what can be worn there. Do not assume a coat is acceptable without checking.
How many fastenings, and where?
The number and spacing of fastenings matters as much as the type. Too few, and the coat gapes between them when the wearer sits or bends; too many, and putting it on becomes a chore. A coat that reaches mid-thigh or the knee usually needs fastenings far enough down that the front does not flap open while walking. On a high-collar coat, the top fastening should close comfortably at the neck without pressing on the throat. Ask staff who wear the sample to sit, bend, reach across a bench and walk quickly, then check where the front opens. Small changes to spacing are easy to make before bulk production and hard to fix afterwards.
Mixing fastenings in one programme
There is nothing wrong with ordering buttons for one group and press studs for another, as long as the fabric, colour and embroidery stay consistent. Record the fastening type for each role in your specification so reorders match. Our post on lab coat pockets and features covers the other details worth fixing in the same specification.
Checklist before you decide
- How often each role puts the coat on and takes it off
- Whether staff adjust coats while gloved
- Whether quick removal matters for safety
- Preferred look by role
- How coats are laundered (in-house, outsourced, at home)
- Who repairs fastenings and with what
- Spare buttons or replacement studs with the order
- Any MRI or imaging area restrictions
MISHAREN makes lab coats with button or press-stud fastening, in notch-lapel or high-collar styles, with a sample approved before bulk production. Visit the lab coats page or send your requirements through contact for a quotation.