If you are a prospective or current college student who will be studying in the science and/or medical programs your school offers, you are most likely going to be required to purchase a lab coat.

Some Classes Which Require Lab Coats

Any science class that requires you to be in a laboratory as part of the course will generally also require you to wear a lab coat during any lab work. Biology, biochemistry, chemistry, microbiology, and physics are all classes that will likely require a lab coat, and there are other science classes which will require one as well.

Obtaining a Lab Coat

If you are attending a college or university that specializes in science and/or medical programs, you can probably purchase lab coats in the college bookstore. If they are not available on the shelf at the college bookstore, sometimes the college will order lab coats for you if you ask the person in charge at the bookstore.

Another way to obtain a lab coat for your science lab classes would be to get in contact with the students who have taken the class prior to this semester. If a previous student no longer needs his or her lab coat, you may be able to pick one up pretty inexpensively.

Lab coats for science classes are also sometimes available at uniform stores. These are the stores that sell nurses’ scrubs, chef coats and pants, aprons, special shoes, and other things of that nature. If they do not have any lab coats in stock, they may be willing to order one for you.

Finally, you can always find science lab coats online at various websites. Some websites that sell this apparel are as follows:

http://www.justlabcoats.com/school-labcoat.aspx

http://www.scrubs123.com/lab-coats.html

http://www.labcoatworld.com/lab-coats

Cost of Science Lab Coats

Depending upon where you buy your lab coat, the price can vary widely. If you are lucky enough to find one available from a former science student, you may get it for free (or next to free).

Any of the three other methods for obtaining a lab coat are going to be a bit more expensive. The school bookstore and the uniform store are both going to mark the items up to cover the overhead costs of the store. Fortunately, if you do buy from a store, you will be able to try on different sizes of the lab coat to be sure the fit is perfect. If you purchase online, there will be a slight markup, but probably not as drastic as buying from a brick-and-mortar store. However, you will most likely be charged for shipping, which could easily erase any savings you find online. Further, you will not be able to try the lab coat on prior to purchase.

The lab coats available online range in price from around $15.00 on the low end, to as much as $50.00 or more on the high end. It all depends on quality, and whether or not you want your lab coat to be embroidered with your name. Some sites offer free embroidery service, as do some stores.

One good aspect of having to purchase a lab coat for your science lab classes is that, because it is for college, you can likely deduct the expense on your tax return as a tuition expense. So, be sure to keep your receipt from any purchase.

Different Types of Lab Coats

There are many different styles available in men’s, women’s, and unisex. Lab coats come with short sleeves or long sleeves; they come short, mid-thigh, or knee-length; and they come in a variety of colors, the most popular one being white.

Be sure to check with your college or university science department adviser to find out if there are any rules regarding sleeves, length, or color of the jacket before making a final purchase for your science lab classes.

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Author Bio

Sarah Daren is a writer who creates informative articles relating to the field of health. In this article, she explains the process of attaining a lab coat and aims to encourage further study with clinical science laboratory classes.