This blog is about The Lab Coat Project and is created in collaboration with Genius Lab Gear.
"Why should we accept ill-fitting, boring, non-functional and potentially unsafe lab coats as the norm when we’re spending a large fraction of our lives in them doing invaluable research for the world."
~ Derek, Founder Genius Lab Gear
A lab coat. An item that is unmissable in the working area of a lot of people in the STEM field. It can even be called our classic symbol. Some will wear them once or twice in their whole career, whereas others barely wear any other coat. Yet there are still ‘lab coats’ that don’t really deserve the title as they are made of unsafe fabric, have too wide cuffs that tip over glassware or drown in water baths, and fit poorly not covering what they should cover. This holds us and our so-needed research back. I'm not saying every lab coat is bad, it is great that there are a lot of quite good ones out there already. However, that one lab coat (type) that causes someone to drop out of STEM because they don’t feel safe and comfortable is a loss to the Scientific community.
We, the people working in STEM, deserve better than this! Lab coats should empower us. We should feel like a superhero wearing them, not like a lost person in a piece of fabric. We deserve a safe lab coat that fits us and in which we feel comfortable. And that is how The Lab Coat Project by Genius Lab Gear was created.
About The Lab Coat Project
The Lab Coat Project is an initiative by scientists for scientists with the goal of creating lab coats that suit everyone’s needs. It's part of a small business and was started without things like marketing, design, and funding. This project is a community-driven effort and relies on the crowdsource they gained from a big survey in which over a thousand people shared their opinion on the lab coat they are currently using.
To make a lab coat that fits everyone’s needs, everyone’s needs need to be known. The survey, therefore, covered a broad variety of topics to get to know the lab coat users, such as educational background, current workspace including used techniques, frequency of wearing a lab coat, personal information such as length, size, and gender, and the purchase or offers of a lab coat. Next to this, there were questions about crucial parts of lab coats like size and fitting, sleeve type, shoulder space, number and usage of pockets, skin coverage, and color.
From this data followed that 97% of women and 88% of men have trouble with the fit of lab coats on their bodies. In addition, 92% of women and 90% of men reported problems with the sleeves of their lab coats. These numbers are shocking if you ask me. If a lab coat doesn’t even fit you, what's the point of any additional things that might help, like pockets?
With this data, including preferences about things like buttons, pockets, and utensil loops, as well as extensive testing on a set of 11 very different lab coats, a prototype lab coat was designed, developed, and created. The prototype was then tested by, as you might guess, the Scientific Community! The group of beta testers consisted of 2 scientists per size per preferred fitting (masculine or feminine) who tested the lab coats in their own work surroundings and compared them with the lab coats they had been using before. With the data from these tests, improvements are being implemented and prototype #2 is being developed!
Where is the project now?
As mentioned above, prototype #2 is being developed. The feedback from the beta testers is being implemented, more preferences such as button type and color are presented and voted for, sizing is adapted to be more precise, and the fabric is extensively tested for its durability, safety, strongness, and comfort.
At this point, the lab coat comes in two fitting types, masculine and feminine, in 8 sizes (masculine: S up to 5XL) or 11 sizes (feminine: XXS up to 5XL). The coat features an adjustable belt on the inside of the coat to shape it, a convertible collar, and opens/closes with a row of easy-click buttons. It also has a full wrist covering and tightened sleeves.
The coat has 2 chest pockets, one in which the pocket protector by Genius Lab Gear fits, and one divided into slots for utensils. It has two lower pockets and a lower pocket that can be reached from the inside of the coat and through a zipper on the outside. There are two pen loops placed at one shoulder and there is a hip holster that can be used to hang a pipette. In addition, it has a little pocket high on the coat for things like earbuds and loops to attach identification/
access/institution cards to.
What is next?
The prototyping won't stop until the product is perfect, which will involve more testing and more feedback. Further details and options will probably be chosen by voting to keep the Scientific Community involved in the process. Eventually, the lab coat will be ready for everyone, and a pre-order campaign will be held for the first run of lab coats (a minimum of 2000 in total). And who knows what the future holds after the launch of the first lab coat!
What can you do?
Make sure to follow Genius Lab Gear on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube (links added), and check out the website to learn more about The Lab Coat Project. With this, you make sure you don’t miss any updates or opportunities to contribute to the project by giving your opinion and/or feedback. Know that there will be a solution if you don’t feel comfortable in your lab coat at this moment for whatever reason and keep the project in mind when you're looking for a new lab coat in the near future. Stay tuned and maybe become one of those first 2000 users of THE Lab Coat by Genius Lab Gear!!
Main website Genius Lab Gear
Comments