White label lab coats are our existing styles finished with your labels, tags, crest or name embroidery and packing. Private label lab coats are made to your own design or tech pack, which we take case by case. When comparing lab coats white vs private label, most colleges, suppliers and new brands find that white label covers what they need, and private label suits those with a specific design in mind.
The two routes at a glance
| White label | Private label | |
|---|---|---|
| Design | Our full-length, short, women’s fit or student coat | Your design or tech pack |
| Fabric | Poly-cotton twill or cotton | Agreed for your design |
| Colour | White or solid colours from the fabric options | Agreed for your design |
| Details you choose | Closure, pockets, pen pocket | The whole design |
| Branding | Neck label, wash-care label, hang tag, embroidery, screen print | To your specification |
| Minimum | 50 pieces per style, sizes mixed | Confirmed case by case |
| Sample | Your chosen style and fabric with your branding | Developed from your design |
Common buyer questions
What exactly do I get with white label?
You choose one of our four lab coat styles, pick poly-cotton twill or cotton and the colour, and tell us the closure and pocket details. We add your neck label, wash-care label, hang tag, embroidery or screen print, and packing. The coat reaches you as your product, with no trace of our name.
Is a white label coat less “mine” than a private label coat?
The branding is entirely yours. What differs is the pattern: on white label, the cut is ours; on private label, it is yours. For most buyers, what makes a lab coat feel like their own is the crest, the name on the pocket, the neck label and the packing, all of which white label covers.
Can you add our college crest and each student’s name?
Yes. We embroider a logo or crest on the chest or pocket, and names where a list is supplied with the order. Send the artwork and the position you want, and we confirm the embroidery size and finish on your sample. This is the same on white label and private label.
Can I change details on a white label coat?
You choose the closure (buttons or press studs), the number of pockets and whether you need a pen pocket. These are confirmed at quotation and shown on your sample. Bigger changes, such as a different collar, a new length or added panels, move the order towards private label.
When does private label make sense?
Private label suits buyers who:
- already sell lab coats and know exactly what their buyers want changed;
- need a design that none of our four styles covers, for example a particular cuff or pocket layout required by an institution;
- want a coat that is theirs in pattern as well as branding.
It needs more from you: a clear design or tech pack, size specifications and time to review development samples. Send us the design and we confirm whether we can make it, the minimum and the sample steps.
Is the minimum different?
White label is 50 pieces per style, with sizes mixed from XS to 3XL. Full-length and short coats are separate styles, each with its own minimum. Private label minimums are confirmed case by case, because they depend on the design and fabric.
Can I start with white label and switch later?
Yes. Many brands start with white label to learn what sells, then develop a private label design. Your labels, hang tags and branding carry across.
How long does each route take?
Lead time is confirmed in the quotation for both. Private label usually involves more steps before bulk, because the pattern and samples are developed from your design and you review each stage. White label starts from an existing style, so the sample stage is about your branding and details rather than the garment itself.
Who owns what?
On white label, the style is ours and the branding is yours. On private label, the design you bring is yours.
How do reorders work?
Both follow the approved sample. On white label, that means the same style, fabric, details and branding every time, which suits colleges ordering each year and suppliers reordering stock.
Choosing between them
- College ordering student coats with a crest: white label.
- Medical supplier stocking full-length and short coats: white label.
- New brand selling lab coats online: white label to start.
- Established brand with its own coat design: private label, confirmed case by case.
Whichever route you choose, the process is the same: enquiry, quotation, sample, advance payment, production, quality check and dispatch. Lead time is confirmed in the quotation. Our page on how white label works explains each step.
To compare the styles before deciding, see our white label lab coats page. If you have your own design, send it with your quantities and we will tell you how we can help.