Maternity scrubs finally had their moment: in April 2026, FIGS — the brand that spent years telling pregnant nurses “sorry, nothing in your size” — launched a full maternity line. It joins a category the workhorse brands quietly perfected: real over-belly panels, knit side-gussets that grow with you, and fits designed for a nurse who’s still lifting, charting and running to codes at 34 weeks.
The 2026 picks below cover every budget, with the sizing quirks that matter (each brand sizes differently — we’ll say exactly how) and the honest note that mainstream maternity scrubs don’t include nursing access for after — that’s a separate specialty.
The Best Maternity Scrubs in 2026
- Cherokee Workwear WW220 + WW685 — Best Overall Value
- Cherokee Revolution WW155 — Best Soft-Stretch Pant
- FIGS Maternity — Best Premium (New for 2026)
- Med Couture Touch Maternity — Best Jogger & Petite
- Healing Hands “Rose” 9510 — Best Pockets
Cherokee Workwear WW220 Pant + WW685 Top – Best Overall
The category benchmark: the WW220 pant’s rib-knit over-belly panel supports the bump instead of squeezing under it, four working cargo pockets survive intact, and sizes run XXS-3XL with petite and tall lengths — at about $30-37. The matching WW685 mock-wrap top uses an empire waist, side ties and stretchy knit side panels to add months of room without ever fitting like a tent.
Cherokee’s own sizing rule keeps it simple: order your pre-pregnancy size and let the panels do the work. Soft stretch twill, everyday-scrub durability, and the most reliably in-stock maternity line in the business.
- Rib-knit over-belly panel, 4 real pockets
- XXS-3XL with petite/tall
- Order pre-pregnancy size — panels grow
- Twill runs warmer than knit lines
- Utilitarian looks
Cherokee Revolution WW155 – Best Soft-Stretch Maternity Pant
Same Cherokee maternity engineering in the Revolution line’s softer, moisture-wicking poly-rayon knit — the fabric difference you feel by hour six of a warm ward. Knit over-belly panel, zip cargo pocket, tall lengths, around $31-37. If the WW220’s twill feels stiff, this is the answer.
- Wicking soft-knit fabric
- Zip-secure cargo pocket
- Fewer pockets than WW220
FIGS Maternity – Best Premium (The 2026 News)
Launched April 14, 2026: the Catarina and Rafaela maternity tops ($48), Kade straight-leg and Zamora jogger pants ($58), even a maternity ScrubLegging and long-sleeve underscrub — all in a new “Hyperstretch” version of FIGS’ fabric the brand claims is twice as flexible, with a stretch waistband built for every stage. The tailoring reads unmistakably FIGS: high-low hems, pleated backs, actual style.
Two practical notes: FIGS’ own guidance for maternity is to order one size down from pre-pregnancy (the opposite of Cherokee — read the chart), and colorways have been selling out since launch. Premium price, premium look, and the standard FIGS durability caveat rides along.
- Real FIGS maternity line at last
- Extra-stretch fabric, staged-growth waistband
- Jogger, legging and underscrub options
- $48-68/piece; colors sell out
- Size DOWN from pre-pregnancy — check the chart
Med Couture Touch Maternity – Best Jogger and Petite
Med Couture’s Touch maternity line brings the softest fabric of the mainstream picks and the category’s best jogger (PE029, ~$34-42 on sale) — plus petite lengths on its long-running legacy styles, a rarity in maternity where hemming a knit panel pant is misery. Knit over-belly waist, side-panel tops with adjustable ties, XS-3XL.
The one thing every reviewer says: it runs small — size up, against the Cherokee instinct.
- Softest fabric of the value tier
- True maternity jogger + petite options
- Runs small — size up
Healing Hands HH Works “Rose” 9510 – Best Pockets
Six pockets on a maternity pant — two slash, double cargo with a pen slot, two back — because pregnancy doesn’t reduce how much a nurse carries. The 9510’s high-rise yoga-knit over-belly band draws consistent praise for support, the 4-way-stretch quick-dry fabric handles the job, and petite lengths exist. Around $30-36; the cargos run snug, the waistband doesn’t.
- Six pockets — the working nurse’s maternity pant
- Supportive yoga-knit over-belly band
- Cargo pockets run small
- Matching top availability varies
Buying Notes: Panels, Sizing, and After
- Over-belly vs under-belly: over-belly knit panels (all picks above) support the bump and stay put through transfers — the second/third-trimester standard. Under-belly styles run cooler and suit the first trimester.
- Sizing is brand-chaos: Cherokee = pre-pregnancy size; FIGS = one size down; Med Couture = size up. Read each chart.
- Plus sizes: WonderWink’s maternity line runs widest (to 5XL) if 3XL isn’t enough.
- Postpartum: the knit panels keep working for the fourth trimester, but for pumping/nursing access you’ll want dedicated nursing-scrub designs (snap fronts, feeding zips) — mainstream maternity lines don’t include them.
Conclusion
- The dependable default: Cherokee WW220 + WW685.
- Softest value pant: Revolution WW155. Most pockets: Healing Hands 9510.
- Style and stretch, premium: FIGS Maternity. Joggers and petite: Med Couture.
