How Many of Each Size Lab Coat Should You Order for a Class?
You've got the class list, the budget approved, and one question nobody at the supplier seems to answer: it's 30 students — but 30 of WHAT? Here's how to plan a size distribution that doesn't leave you with a cupboard full of the wrong sizes.
The Honest Truth First
No supplier can know your class's size mix, and any number we quoted as fact would be made up. What follows is a starting-point framework — a sensible default based on how adult sizing generally distributes — plus the process that beats any estimate: measuring your actual students.
Step 1: If You Can, Measure (Always Wins)
For year levels or cohorts you'll re-order from, get real measurements:
- Students measure a garment they wear over other clothes (flat, armpit to armpit) — the same method as our Sizing Chart
- Match to the chart, collect the size list, order exactly that
This is the only method that doesn't over-order, and it takes one form sent home or one lunchtime session.
Step 2: If You Can't Measure, Use the Framework
When sizes are unknown (event orders, new cohorts, no time), a workable starting distribution for 30 mixed-adult students:
| Size | Share of order | For 30 students |
|---|---|---|
| XXS / XS | ~10% | 3 |
| S / M | ~50% | 15 |
| L / XL | ~30% | 9 |
| 2XL / 3XL | ~10% | 3 |
This deliberately mirrors the middle of the bell curve. Adjust for what you know: a senior science class skews larger than a Year 7 group; a cohort with international students may skew smaller; a trade program skews larger. If you know only ONE thing — the year level — shift the middle toward that.
Step 3: The Spares Rule
Order 10% extra on top of your distribution (3 coats for a class of 30), weighted toward the middle sizes. Spares absorb growth, damage, and the inevitable sizing surprise. Spare coats in a science department's cupboard are never wasted — they're next year's first replacement.
Step 4: Size Exchanges Are Your Safety Valve
Our free size and colour exchanges within 7 days mean a planning miss is fixable — IF you order with a week's buffer before classes start. So the real rule is: estimate, order early, correct with exchanges. You don't need the distribution perfect; you need it close and correctable.
A Worked Example: 30-Student Cohort, Budget $1,000
- 30 coats distributed per the framework (say 24 white at $24, 6 navy at $27): ~$714 ex GST
- 3 spare mid-size coats: ~$72
- Logo printing: free (10+ coats)
- Total: under $800 — with margin left for next semester's spares
Schools order on Purchase Orders with no minimum order, quotes in 1 business day, and free shipping over $100 (any class set clears it).
Questions Worth Asking Us Directly
Tell us the cohort — year level, subject, single-sex or mixed, region — and we'll sanity-check your distribution before you commit. We've shipped class sets to hundreds of Australian schools and we can usually spot a plan that's accidentally ordered 15 XXLs. Contact us or browse the Shop.