Buy Cherokee if you want a fabric with real stretch that still survives industrial laundry, and pen slots in both pockets. Buy WonderWink if you want built-in badge hardware, more pockets, and the only published pocket dimensions in the category. This is the comparison that matters most if your employer launders your scrubs, because both survive it.
Side by side
Published specifications for both brands| Specification | Cherokee Infinity | WonderWink W123 |
|---|
| Fabric | 95% polyester / 5% spandex poplin | 100% polyester (Stylized) or mechanical stretch (Basic) |
| Stretch type | Four-way, elastane | Four-way or mechanical, no elastane |
| Pockets, top | Two front with pen slots, interior phone pocket | Two roomy plus two utility, hidden compartments |
| Published pocket size | Phone capacity stated | About 7.75 x 7.75 in on the Basic |
| Badge hardware | None stated | Silicone D-ring, shoulder badge loop |
| Antimicrobial | Certainty, 50+ washings, with explicit disclaimer | Not stated |
| Fluid resistance | Not stated | Explicitly AAMI Level Not Rated, non-fluid-resistant |
| Other details | Wrinkle resistant stated | Reflective tape at back neck, 4 in side vents |
Fabric: Cherokee
A 95/5 poly-spandex poplin is a better fabric to work in than 100% polyester. It has genuine four-way stretch from the elastane, the woven poplin base gives it structure so it recovers rather than bagging out, and 5% less polyester breathes measurably better over twelve hours.
WonderWink’s mechanical stretch on the Basic line is a legitimate alternative rather than a compromise - it gives less and it does not wash out, which is the right trade if you want a garment that behaves identically in year three. But for comfort now, the poplin wins.
Hardware: WonderWink
The silicone D-ring and shoulder badge loop are the standout, and they solve a real problem: clipping a badge reel through a pocket edge is how pockets tear, and it is what almost everyone does. A purpose-built attachment point is a small engineering decision that pays off over a year.
Add four pockets with inner utility loops that keep shears upright, 4 in side vents that let the hem sit over a hip rather than pulling across it, and reflective tape at the back neck for the walk across a parking garage at 7am. Cherokee has none of these.
Honesty: both, differently
This is where both brands come out well, and better than the premium tier.
Cherokee states a specific durability figure for its antimicrobial treatment - 50+ washings - and then explicitly disclaims what the treatment does not do: it does not protect users or others against bacteria, viruses or disease organisms. That is the brand selling the feature telling you its limits.
WonderWink states “AAMI Level Not Rated, non-fluid-resistant” on its own listings, rather than leaving you to assume a clinical garment offers a barrier. And it publishes an actual pocket dimension, which no premium brand does.
Who should buy which
Comfort over twelve hours is your priority. Cherokee. The poplin stretches and breathes better.
Your badge reel keeps destroying your pockets. WonderWink, for the D-ring.
You want stretch that is still there in year three. WonderWink Basic, for mechanical stretch.
You carry a lot. WonderWink, for four pockets over two.
You run hot. Cherokee, because 100% polyester is the least breathable option in the category.
You need to know a pocket will fit your phone. Either - they are the only two brands that address it, Cherokee by stating phone capacity and WonderWink by publishing a dimension.
One practical warning
Several WonderWink W123 colorways appear at retailers marked no longer available. If you find a color and fit that works, buy more than one - it is the brand most likely to have discontinued your choice by the time you want to repeat it.
