The Uniform Rental Trap: What Cintas and Aramark Don’t Tell You

You’ve built your business from the ground up. Your crews show up on time, do quality work, and represent everything your company stands for. One question trips up a lot of small business owners, though: should you rent uniforms from a service like Cintas or Aramark, or should you buy and own them outright?

We’ve worked with thousands of small businesses across construction, healthcare, landscaping, and service industries, and we’ve heard the horror stories:

• Multi-year contracts with auto-renewal clauses.
• Hidden fees that doubled the quoted price.
• Uniforms that never quite fit right because you’re locked into whatever the rental company decides to stock.

The truth is, for most small businesses, owning your custom uniforms makes more financial sense and gives you far more control over your brand.

In This Article

• The Real Cost of Rental vs. Buying Uniforms
• Hidden Costs in Uniform Rental Contracts
• Best Uniforms for Construction and Trades
• Medical Scrubs and Healthcare Uniforms
• Uniforms for Service Businesses
• How to Start Your Company Uniform Program
• Frequently Asked Questions

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The Real Cost of Rental vs. Buying Uniforms

Uniform rental companies pitch an attractive story: pay a small weekly fee per employee, and they handle everything. Pickup, cleaning, repairs, replacements. The reality is more complicated.

According to Morningstar analyst research (2025), Cintas holds approximately 31% of the $20 billion U.S. uniform rental market, with Aramark (now Vestis) and UniFirst as the other major players. These companies are experts at making the initial price look reasonable while building significant profit into hidden fees and contract structures.

A typical uniform rental quote might show $4-15 per week per employee for basic uniforms. Do the math on that baseline: $520-780 per employee per year. That sounds manageable until you factor in everything else.

What Rental Actually Costs Over Time

Setup fees for name tags and logo embroidery can add $50-120+ per employee in year one, according to common industry pricing. Service charges (sometimes called DEFE charges) can add another 10% to your bill. Environmental fees, fuel surcharges, and “premium sizing” charges pile on top. And every year, most contracts include automatic price increases of around 5% or tied to the Consumer Price Index.

By year three or four of a rental contract, many businesses report paying $750-1,000 per employee annually, far more than the initial quote suggested.

Our 2026 Swag Trends Survey found that 38% of swag organizers list “overspending on items that won’t generate excitement” as their biggest fear. Rental contracts often deliver exactly that outcome.

What Buying Costs (and Saves)

When you purchase uniforms, you pay once and own them. A quality embroidered polo shirt might cost $25-45 per shirt depending on the brand and customization. A set of work pants runs $30-60. For a typical uniform of two polos and two pants, you’re looking at $110-210 per employee, one time.

Even accounting for replacements (which you control rather than being charged for by a rental company), most businesses spend significantly less buying uniforms over a three to five year period. You also avoid the hassle of contract negotiations, service disputes, and the endless cycle of rental invoices. Whether you choose screen printing for casual staff shirts or embroidery for customer-facing polos, you own the result outright.

“‘A’ Locksmith is the highest rated locksmith company in Collier County with over 500 five-star reviews, we’ve doubled our sales since we began elevating our corporate image with the best looking Custom Ink gear!”

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Featured Products from This Story

Jerzees SpotShield 50/50 Jersey Polo

• Stain-resistant SpotShield technology
• 50% cotton, 50% polyester blend
• Budget-friendly for bulk orders

Port Authority Women’s Silk Touch Polo

• Soft, silky polyester blend
• Wrinkle-resistant for all-day wear
• Flattering feminine cut

Hidden Costs in Uniform Rental Contracts

If you’re considering a rental service like Cintas, Aramark (Vestis), or UniFirst, you need to understand what you’re signing up for. These contracts are written to protect the rental company, not you.

The Fees That Add Up

Lost and damaged charges: This is often the biggest surprise for rental customers. If a uniform goes missing or the rental company declares it “damaged,” you pay for a brand new replacement at full retail price, regardless of how long you had the item. Some companies report paying 20-30% of their total bill in loss and damage fees alone.

Under-wash fees: If your employees don’t turn in their uniforms every single week (vacation, sick days, training), you still pay the cleaning fee. You’re billed whether the service happens or not.

Size change fees: Employee gains weight, loses weight, or you hire someone who needs a different size? That’s $1-2 per garment, per change, which adds up fast with natural turnover.

Evergreen clauses: Many contracts auto-renew for another 3-5 years if you don’t cancel within a specific (and often short) window. Miss that 30-day cancellation notice, and you’re locked in again.

Why Small Businesses Get Stuck

Small businesses often sign rental contracts because the upfront pitch sounds easier than figuring out a purchase program. But the rental model was designed for large enterprises with dedicated facilities management staff who can monitor invoices and dispute charges. A 10-person plumbing company doesn’t have that luxury.

The 2026 Swag Trends Survey found that for employee uniforms specifically, 35% of organizers say their biggest fear is products looking “cheap.” With rental, you don’t control quality. You get whatever the company decides to stock, often in limited sizes and styles that may not fit your team well.

When you own your uniforms, you choose brands your team actually likes. You can order exactly the sizes you need. And if something isn’t working, you can change course without penalty.

“The Boulder Baked team wears our Custom Ink shirts as our bakery uniform. Everyone loves them!”

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Best Uniforms for Construction and Trades

Construction, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, and other trades have specific uniform requirements that rental companies often struggle to meet. Your crews need durable fabrics that can handle rough conditions, high-visibility options for job site safety, and fits that allow freedom of movement.

Safety Compliance Matters

OSHA requirements and ANSI/ISEA 107 standards govern high-visibility apparel for construction workers. You need gear rated for the specific work environment, whether that’s Class 2 vests for general construction or Class 3 apparel for roadside work. With a rental program, you’re limited to whatever safety gear they stock. When you buy, you can ensure every piece meets the exact compliance requirements for your work.

Our safety and hi-visibility collection includes ANSI-certified vests, jackets, t-shirts, and hoodies that can be customized with your company branding while maintaining full compliance.

Durability for Hard Work

Construction work destroys cheap clothing. You need reinforced stitching, heavy-duty fabrics, and brands built for the trades. We carry brands like Carhartt because these brands understand what your crews face every day.

The 2026 Swag Trends Survey found that 65% of swag organizers consider “smart fabric” technology (wrinkle-free, moisture-wicking, spandex blends) extremely or very important for employee uniforms. Modern workwear delivers both toughness and comfort.

Pro tip: For crews working outdoors in summer, look for moisture-wicking performance fabrics and ventilated designs. In winter, consider layering options like fleece-lined jackets and insulated vests that can be branded with your logo.

“We have been ordering our company uniforms from Custom Ink for years now, and absolutely love the products quality as well as the customer service. We appreciate all the hard work you guys have done on making the shirts that way we can keep our company advertised to the general public in need!”

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Featured Products from This Story

Gildan 100% Cotton Long Sleeve T-Shirt

• Heavyweight 100% cotton construction
• Long sleeves for sun and scratch protection
• Double-needle stitching for durability

Medical Scrubs and Healthcare Uniforms

Medical clinics, dental practices, veterinary offices, and other healthcare settings have unique uniform needs. Patients associate professional-looking staff with quality care, and your team needs comfortable scrubs that hold up through long shifts and frequent washing.

The Case for Owning Medical Uniforms

Healthcare environments are particularly ill-suited for uniform rental. Hygiene standards require specific cleaning protocols that you control better when you own the garments. Staff preferences vary widely, some prefer jogger-style scrub pants while others want classic cuts. And patient-facing roles benefit from consistent, high-quality appearance that rental programs struggle to maintain.

Our healthcare uniforms collection includes scrub tops, pants, lab coats, and medical jackets that can be embroidered with your practice logo and individual staff names. Many styles feature antimicrobial fabrics, moisture-wicking technology, and stain-resistant finishes that keep your team looking professional all day.

Building Your Clinic’s Brand

Custom embroidered scrubs with your clinic logo and staff titles create instant professionalism. Patients can identify who they’re speaking with at a glance, and your team looks unified rather than thrown together. Many practices also color-code by department (blue for nursing, green for surgical, etc.) to help patients navigate the office.

Best for medical practices: Start with a core uniform of embroidered scrub tops in your brand colors, then let staff choose from approved pant styles for comfort. This balance of standardization and personalization keeps everyone happy while maintaining a professional look.

Uniforms for Service Businesses

Landscaping, cleaning services, pest control, moving companies, auto repair, salons, restaurants, and countless other service businesses face a common challenge: your employees represent your brand in customers’ homes and businesses every day. What they wear matters enormously.

The Trust Factor

When a technician shows up at someone’s home, the uniform creates instant credibility. A crisp polo with your company logo and the employee’s name embroidered on it signals professionalism. A faded, ill-fitting rental uniform signals the opposite.

Matching Your Brand

With a purchased uniform program, you can perfectly match your brand colors, use your exact logo, and create a look that’s distinctly yours. Rental programs limit you to their standard options, which often means settling for “close enough” on colors or simplified logo reproduction.

Our Design Lab lets you see exactly how your logo will look on different products before you order. You can adjust placement, size, and colors until everything is perfect. That level of customization control is something rental contracts simply can’t match.

“We use the new printed tshirts as our new uniform at Pho Cao. Great experience working with Customink, good quality in all aspects.”

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Featured Products from This Story

Gildan 100% Cotton T-Shirt

• Classic cotton comfort
• 50+ color options
• Budget-friendly for large orders

Gildan Women’s 100% Cotton T-Shirt

• Feminine cut and fit
• Preshrunk cotton
• Wide size range

How to Start Your Company Uniform Program

Ready to ditch the rental contract or start fresh with owned uniforms? Building a program that works for your business takes just a few steps.

Step 1: Define Your Needs

Start by identifying what your team actually needs. Consider the work environment (indoor vs outdoor, physical labor vs office work), any safety requirements, and whether you need different uniforms for different roles. A landscaping company might need durable performance shirts for the crew and polo shirts for the sales team.

Step 2: Choose Your Products

Browse our workwear and uniforms collection to find products that match your needs and budget. We offer everything from basic t-shirts to premium brand-name workwear. Many items have no minimums for basic printing, and we can provide samples so your team can try before you buy.

Step 3: Create Your Design

Use our Design Lab to add your logo and any other customization. You can upload your own artwork, use our clip art library, or work with our design experts (we call them Inkers) to create something perfect. See exactly how your design will look before you commit. Learn more about how to design great work uniforms.

Step 4: Collect Sizes and Order

For teams, our Group Orders feature lets each employee specify their own size and shipping address. You set up the design and products, share a link, and everyone orders exactly what they need. No more guessing sizes or storing extras.

Don’t miss: Set up a reorder process so you can easily outfit new hires with the same uniforms. We save your designs so future orders take just a few clicks.

Orders arrive at your door within 2 weeks with free standard shipping, and rush options are available if you need them faster.

Start Designing Your Uniforms

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Where can I buy company uniforms in bulk?

We specialize in bulk uniform orders for businesses of all sizes. Our workwear and uniforms collection includes polos, work shirts, safety gear, and more with volume discounts that make bulk ordering affordable. You can customize everything with your logo using our Design Lab.

Q: How do Cintas and Aramark uniform services compare to buying?

Rental services like Cintas and Aramark (now Vestis) charge weekly fees that seem low but accumulate to significantly more than purchasing over a typical contract period. Rental contracts also include hidden fees for lost items, size changes, and automatic price increases. Buying gives you complete control over quality, fit, and total cost.

Q: What are the most durable work uniforms for the construction industry?

For construction, look for brands like Carhartt, Dickies, and CornerStone that are built for tough conditions. Our construction workwear collection includes ANSI-rated safety gear, heavy-duty work shirts, and durable pants that can be customized with your company branding.

Q: Where can I get medical scrubs for clinic staff with our logo?

Our healthcare uniforms collection includes scrub tops, pants, lab coats, and medical jackets that can be embroidered with your practice logo and staff names. We offer popular brands in styles your team will actually want to wear.

Q: How far in advance should I order company uniforms?

Orders arrive at your door within 2 weeks with free standard shipping. If you need uniforms faster, rush delivery options are available for an additional charge. For new uniform programs, we recommend placing your first order 3-4 weeks before you need them to allow time for any adjustments.

Q: Can I order uniforms for just a few employees?

Yes. Many products have low or no minimums, making it easy to outfit small teams. Just check the product details or filter by “no minimum.” Our no minimum workwear selection is perfect for startups and small crews.

Q: Are bulk discounts available for company uniforms?

Yes, we offer discounts for larger orders. You’ll see the price adjust automatically as you increase the quantity in your cart. The more you order, the lower the per-item cost, which is one of the biggest advantages of buying vs. renting.

Q: Can members of my team order their own sizes?

Absolutely. Our Group Orders feature lets you set up a design, then share a link so each team member can select their own size and pay individually. Everyone gets exactly what they need, shipped directly to them.

Q: Can I get help designing our company uniforms?

Our design experts (we call them Inkers) are available 7 days a week to help you create the perfect look. You can also use our Design Lab templates and clipart to build your design yourself. Reach out anytime, we’re here to help.

Q: What if the uniforms don’t fit or there’s a problem?

We stand behind every order with our satisfaction guarantee. If something isn’t right, we’ll work with you to make it right. That’s a level of accountability rental companies rarely match.