---
title: "First aid kits for home, car and walks: what to buy"
canonical: https://smallgoodthings.org/reviews/home/best-first-aid-kits-2026/
datePublished: 2026-10-23
---

# First aid kits for home, car and walks: what to buy

A home kit should cover the basics on St John Ambulance's checklist: sterile dressings, plasters, a triangular bandage, latex-free gloves, cleansing wipes, adhesive tape and scissors. Restock it as you use it, and keep medicines separately and out of children's reach. BS 8599 kits are workplace and vehicle standards; you do not need one at home.

- **St John Ambulance Home First Aid Kit (F39015)** (Featured option, For a small household) — A compact grab bag with sterile medium and large dressings, 20 plasters, a triangular bandage, nitrile gloves and cleansing wipes. It covers the core of St John Ambulance's checklist, but scissors and tape are not listed.
- **St John Ambulance Universal Plus First Aid Kit (F39013)** (Featured option, For a family home) — A fuller grab bag for homes and businesses, including a resuscitation face shield, a 250ml eye wash bottle, burn gel sachets, an instant ice pack, three pairs of nitrile gloves and scissors. It makes no BS 8599 claim.
- **St John Ambulance Medium Motor Vehicle First Aid Kit BS 8599-2 (F39011)** (Featured option, For the car) — A glovebox-sized kit designed for cars and vehicles carrying up to 8 passengers, with a foil blanket, a resuscitation aid, a burn dressing and shears. St John Ambulance states it conforms to BS 8599-2:2019; its page URL mentions 2014, so check the edition printed on the kit.
- **St John Ambulance Travel and Motoring Workplace Kit BS 8599-1:2019 (F39007)** (Featured option, For lone workers who drive) — A travel-category workplace kit for solo travellers, with a medium trauma dressing, two burn dressings, a foil blanket and a resuscitation aid. St John Ambulance states it complies with BS 8599-1:2019.
- **Lifesystems Pocket First Aid Kit** (Featured option, For day walks and bags) — A 180 g pocket kit with a belt or rucksack loop, blister plasters, a burn gel sachet and a crêpe bandage. No gloves are listed, so add a pair of nitrile gloves.
- **Lifesystems Adventurer First Aid Kit** (Featured option, For hiking and camping) — A 330 g organised kit with a triangular bandage, two pairs of nitrile gloves, sterile saline wipes and a disposable thermometer. No foil blanket or face shield is listed, and the maker states no standard.

## What should a home first aid kit contain?

St John Ambulance's checklist covers sterile dressing pads and roller bandages, triangular bandages, latex-free gloves, cleansing wipes, gauze pads, adhesive tape, scissors, pins and clips, a face shield or pocket mask and a foil blanket. The NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex list also includes plasters in a range of sizes, sterile gauze dressings and sterile eye dressings.

Keep medicines separately. HSE recommends not keeping tablets and medicines in a first aid box, and NHS guidance says to check medicines regularly against their use-by dates.

## Do you need a BS 8599 kit?

BS 8599-1 specifies the contents of workplace first aid kits, and BS 8599-2 covers motor vehicle kits. HSE says buying BS 8599-1 kits is not a legal requirement even for workplaces. You do not need either standard at home, but a standard kit gives you a known contents list.

## How to choose

- Check the contents list against St John Ambulance's checklist: sterile dressings, plasters, a triangular bandage, gloves, cleansing wipes, tape and scissors. Ready-made kits often leave out scissors, tape or tweezers.
- Gloves should be latex-free (nitrile or vinyl). Count how many pairs come in the kit and check the size.
- Match the kit to where it will be used: a grab bag for home, a compact kit with a foil blanket and face shield for the car, and a light pack with blister plasters for walking.
- Standards: BS 8599-1 is for workplace kits and BS 8599-2 for motor vehicle kits. Neither is needed at home, but a BS 8599-2 kit gives you a known contents list for a car.
- Medicines: most ready-made kits contain none. Keep household medicines separately, locked away from children, and check use-by dates. Abroad, carry regular medicines in hand luggage.
- Make sure refills or individual items are easy to buy, so you can restock what you use instead of replacing the whole kit.

## Before you buy anything

If you already have a kit, check it against St John Ambulance's checklist and replace only the used or missing items rather than buying a new one. Many basics, such as cling film or a clean freezer bag for burns, a clean tea towel for pressure on bleeding and frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel for bumps, are already in most homes (British Red Cross guidance). The British Red Cross also runs a free first aid workshop for adults aged 19 and over, which may be more useful than a bigger kit. Employers are responsible for workplace first aid provision, including for staff who work away from base (HSE), so you do not need to buy your own kit for work.

## Kits at a glance

Contents and sizes are quoted from each maker's page, checked on 23 October 2026. Contents change, so check the list printed on the kit you receive.

| Kit | Best for | Size | Gloves | Standard stated |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [St John Ambulance Home First Aid Kit (F39015)](https://shop.sja.org.uk/products/st-john-ambulance-home-first-aid-kit) | A small household | 15 × 8.5 × 20 cm | 1 pair nitrile | None stated |
| [St John Ambulance Universal Plus First Aid Kit (F39013)](https://shop.sja.org.uk/products/st-john-ambulance-universal-plus-first-aid-kit-grab-bag) | A family home | 19 × 9 × 25 cm | 3 pairs nitrile | None stated |
| [St John Ambulance Medium Motor Vehicle First Aid Kit BS 8599-2 (F39011)](https://shop.sja.org.uk/products/st-john-ambulance-medium-motor-vehicle-first-aid-kit-bs-8599-22014) | The car | 16 × 6 × 13 cm | 2 pairs nitrile | BS 8599-2:2019 |
| [St John Ambulance Travel and Motoring Workplace Kit BS 8599-1:2019 (F39007)](https://shop.sja.org.uk/products/st-john-ambulance-travel-and-motoring-workplace-first-aid-kit-bs-8599-12019) | Lone workers who drive | 15 × 9 × 20 cm | Check the contents card | BS 8599-1:2019 |
| [Lifesystems Pocket First Aid Kit](https://www.lifesystems.co.uk/products/pocket) | Day walks and bags | 125 × 80 × 45 mm, 180 g | None listed | None stated |
| [Lifesystems Adventurer First Aid Kit](https://www.lifesystems.co.uk/products/adventurer) | Hiking and camping | 150 × 130 × 80 mm, 330 g | 2 pairs nitrile | None stated |

Method: Manufacturer contents lists and guidance from St John Ambulance, the NHS, HSE, BSI, TravelHealthPro and the British Red Cross checked on 23 October 2026. We compare listed contents; we have not opened or tested these kits or verified current Amazon listings, sellers, stock or prices.
Hands-on: no — research-based