Without wanting to sound like the start of an episode of Casualty, accidents can happen at any moment. From tripping over something to clonking the top of your head on your car's bonnet, most are minor and can be treated at home with some basic medical equipment.
A first aid kit handily packages all this medical equipment together in a compact and portable way for when such emergencies happen. One of these can prove invaluable in your car for when such accidents do occur. Hopefully, you won't be needing one any time soon but here are our top first aid kits for your car.
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Containing all the basics you could need in a small, easy to store container, this first aid kit is brilliant for treating day-to-day injuries and is ideal to keep in the boot of your car.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Bandages | 1x large bandage, 1x medium bandage, 1x triangular bandage |
| Plasters | 20x waterproof plasters |
| Antiseptic | 4x antiseptic wipes, 1x gloves |
| Extra | 1x non-adherent dressing, 1x microporous tape, 1x pair of scissors, 12x safety pins, 1x emergency blanket |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Includes all the basics | • Missing some fancier medical equipment |
www.halfords.com
Not the easiest first aid kit to store thanks to the bulky plastic construction, it does at least come with a built-in torch, perfect for any accidents that occur at night, It also comes with a reasonable selection of medical bits.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Bandages | 1x conforming bandage, 1x triangular bandage |
| Plasters | 10x waterproof plasters |
| Antiseptic | 2x cleansing wipes,1x pair of gloves |
| Extra | 2x adhesive dressing, 1x microporous tape, 1x pair of scissors, 1x eye wash pod |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Comes with a lamp | • Bulky design |
A very cleverly packaged first aid kit, 220 pieces of medical apparatus fit into a small and lightweight (880g) soft bag that can easily be stored anywhere in a car. Have perfect peace of mind without sacrificing any boot space.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Bandages | 1x crepe bandage, 2x triangular bandage, 4x conforming bandage |
| Plasters | 40x plasters (s), 50x plasters (l), 5x elbow/knee plasters |
| Antiseptic | 20x cleansing wipes, 4x gloves |
| Extra | 1x CPR mask, 20x safety pins, 12x gauze pads, 8x sting relief pads, 1x tape roll, 1x moleskin blister relief, 2x foil blankets, 2x cold packs, 1x metal tweezers, 1x medical scissors> |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Contains a load of kit | • Rather expensive |
www.wilko.com
While this first aid kit may lack a fair bit of kit, for its size and price this is a great extra kit to keep in a backpack or carry with you while using a bicycle. Coming with antiseptic wipes, dressing and various plasters it'll treat most minor injuries.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Bandages | 1x crepe bandage |
| Plasters | 20x waterproof plasters |
| Antiseptic | 4x cleansing wipes |
| Extra | 2x adhesive dressing, 1x microporous tape, 2x safety pins, 2x non adherent dressing |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Very cheap and small | • Missing some essential equipment |
If you already have a first aid kit but need to restock it then this kit from St John Ambulance is a clever way of reusing the original bag. Coming with a load of extra kit, makes it a cool option.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Bandages | 1x triangular bandage |
| Plasters | 20x waterproof plasters |
| Antiseptic | 4x cleansing wipes, 2x gloves |
| Extra | 1x plastic tweezers, 2x adhesive dressing, 1x microporous tape, 1x face shield, 2x eye wash phials, 1x eye pad dressing, 3x HSE dressing, 4x Burnshield® sachetstd> |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Good value | • You need something to store it all in |
How to choose a first aid kit?
How big is your car?
Smaller cars will offer less storage space meaning a bigger first aid kit can easily eat into your boot, especially if you have other equipment in there like a battery booster.
How many people do you carry around with you?
Larger families will undoubtedly need a bigger first aid kit with multiple copies of each bit of kit. A single triangular bandage may be fine for a single person, but if more people need one then it can become an issue.
What should a first aid kit contain?
The most bare-bones first aid kit should still come with an assortment of plasters, some antiseptic wipes and a couple of bandages which should be enough to deal with most cuts and scrapes. Larger kits will undoubtedly carry more stuff including medical scissors, foil blankets and gloves that are a bit more extreme but will become invaluable if needed.
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