Our expert testers assess the contents of ‘home’ or ‘family’ first aid kits so you can find the best option to treat injuries that occur around the house.
How we choose what we test
We specifically test first aid kits designed for home use, which includes products advertised as suitable for home use even if the product name says otherwise (e.g. workplace). The medical supplies included in these kits will differ from those aimed at more specific activities or environments such as marine, travel or hiking.
We select products from well known brands such as St John Ambulance Australia and the Red Cross, and kits you can find at prominent retailers including supermarkets, chemists and outdoor supply stores, as well as major online stores.
We look through the contents of each kit to see which essential items are included. Our list of essential items is sourced from the ‘Portable first aid kits for use by consumers’ standard (AS 2675). Though the standard has lapsed and is no longer enforced, its inventory list is still a relevant guide for our test. Similar guides provided by St John Ambulance, the Red Cross and Health Direct also assisted when we developed the test method.
Most kits include one or more additional items that may be useful but non-essential for a home kit, and these don’t contribute to the essential contents score.
Performance
A panel of first aid experts conducts a practical assessment of the kit to check whether the contents (including extra items) can treat common injuries. Our experts include two CHOICE first aid officers and a nurse manager and educator with an extensive clinical background in emergency and ICU.
The common injuries are:
bone fractures
serious lacerations
penetrating wounds
serious abrasions
serious burns
animal bites/stings
soft tissue injuries
eye injuries
poisoning
hypothermia.
The testers also assess the layout and accessibility of the contents, and whether an untrained/inexperienced person would be able to use each kit effectively.
Ease of use
Our testers carry out a general assessment of the kit, layout and build quality based on:
ease of opening and closing
ease of accessing items
ease of repacking items
whether any instructions or guides are included
whether the kit makes any water resistance/waterproofing claims or is designed as such.
Scoring
The CHOICE Expert Rating is based on the following criteria:
When I first walked through the doors at CHOICE, my job was to write about tech for CHOICE Computer magazine. Since then, I've covered everything from home entertainment to personal safety devices, tech for your car and even mattresses. If you want to find the best combination of a bed, 4K TV, soundbar, GPS unit and food delivery app, I'm your guy.
The one thing I've noticed across all the product tests I've organised it's that nothing is simple.
Mattresses can be just as complicated as computers, and manufacturers as well as salespeople don't make things easy. They either use complex jargon that you just want to ignore, or they
oversimplify things to the point where you don't know what you're paying for.
My goal isn't just to help you find the best TV, mattress or soundbar, I also want to cut
through the nonsense and help you fully understand the products you're considering. That way, you
can make an educated, informed decision when it's time to buy without falling prey to a sly
salesperson.
Plus, when you understand the product, you know how to set it up in a way that best suits your
home and can look after it. Nothing is plug and play anymore, and if a complicated smartphone or
Bluetooth speaker feels less intimidating after you've read my content, then I know I've done my
job.
Outside of work I'm very into gaming, I love
watching retro classics at the cinema, I enjoy getting up early to spend hours smoking a tasty cut of
meat and I'm deeply into home hi-fi. Any music genre from laidback jazz to the loudest, screamiest,
most brutal heavy metal ticks all my boxes. I also had a stint as a live music photographer for a number of years.
You can find me on LinkedIn.
When I first walked through the doors at CHOICE, my job was to write about tech for CHOICE Computer magazine. Since then, I've covered everything from home entertainment to personal safety devices, tech for your car and even mattresses. If you want to find the best combination of a bed, 4K TV, soundbar, GPS unit and food delivery app, I'm your guy.
The one thing I've noticed across all the product tests I've organised it's that nothing is simple.
Mattresses can be just as complicated as computers, and manufacturers as well as salespeople don't make things easy. They either use complex jargon that you just want to ignore, or they
oversimplify things to the point where you don't know what you're paying for.
My goal isn't just to help you find the best TV, mattress or soundbar, I also want to cut
through the nonsense and help you fully understand the products you're considering. That way, you
can make an educated, informed decision when it's time to buy without falling prey to a sly
salesperson.
Plus, when you understand the product, you know how to set it up in a way that best suits your
home and can look after it. Nothing is plug and play anymore, and if a complicated smartphone or
Bluetooth speaker feels less intimidating after you've read my content, then I know I've done my
job.
Outside of work I'm very into gaming, I love
watching retro classics at the cinema, I enjoy getting up early to spend hours smoking a tasty cut of
meat and I'm deeply into home hi-fi. Any music genre from laidback jazz to the loudest, screamiest,
most brutal heavy metal ticks all my boxes. I also had a stint as a live music photographer for a number of years.
You can find me on LinkedIn.
