My husband and I dont have any family as yet, and so although I always keep a packet of plasters in the cupboard, they never seem to get used for cuts/scrapes etc like I'm sure the are in most families. The chief reason that I use plasters is for my heels when I have bought new shoes and am trying to protect my heels from being torn to shreds until the leather softens. I seem however to go through plasters quite regularly however, and so they are not something that I want to put a lot of money into.

I never buy the expensive elasoplast brand of plasters, especially when I don;t have any children needed wounds attended to. I always stick to either the supermarkets (namely TEsco) or Boots own brand. I also tend to buy waterproof plasters so I don;t have to replace them everyday after taking a shower, especially when I am simply using them as a protective barrier on my heels.

A while ago after using up my Boots packet of plasters, I picked up Tesco own brand of waterproof plasters, which contain 40 assorted plasters. Now I cannot remember, nor can I find anywhere on the internet the price that I paid, although it was definitely between £1 and £2.

The packing is fairly attractive with a blend of greens and blues. On the front are pictures of the plasters with the claim that these are 'water resistant, breathable and durable'.

On the back of the packaging, in tiny writing, it also states that these plasters offer 'ideal protection of wounds from dirt and germs. Help to keep skin dry. Breathable, durable and comfortable to wear.' They also state that these are low allergy and latex free to minimise allergic reactions. It reminds users to change plasters at least once daily.

Now, I have already stated my uses of these plasters on my heels, and since I have only ever used them for that, that is all I can comment on. I find that they variety of sizes that the plasters come in quite useful for me, since it depends where the shoe that I am wearing is rubbing my heel. Sometimes I need the large square plasters, sometimes just the little ones to protect, and I find by the end, I will have used them all, regardless of shape and size. I find them easy to use. THe tabs comes apart easily, although there always seems to be a lot of paper around these plasters to dispose of. They attach easily to my heels and always stay in position throughout the day, whether I am doing something active or not. As I said earlier I tend not to change the plasters everday because I use them as a protective barrier from the rubbing of my shoes rather than as a wound dressing. After having a shower, I find that these plasters will generally still stay in place, which I think therefore confirms that they are pretty durable as well as being waterproof. Obviously however, the longer you leave them on your heels, the more you have to scrub off the dark marks that end up around it from socks etc so I still like to change every few days. When I am wearing these, they completely solve the problem of when my shoes rub against my heel, and prevent my heels from being cut to shreds until such times as the leather of the shoes has softened and I no longer need the plasters.

I cannot comment on their effective at protecting and dressing wounds, but certainly for what I want them for they are ideal and they certainly are more reasonable value that the pricey branded alternatives.