Few waterproof bandages make the cut

Are you stuck on a bandage that sticks on you but lets your wound get wet? Water and other liquids can carry germs to cuts and scrapes, which can lead to infection. A waterproof bandage could block those bugs, but despite product claims such as "shields out water, dirt and germs," it's hard to find one.

We tested eight bandages labeled waterproof. (A ninth, Rite Aid Flexible Foam, is claimed to be water resistant.) We asked 33 panelists to wear each bandage on their fingers for 4 hours, washing their hands twice and flexing fingers hourly. Then we had the panelists dip their bandaged fingers into room-temperature coffee while flexing them for 15 to 20 seconds, and checked the pads for coffee stains.

Bottom line

In wet, potentially dirty conditions, "it would be nice to use a waterproof bandage for a little bit of extra protection," says Rich O'Brien, M.D., a spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians. Two of our tested bandages leaked least and cost less than many others. Neither is claimed to be latex-free. Whatever bandage you choose, clean the wound with soap and water and change the bandage daily and when it's soiled. Because no bandage is completely watertight, replace it after it gets really wet, even if it's still stuck on you.