Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
General product information only, not medical advice. Check your product’s own labelling and instructions for use.
Bandage scissors are sold in a handful of overall lengths, roughly 4.5 to 8 inches (11 to 20 cm) in the catalogues below, and there is no single sizing standard that fixes them. This page puts the lengths that manufacturers and suppliers publish side by side, with inch-to-millimetre conversions, so a listing can be compared with the length you already have.
Bandage scissors sizes chart
Lengths are as each manufacturer or supplier states them. Millimetre values for inch sizes are arithmetic (1 in = 25.4 mm). Source details were checked on 2026-10-30.
| Source and product | Stated length | In mm | Other details the source gives |
|---|---|---|---|
| AliMed, Lister Bandage Scissors | 4-1/2 in | 114.3 | Economy Steel or German Steel |
| AliMed, Lister Bandage Scissors | 5-1/2 in | 139.7 | Economy Steel or German Steel |
| AliMed, Lister Bandage Scissors | 7-1/4 in | 184.15 | Economy Steel or German Steel |
| Fillauer, Bandage Scissors (PIC64032) | 5.5 to 8 in | 139.7 to 203.2 | Blunted end |
| Canadian Red Cross, Bandage Scissor (CRC-35S) | 5.1 in (13 cm) | 130 | Angled, rounded blunt tip; listed as 5.1 x 2.2 x 0.2 in (13 x 5.5 x 0.4 cm) |
The three AliMed lengths and the Red Cross length are single products; the Fillauer entry is a range for its product line. These are catalogue lengths from three suppliers, not a standard. A different maker may sell other lengths.
How to read a bandage scissors listing
Three details change which product a listing describes, and listings state them differently.
- Length. AliMed and Fillauer give a single length figure per item; the Red Cross listing gives length, width and thickness together, so the 5.1 in (13 cm) figure is its longest dimension.
- Tip style. The Red Cross listing describes angled blades with a rounded blunt tip, and Fillauer describes a blunted end. Tip style can differ between models, so read the listing rather than assuming.
- Steel grade. AliMed sells the same Lister design in Economy Steel and German Steel variants at each length, so two listings with the same length can still be different products.
How to measure and compare
To compare a listing with scissors you already have, lay them flat and measure from the tip of the blades to the far end of the handles, then compare with the stated length. A listing that gives only a blade length is not comparable with the lengths in the chart above.
Read the intended-use line in the listing as well as the length. The Red Cross listing names dressings, gauzes, tapes, bandages, dressing strips, and metal and metal foam splints as materials the scissors cut. Fillauer describes its scissors as ideal for cutting material near the skin. The packaging and instructions for use are the reference for a specific product.
Equivalence notes: inches, centimetres and millimetres
Catalogues mix units. Convert with 1 in = 25.4 mm = 2.54 cm.
- 4-1/2 in = 114.3 mm = 11.43 cm
- 5-1/2 in = 139.7 mm = 13.97 cm
- 7-1/4 in = 184.15 mm = 18.415 cm
- 8 in = 203.2 mm = 20.32 cm
Metric listings often round, which is why a 5.1 in scissors can be listed as 13 cm. The listings above give lengths only; none of them uses S/M/L sizing, gauge or colour codes.
Common mix-ups
- Bandage versus surgical scissors. Surgical scissors are a separate group, named by pattern and tip, for example Spencer stitch scissors or Metzenbaum scissors. See surgical scissors types, Spencer stitch scissors and Metzenbaum versus Mayo scissors.
- Lister versus other names. AliMed names its product Lister Bandage Scissors, while Fillauer and the Red Cross use the plain name “bandage scissors”. A name alone does not give the length, so check the number.
- Overall length versus blade length. A listing that quotes blade length will look shorter than one quoting overall length for the same scissors.
- Kit scissors. A first-aid kit may include scissors of its own; see items inside a first aid kit and the guide to medical tape, one of the tapes the Red Cross lists among materials its scissors cut.
FAQ
What sizes do bandage scissors come in?
In the catalogues listed under Sources, from 4-1/2 in (114.3 mm) up to 8 in (203.2 mm): AliMed lists 4-1/2, 5-1/2 and 7-1/4 in, Fillauer lists 5.5 to 8 in, and the Canadian Red Cross lists 5.1 in (13 cm). Other makers may list other lengths.
What are the types of bandage scissors?
The listings describe angled or blunted-end scissors, including the Lister Bandage Scissors sold by AliMed. They differ in length, steel grade (Economy or German steel at AliMed) and tip style. Read the individual listing for each.
Is there a standard size for bandage scissors?
None of the three suppliers cites one. Sizes are the manufacturers’ own catalogue lengths, so check your product’s labelling.
Sources
Details checked on 2026-10-30.
- AliMed, Lister Bandage Scissors: https://www.alimed.com/lister-bandage-scissors.html
- Fillauer, Bandage Scissors (PIC64032): https://fillauer.com/product/bandage-scissors/
- Canadian Red Cross, Bandage Scissor (CRC-35S): https://products.redcross.ca/products/bandage-scissor
