The colour on a Hypafix box is branding, not a grade of tape. Hypafix has been sold in two packaging generations, the older BSN Medical carton with a deep blue band over a red stripe and the current Leukoplast carton with a red logo on white, and the tape inside both is the same breathable non-woven fixation tape on red gridded backing paper. What separates one Hypafix item from another is width, length, and the reference number, so match on those and ignore the colour.
The confusion is understandable. Search for Hypafix and you get listings photographed years apart, in two liveries, with two completely different numbering systems. Nothing on the packaging tells you they are the same family.
The short version: check the width, the length, and the code on the end flap.
In this article
- Is burgundy a different product
- What does change
- Checking a listing
- The red grid explained
- If it behaves differently
- Frequently asked questions
Is there a separate burgundy Hypafix?
No. The manufacturer lists Hypafix in six variants and they differ only in width and length.
Hypafix started life under BSN Medical. Essity, which owns BSN, has since folded the tape into its Leukoplast wound care brand, so the current product is sold as Leukoplast Hypafix. That rebrand changed the carton, not the tape.
Both cartons use red as the accent colour, printed at different sizes and shot under different studio lighting, which is where the red versus burgundy impression comes from. The deep red band across an older box photographs darker than the bright red logo block on the current one.
| What you are looking at | Older BSN Medical carton | Current Leukoplast carton |
|---|---|---|
| Front of box | White, with a deep blue band above a red stripe and the BSN medical logo | White, with a red Leukoplast logo above the Hypafix name |
| Reference numbers | 4209, 4210, 4211 | 7144301, 7144302, 7144303 |
| Length shown | 10 yards on US boxes | 393.5 inches, which is close to 11 yards |
| The tape itself | Non-woven, breathable, red printed grid on the backing paper | Same |
| Adhesive | Low-allergy polyacrylate | Same |
If two listings show different boxes but the same width and the same length, you are looking at the same tape from two packaging generations.
What does change between Hypafix products?
Three things, and none of them is colour.
- Width: Hypafix comes in 2 inch, 4 inch and 6 inch. Width is the decision that matters most, because the tape needs to overlap the dressing by at least an inch on every side.
- Length: the short rolls run around 2 yards and the long rolls around 10 to 11 yards, which is where most of the price difference sits.
- Reference code: the legacy codes 4209, 4210 and 4211 map to 2 inch, 4 inch and 6 inch. The current Leukoplast codes 7144301, 7144302 and 7144303 map to the same three widths.
The name on the box can also read Dressing Retention Tape or Dressing Retention Sheet depending on the run. Both describe the same continuous roll that you cut to size.
Hypafix dressing retention tape, 4 inches by 10 yards, three rolls. The width most people need for a standard dressing, with enough on hand to cover a full course of dressing changes.
Hypafix at 6 inches wide, for covering a broad dressing in a single piece instead of taping several strips side by side.
How do you check you are buying the same tape you had before?
Read the width and length first, then the code, and treat the photo as the least reliable part of a listing.
- Find the width in inches in the title or spec table. A 2 inch roll and a 4 inch roll look identical in a photo shot straight on.
- Check the length, because a 2 yard roll and a 10 yard roll of the same width are photographed the same way and priced differently.
- Match the reference number to the one on your old box, using the pairs above if the listing has switched generations.
- Look for the word Hypafix on the backing paper in any close-up photo. The printed grid carries the brand name, which is the fastest way to tell real Hypafix from an unbranded non-woven tape.
- Ignore the carton colour entirely. Stock rotates slowly in medical supply, so a supplier can be shipping either generation.
What is the red grid on the backing paper for?
The backing paper is printed with a grid so you can cut a square or rectangle without measuring. Each line gives you a straight edge to follow, and the printed Hypafix name confirms you have the real thing.
Two practical uses of the grid are worth knowing. Cutting along a grid line gives you a clean straight edge, which peels more predictably than a wobbly scissor cut. Rounding the four corners with the scissors after you cut stops the edge lifting when clothing catches it, and that single habit adds days of wear.
The grid is on the paper, not on the tape. Nothing coloured touches the skin.
What if the tape behaves differently from the one you had?
Then it is worth checking whether you have Hypafix at all. Several fixation tapes look alike on a shelf and behave differently on skin.
- Cover-Roll Stretch is elastic and moves with a joint or a shoulder. Hypafix has a mesh through it that limits stretch, which is what makes it hold a flat dressing so steadily. See Hypafix vs Cover Roll.
- Micropore is a thin paper tape for light, short-term taping, not for holding a large dressing for days. See Hypafix vs Micropore.
- Unbranded non-woven tape uses a different adhesive and often a thinner carrier, so it lifts sooner at the edges.
If you are new to the tape, what Hypafix tape is and how to apply it covers sizing and technique in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
Is burgundy Hypafix different from red Hypafix?
No. The manufacturer sells Hypafix in six variants that differ only in width and length. The colour impression comes from two packaging generations, the older BSN Medical carton and the current Leukoplast carton, which contain the same tape.
Who makes Hypafix now?
Essity, which sells it under the Leukoplast brand as Leukoplast Hypafix. It was previously sold under BSN Medical branding, and both companies are the same group.
What do the numbers 4210 and 7144302 mean?
They are reference codes for the same 4 inch width. 4209, 4210 and 4211 are the legacy codes for 2, 4 and 6 inch. 7144301, 7144302 and 7144303 are the current codes for the same three widths.
Why does one box say 10 yards and another 393.5 inches?
Different labelling conventions between the two generations. 393.5 inches works out at close to 11 yards, so compare the actual figures rather than assuming a listing error.
Does the red grid touch my skin?
No. The grid is printed on the release paper that you peel off and throw away. It is there as a cutting guide and to show the Hypafix name.
Which Hypafix width should I buy?
Choose the width that lets the tape overlap your dressing by about an inch on all sides. Four inch suits most everyday dressings, six inch suits large or post-surgical dressings, and two inch suits small pads and tubing.
Hypafix, in the width you need
Leukoplast Hypafix retention tape in 4 and 6 inch, FSA and HSA eligible, with free US shipping over $80.
Shop Hypafix tape →This guide is general information, not medical advice. Follow the dressing instructions given by your clinician or wound care nurse.