Fire extinguishers for the home: which type, which size, and when not to use one (2026)

Firexo says this water-based liquid unit is rated for solid, liquid and cooking-fat fires and is also suitable for electrical and lithium-ion battery fires. That breadth is why it suits a single spot near the kitchen better than a foam or powder unit does. It costs more than a basic foam extinguisher of similar size, but it avoids the question of which type to grab.

Best for One home extinguisher that also covers the kitchen, where most household fires begin.

• The 25F rating covers cooking oil and fat, which standard foam and powder units are not rated for.
• Firexo says it is safe on electrical equipment and lithium-ion batteries, so one unit serves most rooms.
• Water-based, so it leaves less mess than powder and does not cloud the air.

• Dearer than a basic foam or powder unit of the same capacity.
• About four kilograms filled, and Fire Protection Online lists a 20 to 25 second discharge, so it is for a small fire caught early, never a spreading one.
• Some owners report units arriving under-pressured or losing pressure within a year or two, so check the gauge is in the green on arrival and monthly.

Who shouldn't buy it: Skip it if you want the lowest purchase cost or only need a small car unit; a compact powder or foam model fits that better. For a pan fire, a fire blanket and getting out remain the first moves.

The 6 litre Firexo has a far higher rating than the 2 litre and a longer discharge, so it gives more margin on a fire that has started to spread. It carries the same all-fires approach, including cooking fat. At roughly ten and a half kilograms filled it is a lot to lift quickly, and it suits a fixed spot by the door rather than a car.

Best for A larger all-fires unit for a kitchen-diner, garage or outbuilding where one extinguisher has to cover everything.

• The 75F rating covers deep-fat and cooking-oil fires that standard foam and powder units are not rated for.
• Fire Protection Online lists 25 to 35 seconds of discharge, against 20 to 25 for the 2 litre.
• Screwfix lists suitability for electrical and lithium-ion battery fires as well as classes A to D.

• Heavy at about ten and a half kilograms filled, which can be hard for some people to lift and aim.
• Priced well above a basic 6 litre foam unit, and one owner reports pressure problems on 6 litre units after two years, so check the gauge regularly.

Who shouldn't buy it: Skip it if you cannot comfortably lift ten kilograms; the 2 litre all-fires unit is easier to handle. In a flat, a smaller extinguisher kept near the exit makes more sense.

This is the sensible step up from a 2 litre foam: a 21A 144B rating gives much more capacity on Class A and B fires. It is a lot of kit for a small flat. Because it is foam it is not for electrical or cooking-fat fires.

Best for A main extinguisher for a garage, workshop or large hallway where the risks are wood, paper, fuel and paint.

• A 21A rating gives far more reserve on solid-fuel fires than a 2 litre unit.
• The 144B liquid rating suits petrol, paint and solvent risks in a garage.
• Vigil supplies a wall bracket and gives a 5-year warranty.

• About nine and a half kilograms filled, which is heavy to carry quickly.
• Not suitable for live electrical equipment or cooking oil, and Vigil gives a +5 degrees C minimum temperature.

Who shouldn't buy it: Skip it if the main risk is the kitchen, or if you cannot lift nine kilograms comfortably; a 2 litre all-fires unit or a fire blanket is a better fit.

Vigil quotes 8A 55B for this unit, a step above the 5A 34B of the FSS 2 litre foam on this page, and it ships with a wall bracket. It is for solid and flammable-liquid fires only and must stay away from live electrics and cooking fat. Vigil's +5 degrees C minimum temperature rules out cold cars and sheds.

Best for A low-cost second extinguisher for a hallway, heated workshop or utility room where wood, paper and petrol are the likely fuels.

• The 55B liquid rating beats the 34B of the FSS 2 litre foam on this page.
• A wall bracket is supplied in the box.
• Vigil gives a 5-year warranty.

• Vigil says it must not be used on electrical fires, which limits it in a kitchen.
• Vigil lists a minimum storage temperature of +5 degrees C, so a cold garage or car boot is a poor home for it.

Who shouldn't buy it: Skip it for a kitchen, where cooking-fat and electrical fires are the risk; the Firexo all-fires models or a fire blanket fit better. Also skip it if it will live in an unheated space.

A 1kg ABC powder extinguisher is an inexpensive all-rounder that covers most common fire types, but its small charge empties in seconds and the powder makes a real mess indoors. Treat it as a supplementary unit rather than your household's main line of defence.

Best for A compact, low-cost backup for the car, caravan, or a small flat where a larger extinguisher won't fit.

• Covers Class A, B and C fires plus electrical risks, so one small unit handles most common household hazards.
• Cheap and widely stocked at trade and DIY retailers.
• Compact and light enough to keep in a car, caravan, or under-stairs cupboard.

• The 1kg charge discharges in roughly 6-8 seconds, leaving little margin on anything larger than a very small fire.
• Powder is messy, can damage electronics, and clouds visibility in an enclosed room.

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't rely on this as your only home extinguisher. For the kitchen, a foam or water-spray unit plus a fire blanket is cleaner and safer, and a 2kg+ model gives a more usable discharge for whole-home cover.

A competent, inexpensive compact extinguisher that handles everyday wood, paper and flammable-liquid fires, with a cooling action that helps prevent re-ignition. Treat it as a car, van or second-line unit rather than your main household defence, and keep a fire blanket in the kitchen.

Best for A car, van, or a compact second extinguisher kept near a back door or exit.

• Covers both Class A (wood, paper, textiles) and Class B (flammable liquid) fires, so it is genuinely versatile for the size.
• Compact and light enough to keep in a car, van or by an exit without getting in the way.
• Cheap and BS EN3-tested, making it a sensible low-cost backstop or second unit.

• At 5A 34B the capacity is modest, so it's a first-response tool rather than something to fight a developed fire with.
• Traditional AFFF contains PFAS 'forever chemicals' now being phased out in the UK and EU; fluorine-free (F3) foam is the greener direction of travel.

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't rely on it as your kitchen extinguisher: foam is not rated for cooking-oil (Class F) fires and must never be used on live electrics. For a chip-pan risk buy a fire blanket, and if you want one main household extinguisher a larger 6L foam or 2kg powder unit gives far more margin.

A dependable specialist extinguisher for electrical and flammable-liquid fires that leaves no residue and won't harm electronics. It's a sensible second extinguisher rather than a household's only one.

Best for Home offices, consumer units and garages with live electrical equipment.

• Safe on live electrical equipment and leaves no messy residue to clean up
• Effective on Class B flammable-liquid fires (petrol, oil, diesel)
• Kitemarked to BS EN3, with a five-year warranty and a wall bracket and horn supplied

• The discharge horn gets extremely cold and offers no cooling, so fires can reignite
• Heavy for its size and no use on wood, paper, textiles or cooking-oil (chip-pan) fires

Who shouldn't buy it: You want a single all-round extinguisher for the home. A multi-purpose foam or powder unit covers far more everyday fire types. Never rely on CO2 for kitchen cooking-oil fires; use a fire blanket or wet-chemical unit instead.

Vigil rates the 6kg powder unit at 27A 144B C, covering solids, liquids and gas, and lists it for temperatures down to -20 degrees C, so it copes with cold sheds and vehicles. Powder is a poor choice inside a house: a discharge can cut visibility and make breathing harder, and it leaves a corrosive mess. Treat this as an outdoor, garage or vehicle unit.

Best for An outbuilding, garage, caravan or workshop where a high rating matters more than a clean discharge.

• One unit covers solid, liquid and gas fires.
• Works down to -20 degrees C, per Vigil, so it suits unheated garages and sheds.
• Vigil supplies a wall bracket and gives a 5-year warranty.

• Powder can reduce visibility and affect breathing indoors, and the residue is hard to clear.
• About nine and a half kilograms filled, and not rated for cooking-fat fires.

Who shouldn't buy it: Skip it for indoor use in a home. A foam or all-fires extinguisher, or a fire blanket in the kitchen, is the better choice, and the fire service advice remains to get out and call 999.

Vigil's 600g unit is rated 5A 21B C and ships with a bracket with fixings plus a hook-and-loop strip, so it mounts in a car or caravan without drilling. Vigil says it is made to BS 6165:2019, the standard for small single-use extinguishers, rather than BS EN3, and the 21B liquid rating is modest. It is a first-response grab for a vehicle, not household cover.

Best for A small unit for a car glovebox area, caravan or shed where space is tight.

• Small and light at under a kilogram, with a bracket and fixings in the box.
• Vigil states a 5A rating and says most extinguishers this size are rated for B and C fires only.
• Works from -20 to +55 degrees C, per Vigil.

• A 600g charge is small, so it is for the first moments of a very small fire, not a spreading one.
• Powder leaves a messy residue and is a poor choice indoors.

Who shouldn't buy it: Skip it as your main home extinguisher; a 2 litre or larger foam or all-fires unit gives more capacity, and powder is a poor choice indoors.

The 9 litre Vigil has the top rating in the range at 27A 183B, and Vigil describes it for larger premises such as workshops. At almost fourteen kilograms filled it is too heavy for most households to use quickly. For a typical home the 6 litre or a smaller all-fires unit is the better trade of capacity against handling.

Best for A large garage, workshop or outbuilding with real quantities of fuel, timber or solvents.

• The highest foam rating in the Vigil range, 27A 183B.
• Suited to buildings with a lot of timber or flammable liquids.
• Vigil supplies a wall bracket and gives a 5-year warranty.

• Roughly fourteen kilograms filled, which is too heavy for many people to aim and sweep.
• Not for electrical or cooking-fat fires, and Vigil lists a +5 degrees C minimum temperature.

Who shouldn't buy it: Skip it for any ordinary house or flat; it is more weight than a household needs, and a smaller unit someone can actually lift is safer.