Knee Replacement Hospital Bag Checklist: What to Pack

Pack a small bag with loose clothing, flat non-slip shoes, a written medication list, toiletries, your chargers, and any walking aids your hospital asks you to bring. Most people stay in hospital only 1 to 3 days after a knee replacement¹, so the goal is to be comfortable and independent for a short stay, not to bring everything you own. The single most useful principle is that one knee will not bend far for a while, so everything you pack should be easy to pull on, reach, and manage one-handed.

I packed my bag the week before surgery, while I could still bend and reach without thinking about it. That turned out to be the smartest small decision I made, because once I was home, leaning down to a low bag was one of the hardest everyday movements. This checklist is what I wish someone had handed me, checked by a consultant orthopaedic surgeon. If you are still preparing your home and yourself, read it alongside our guide to getting ready for the day of knee surgery.

What to pack: the essentials

The essentials are documents, loose clothing, safe footwear, and toiletries. The NHS advises bringing your medicines and a list of them, comfortable clothing, and toiletries for your stay¹. In practice, the things you will reach for every hour are:

• Photo ID and your admission paperwork: including any letters, consent forms, and your NHS or insurance details.
• A written medication list: every medicine, dose, and timing, plus regular medication in its original boxes. The anaesthetic and pain plan are built around this.
• Loose, easy clothing: elastic-waist trousers, shorts, or a long nightdress. A swollen, bandaged knee will not fit through a fitted trouser leg.
• Flat, non-slip, slip-on shoes: you should not bend to tie laces, so slip-on shoes or trainers with no-tie laces are safest for early walking.
• Toiletries and a flannel: toothbrush, soap, deodorant, dry shampoo. You may not be able to shower freely at first.
• Glasses, hearing aids, and dentures with their cases, if you use them.

What to pack for comfort and the quiet hours

The comfort items are what make two or three nights on a ward bearable. Hospital days are long and broken up by short bursts of physiotherapy that begin the day of or the day after surgery², so the in-between hours are quieter than you expect. I was glad I brought:

• Phone, tablet, and a long charging cable: the socket is rarely next to the bed.
• Headphones or earplugs and an eye mask: wards are bright and noisy at night.
• A book, puzzle, or downloaded shows: for the gaps between obs and physio.
• Lip balm and hand cream: wards are warm and drying.
• A small amount of cash for a newspaper or the trolley, and a reusable water bottle you can refill.

Leave valuables and large amounts of cash at home; storage is limited and you will not want to worry about them.

What to pack for getting home and recovery

Pack for leaving as well as for staying, because the journey home with a new knee needs a little planning. You will need walking aids for 2 to 6 weeks after surgery³, so the key question is whether the hospital provides them or expects you to bring your own.

• Walking aids: ask your team in advance. Many hospitals provide a frame then crutches or a stick, but some ask you to bring your own. Label anything you bring.
• A coat or layers for the trip home; you may feel the cold after surgery.
• A cushion or folded towel for the car seat, and to keep the leg supported on the drive.
• Any home equipment you were advised to buy: if you have a raised toilet seat, grabber, or long-handled shoe horn, you may want them on day one. Our knee replacement recovery equipment guide lists what is genuinely worth having.

Arrange your lift home before you go in, because you will not be driving. Driving usually does not resume until around 6 weeks, once you can control the car safely and are off strong painkillers.

What you do not need to bring

You do not need to overpack, and a few things are better left at home. Avoid bringing valuables, jewellery, lots of cash, or fitted clothing that will not pass over a bandaged, swollen knee. You also do not need to bring your own bedding or towels, as the ward provides these.

One honest note from my own stay: I packed far too much. I brought three novels and a week of outfits for a two-night stay and used almost none of it. Pack the right things, not many things. For the wider picture of preparation, including your home setup, see preparing for knee replacement surgery, and to understand the operation itself, read our main guide to knee replacement surgery.