Buyer guide
Foley Catheter Sizes Explained: French Gauge, Colours and Who Gets What
Standing in the store room staring at Foley catheter sizes and wondering whether FR 14 or FR 16 is right for the patient in bed four? This page gives the chart, the colours and a plain rule for choosing.
Sternmed stocks FR 12, FR 14 and FR 16 latex 2 way catheters, arriving 27 November 2026 and quote only until then.
Foley catheter sizes are written in French gauge, shortened to FR, Fr, FG or Ch. The number tells you the outer diameter of the tube. Here is what each number means.
How Foley catheter sizes work
One French unit is one third of a millimetre. Divide the FR number by three and you have the outer diameter in millimetres. FR 12 is 4 mm across and FR 18 is 6 mm.
Unlike cannula gauges, a bigger FR number means a bigger tube. FR 16 is wider than FR 12. The size is printed on the funnel at the end of the catheter and on the pouch.
The number describes the outside of the tube. The drainage channel inside is smaller, because the wall and the balloon channel take up space.
Foley catheter sizes chart
| Size | Outer diameter | Usual funnel colour | Typical use | Sternmed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR 6 | 2 mm | Light green | Infants | Not stocked |
| FR 8 | 2.7 mm | Blue | Infants and small children | Not stocked |
| FR 10 | 3.3 mm | Black | Children | Not stocked |
| FR 12 | 4 mm | White | Women, smaller men, older children | Quote only until 27 Nov 2026 |
| FR 14 | 4.7 mm | Green | Most adults | Quote only until 27 Nov 2026 |
| FR 16 | 5.3 mm | Orange | Larger men, cloudy urine | Quote only until 27 Nov 2026 |
| FR 18 | 6 mm | Red | Debris or blood in urine | Not stocked |
| FR 20 | 6.7 mm | Yellow | After urological surgery | Not stocked |
| FR 22 | 7.3 mm | Violet | Heavy blood clots, specialist use | Not stocked |
| FR 24 | 8 mm | Blue | Specialist use | Not stocked |
Funnel colours follow a common convention that most makers use. Always read the printed number rather than trusting the colour alone, because a few brands differ.
Which of the Foley catheter sizes should I choose?
Use the smallest size that drains well. A smaller tube is more comfortable, causes less irritation and leaves room for the body’s own secretions to pass around it. A larger tube is only better when urine is thick, cloudy or carries blood.
For most adults that means FR 14. For many women and smaller men, FR 12 is enough. For larger men or cloudy urine, FR 16.
The NHS guide to urinary catheters explains how catheters are fitted and cared for. Your hospital policy and the doctor’s order come first.
Foley catheter sizes for women
A woman’s urethra is short and FR 12 or FR 14 drains well in most cases. Go up to FR 16 only when the urine is cloudy or the doctor asks for it.
After childbirth a catheter is often placed for a day or two. FR 14 is the usual choice.
Foley catheter sizes for men
A man’s urethra is longer and passes through the prostate. FR 14 is the usual size and FR 16 is used for larger men or when the prostate is enlarged and a stiffer tube helps. FR 12 suits smaller men.
Never force a catheter. If it will not pass, stop and call for help. Forcing causes injury and bleeding.
Foley catheter sizes for children
Children take FR 6 to FR 10 depending on age and size. Older children may take FR 12. Paediatric catheterisation is done by trained staff following the hospital’s own chart.
Sternmed does not stock the paediatric sizes at present. We say so plainly so you can plan the children’s order elsewhere and the adult order with us.
Balloon sizes across Foley catheter sizes
The balloon holds the catheter in the bladder. Adult catheters commonly carry a 5 to 15 ml balloon and the fill volume is printed on the funnel. Some catheters used after surgery carry a 30 ml balloon.
Fill the balloon with sterile water only, never saline or air. Use exactly the volume printed. Under filling lets the catheter slip out and over filling can burst the balloon.
2 way and 3 way
A 2 way Foley has a drainage channel and a balloon channel. A 3 way adds an irrigation channel for washing out the bladder after some operations. Most patients need a 2 way.
Sternmed stocks 2 way latex catheters in FR 12, FR 14 and FR 16. Our Foley catheter price and sizes guide compares prices by size and material.
Latex or silicone across the Foley catheter sizes
Every size comes in latex, silicone coated and all silicone. Latex is soft and cheap and suits short term use. Silicone costs more and suits long term use and latex allergy.
Ask every patient about latex allergy before you insert. Sternmed stocks latex only at present.
Which urine bag goes with each of the Foley catheter sizes?
The same 2000 ml bag fits every adult Foley size. The connector is standard. Sternmed sells the 2000 ml urine bag with bottom outlet to pair with any of its three catheter sizes.
Hang the bag below the bladder and empty it before it is two thirds full. Our urine bag price guide covers change intervals and prices.
How Foley catheter sizes affect a ward order
Most wards hold three boxes. FR 14 is the largest stock, then FR 16, then FR 12. A 30 bed surgical ward might order six boxes of FR 14, two of FR 16 and two of FR 12 a month.
Count insertions and add 20 percent for changes and failed attempts. Order by the box of 10. Keep one box of each size as a reserve.
Reading Foley catheter sizes on the funnel and the pouch
The funnel shows the FR size, the balloon volume and often the maker. The pouch repeats the size and adds the lot number and expiry. Copy the lot number onto the patient’s notes when you insert, so a faulty batch can be traced.
Foley catheter sizes for home care
A family looking after a patient with a long term catheter is usually told the size on the discharge slip. Keep that slip. Buy the same size each time unless the doctor or nurse changes it.
Keep two spare catheters of the right size and a few bags at home. A blocked or slipped catheter at night is far easier to manage when the spare is in the cupboard.
Foley catheter sizes and comfort
Patients often ask for a smaller tube because the current one is uncomfortable. Sometimes that is right. More often the discomfort comes from the balloon sitting badly, the bag pulling on the tube or a bladder spasm.
Secure the tube to the thigh with a strap, hang the bag low and check the balloon volume before you change size. If pain continues, the doctor decides.
Common mistakes with Foley catheter sizes
- Choosing a large size because it seems safer. It is less comfortable and no better.
- Trusting the funnel colour without reading the number.
- Filling the balloon with less or more than the printed volume.
- Forcing a catheter that will not pass.
- Leaving a catheter in longer than the doctor ordered.
Each mistake costs more than any catheter. Teach the chart above on the ward and most of them stop.
Foley catheter sizes and how long a catheter stays in
Size does not set the dwell time, material does. Latex catheters are usually changed every two to four weeks and silicone catheters every four to twelve weeks, following the doctor’s order. A catheter that drains well and causes no trouble is left until its planned change.
Write the insertion date and the size on the patient’s notes. The next nurse then knows which of the Foley catheter sizes to prepare for the change.
Foley catheter sizes in the French, Charriere and millimetre systems
| Written as | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| FR or Fr | French gauge | FR 14 |
| FG | French gauge, older British style | FG 14 |
| Ch | Charriere, the French maker who devised the scale | Ch 14 |
| mm | Outer diameter in millimetres | 4.7 mm |
All four mean the same catheter. Kenyan sellers mix FR and FG freely, so a box marked FG 16 is the same as one marked FR 16.
A quick rule to remember
- Women and smaller men: FR 12 or FR 14.
- Most adults: FR 14.
- Larger men or cloudy urine: FR 16.
- Children: FR 6 to FR 10 by the paediatric chart.
Pick the smallest of the Foley catheter sizes that drains well, every time. That one rule settles most arguments in the store room.
Where to buy in Kenya
Sternmed sells the urinary catheters range retail and wholesale with delivery across Kenya from Nairobi. We confirm the delivery cost to your town before dispatch and you pay by M Pesa or cash on delivery.
Exports across Africa are arranged on request.
How to order
- WhatsApp +254 799 526972 with what you need, the quantity and your town.
- Or email info@sternmedafrika.com with the same list.
- Or fill in the request a quote page and we reply the same working day.
- Confirm the written quote and the delivery cost.
- Pay by M Pesa or cash on delivery when the order arrives.
We reply with a written quote and reserve your boxes against the 27 November 2026 shipment.
Questions buyers ask about Foley catheter sizes
What does FR mean on a Foley catheter?
French gauge. One unit is a third of a millimetre, so FR 12 is 4 mm across and FR 18 is 6 mm.
Which Foley catheter size is most common for adults?
FR 14. FR 12 suits many women and smaller men and FR 16 suits larger men or cloudy urine.
Does a bigger FR number mean a bigger catheter?
Yes. Unlike cannula gauges, the Foley number grows with the diameter.
What colour is an FR 14 Foley?
Usually green, with FR 12 white and FR 16 orange. Always read the printed number too.
How much water goes in the balloon?
The volume printed on the funnel, usually 5 to 15 ml for adults, using sterile water only.
Which sizes does Sternmed stock?
FR 12, FR 14 and FR 16 latex 2 way catheters, arriving 27 November 2026.
Which urine bag fits?
The standard 2000 ml bag fits every adult Foley size.
Order today
Ready to order the Foley catheter sizes your ward uses most? WhatsApp +254 799 526972 or email info@sternmedafrika.com and you will get a written reply the same working day.
This guide is by Sternmed Afrika, a medical consumables supplier in Nairobi. We sell retail and wholesale, deliver across Kenya and export across Africa on request.
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