The principles of moist wound healing have become widely accepted since the seminal work of George Winter in the 1960s. In the subsequent 50 years, many publications have extolled the clinical value of modern or advanced wound dressings. This article reviews the findings of two studies arguing that the benefits of advanced wound care products, which are based largely on the principles of moist wound healing, cannot be justified in terms of healing outcomes or cost effectiveness. These studies have the potential to affect clinical practice and decision making, and the article highlights the importance of analysing and interpreting the findings of such studies cautiously.