The Best Pill Organizers

Buying Guide for Pill Organizers

Why buy a pill organizer?

A good pill organizer safely stores medications and vitamins and reduces the risk of the patient making medication errors, like mixing up their doses or taking their prescription twice in one day by mistake. For instance, if Monday night rolls around and you’re uncertain whether or not you’ve taken your pills for that day, simply check the Monday box in your pill organizer. If it’s empty, you have; if it’s full, you haven’t, and you won’t have to stress about taking too many doses either way.

What should you look for in a pill organizer?

• Compartments: Consider the size, color, and capacity of each compartment. Some models will list how many standard-sized pills each slot can hold at once. If you have more than one prescription to take a day or larger-than-average pills, look for one with extra-large compartments. Some prefer transparent cases so that they can see their medication inside, while others find color-coded models more useful. If you take medication twice a day, look for pill organizers that come with 14 compartments, so you can keep your morning and evening pills separate. Though rarer, there are also models with enough compartments to store an entire month’s supply of medications altogether.
• Portability: Your medication-taking schedule doesn’t stop just because you’re on the road for a work trip or vacation. And while long, bulky pill organizers might fit perfectly well on top of a kitchen counter, they can be awkward or too big to pack in a carry-on or backpack. Fortunately, there are smaller, usually circular, compact models designed specifically for travel. The whole box may be circular with attached compartments, or each compartment is rounded and nestles in beside the others in a small, narrow box. Other pill organizers allow you to detach the compartments from the main frame so that you can remove and reattach as many as needed at once for traveling or portability purposes.
• Lock: Any pill organizer worth its salt will have compartments that snap or lock shut. You’ll want to ensure that whichever model you buy has as secure a lock as possible to avoid the compartments from opening and spilling your medication, especially during travel. A model with push and lock buttons or spring-assisted openings tends to be a safe bet. If you or your loved one has limited dexterity in their hands, be sure to look for a pill organizer that is labeled as arthritis-friendly. These models tend to be easy to open without sacrificing security or risking spillage.

Which design is best for you?

If you need help deciding, it can help to speak with a medical professional for guidance. Otherwise, it may take trial and error, but you can get closer to finding the right pill organizer if you know the following: the number of pills you take each day, whether you take them once per day or more, the number of weeks ahead you like or need to plan for, whether you’ll be traveling at some point, and personal preferences. Pick something that will accommodate your needs and work well for you.

Our Picks for the Best Pill Organizers

Pros: If you only need to take pills or vitamins once a day, this is the pill organizer for you. Each day of the week is clearly printed on the corresponding lid with large letters, and each lid has its own unique color to ensure you don’t take your prescriptions on the wrong day. The lids are also transparent, so you can always see inside them to distinguish the pills if need be. Each box can hold 8 to 12 pills, depending on their size. The spring-assisted design allows you to easily open the boxes with one hand for simple dispensing and locking to prevent pill loss.

Cons: Some users report that the compartments are too small for those who take multiple large pills a day.

Bottom Line: The many useful characteristics of this pill organizer, from the spring-open design to the large 3D-printed letters, are impressive and convenient.

 

Pros: This seven-day morning and evening pill organizer is rainbow color-coded to help you keep track of the day you’re on. Plus, each day has two compartments: one for the morning, one for the evening, both the same color for that day of the week. To make it even easier, the morning compartment lids feature a sun symbol, and the evening lids a moon symbol. To give you an idea of its large capacity, any single compartment can hold up to 6 fish oil pills, 10 vitamins, 20 capsules, or 35 aspirins. To open a lid, simply press down on its push-button tab, and the lid will spring open.

Cons: The compartments are too big for some.

Bottom Line: This is such a great buy for those who take medications in the morning and the evening and who benefit from visual reminders. It’s also FDA-registered and meets all U.S. regulatory regulations.

 

Pros: This month-long pill organizer is a design marvel. There’s an outer container tray in which four one-week pill containers fit. The design allows you to remove each of the four containers separately for easy travel. One compartment can hold 9 fish oils or 10 large vitamins. Another bonus that is often overlooked is that it has quality labels. Its 3D-printed labels will remain legible for a long time. Also important to mention that the compartments are designed to stay locked to prevent moisture from entering.

Cons: If you take medication twice a day, you may want to consider a different product, as this organizer doesn’t have separate morning and evening compartments.

Bottom Line: This monthly pill organizer promises to promote great medication management, especially for those who think far ahead. The daily compartments are made of food-grade PP plastic, while the outer tray is made of ABS plastic that’s BPA-free and safe for medical use.

 

Pros: Perhaps it’s odd to use the adjective “cute” to describe a pill organizer, but these compact and portable weekly pillboxes are cute. They’re hinged on one end and fasten shut to prevent pills from escaping. They fit perfectly in a purse or other travel bag, so you don’t have to leave home without your pills. They’re made of food-grade PP material that’s BPA-free.

Cons: You may find the compartments too small for your medication. They aren’t meant for scheduling out your medications.

Bottom Line: This four-pack of small pill organizers is ideal for slipping into your backpack or purse and taking with you. You won’t get caught unprepared when you have these pill organizers!

 

Pros: Do you take medication or vitamins regularly but often find yourself on the go? Well, this accommodating yet compact stackable weekly pill organizer may be just right for you. It even comes with a travel bag! The organizer is shaped like a column, and each day’s worth of pills is its own round compartment. Each compartment opens and closes based on a swing-locking system, so you can access any one day without worrying about accidentally opening another. There’s also a rubber O-ring around each section to keep moisture out and prevent chemical reactions from occurring. Together with the reinforced, shockproof aluminum alloy material, this travel pill organizer protects your medications from light for safe storage.

Cons: If you have arthritis or other dexterity issues, you may find opening and closing the compartments difficult.

Bottom Line: The days of the week are laser-carved into this aluminum alloy pill organizer and won’t wear off! Remove sections to create a two-day pill organizer for weekend travel or use it as a one-day pillbox to head to the office.

Final Thoughts

Even among the five pill organizers we review here, there’s a lot of diversity in terms of design,  material, size, and more. We hope you found a product that meets your requirements, whether you take daily prescription medications, vitamins, or just like to be prepared.