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The 10 Best Travel Pill Cases of 2024

These are the best pill cases ranging from a one day to one month supply.

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Travel + Leisure / David Hattan

Nothing can throw you out of a routine quite like travel. Often that’s a good thing. Traveling allows for the spontaneity of exploration, and removing the push and pull of a daily grind can feel liberating.

But in some cases, losing the normalcy of your day-to-day life can disrupt important tasks like taking your vitamins and important medications. When you’re away from home, jet lagged, or off your normal schedule, forgetting to take an essential prescription, supplement, or vitamin can be a liability for your health.

A pill case is a must for anyone who needs to take any kind of medication while on the go, and ideal travel options are compact and secure so no tablets wriggle loose. We’ve selected the best ones to fit a range of capsule quantities and sizes, including a surprisingly stylish top pick with clever design features.

Best Overall

Port & polish am/pm pill organizer.

It can fit a week’s worth of medication with clear separation for morning and evening doses.

The mirror feature may feel unnecessary to some.

Too many pill cases we considered appeared the same: made from cheap-looking plastic in what was, essentially, the standard Monday to Sunday pill cases we remember watching our grandparents tote around (just in brighter colors.)

This Port & Polish case feels modern, and is an upgraded version of their tried-and-true weekly case with the addition of AM and PM slots for twice daily medications. It more closely resembles a cosmetics compact than a piece of medical equipment, and depending where you purchase it, comes in either blush, black, or mint green. The addition of a mirror means it doubles as a compact for on-the-go touch-ups. While that feature might not appeal to all, it’s an added perk that made it stand out from the rest.

The Details: 7.5 x 4.5 x 1 inches | BPA-free plastic | 7 compartments

Best Weekly

Auvon imedassist weekly pill organizer.

The clearly labeled and color-coded compartments fit all pill sizes, and the push-button spring design makes it easy to open and close. 

There are no separate compartments for morning and evening doses.

Unlike many other Monday through Sunday pill cases, this spring-assisted design can be open or closed with one hand so it’s easy to operate on the go. All lids are colorful and clearly marked, and the compartments are large enough to fit eight fish oil pills or 12 large vitamins, if needed. We also like how the compact plastic case is BPA-free and also includes a 12-month warranty.

The Details: 8.84 x 2.1 x 1.04 inches | BPA-free plastic | 7 compartments

Most Compact

Ppfish portable daily pill case.

This case is about the size of your thumb and comes in unique colors like rose gold and bright green.

Given its diminutive size, the container will only fit small pills like aspirin, ibuprofen, and small vitamins. 

Made from anodized aluminum, this case is our top option for those who travel with just a few small pills but don’t want to sacrifice style. 

With a diameter of just one inch, it's similar in size to a small lip balm. The case is waterproof with a rubber O-ring to protect its contents, and we like how it could be used for other small valuables such as rings, earrings, and earplugs. The color options are also more interesting than others we saw at this size and price, including matte black aluminum and (our favorite) rose gold.

The Details: 3.15 x 2.13 x 0.91 inches | Anodized aluminum | 1 compartment

HRX Pill Box Case

All seven compartments pop out in case you want to carry just the day’s doses (and then tuck away nicely inside a carrying case).

If you take medication more than twice a day, you’ll need a case with more compartments.

Sometimes, a one-a-day isn’t enough, and there are pills that must be taken in the morning, night, or both. This case makes it easy to stock up on twice-daily meds with compartments that are split into two separate spaces so there’s no forgetting a dose. 

The color-coded, translucent containers made from BPA-free plastic are clearly labeled for the time of day, and are small enough to individually fit in your pocket. Each canister pops into a case that holds all seven containers in place so there’s no worry about them falling out and rolling around inside a bag or suitcase. The organizer is under $10, making it one of the most budget-friendly options on this list.

The Details: 3.98 x 2.52 x 1.81 inches | Plastic | 14 compartments

Best Multi-pack

Qeedy 4-pack pill organizer.

This set comes with four waterproof cases and a package of labels so you can customize the organizer to each person’s individual needs.  

The compartments come in different sizes, so large pills might not fit in smaller spaces.

This set of four cases is great for a family who needs one case per person. Each organizer has eight compartments, and a set of blank labels are included so you can label the case, by pill type, dosage time, or day of the week. 

The cases are small enough — about the size of a credit card — to fit in a pocket, purse, or small bag, and made from BPA-free plastic with a silicone ring and a snap-shut lock for a secure seal. Unlike other cases, the compartments are different sizes, which can be a pro or a con depending on your family’s specific needs.

The Details: 7.17 x 4.76 x 2.95 inches | BPA-free plastic | 8 compartments each

Best Luxury

Ikigai weekly pill case.

Sleekly designed for minimalists, this case offers customized engravings, and is small enough to pack away anywhere you wish.

If you want to pack large vitamins, take twice daily doses, or are traveling for longer than a week, you’ll have to upgrade to a larger model.

Forget brightly-colored plastic or large carrying cases. This streamlined option made from anodized aluminum is a minimalist’s dream with clean-cut edges and hidden storage. 

But despite a demure design, the features are thoughtful. Made of a corrosion-resistant material, the case features a traction pad that makes it slide open with ease and comes in a slew of vivid colors and engraving options to imprint days of the week or your name across the front. And, with a lifetime warranty, consider this the last pill case you’ll ever buy.

The Details: 7.25 x 1.75 x 0.75 inches | Anodized aluminum | 7 compartments

Best Customizable

Cadence the originals set.

These aesthetically-pleasing containers are as functional as they are beautiful.

It costs extra to print words on the removable tiles if not included in the premade options.

This set of cases might be the most attractive, multi-use option we considered. Each capsule is magnetic and links up with others to form a unique honeycomb-like design. They’re leakproof, reusable, and impressively customizable with smaller and larger options as well as this original 1.32-ounce size.

In addition to the variety of calming colors they come in like eucalyptus, terracotta, and petal, each capsule features a removable top tile that can be customized to specify its contents. Choose premade icons that designate pills or day and night, or you can custom print the exact medication name or day of the week for an additional $2. These personalization options beat out anything else we saw and the multipurpose functionality — like transporting travel-size toiletries — adds loads of value.

The Details: BPA-free 20 percent recycled ocean-bound plastic and 30 percent excess manufacturing material | One compartment per Capsule

Most Stylish

Dosey am pm pill case.

The collection of zippered pouches are housed inside a chic carrier that’s more akin to a toiletry bag or cosmetics case.

Each pouch is zippered shut, so it might not be as secure against leaks as a standard case.

We love this choice for those who find a standard plastic case uninspiring. Instead, this case has zippered pouches that are housed inside a cosmetics train case-inspired carrier. It's also made from cruelty-free vegan leather with a velvet lining and wrist strap, and available in colors like sage, lilac, latte, and more. It comes with Monday through Sunday and AM and PM labels so there’s no confusion between pouches.

Use the 14 pouches for one week's worth of twice daily doses, two weeks for once daily regimens, or up to 30 pills to use as needed on your trip. 

The Details: 5 x 4 x 5 inches | Vegan leather | 14 EVA plastic pouches

Best for Long Trips

Auvon monthly pill organizer.

This color-coded organizer fits pills of all sizes for four weeks inside one larger carrying case so everything stays together. 

Since the case is intended to carry 28 doses of medication, it is bulky for a small bag.

For travels that extend beyond a week — lucky you! — a case that can hold doses for longer periods of time is a must. This organizer holds pills for four weeks, or 28 days, in clearly labeled and color-coded compartments that are roomy enough to fit large pills such as fish oil capsules. 

Each individual week can pop out on its own, so you can use those for shorter trips without bringing the entire kit, or you can use this option to bring pills for an entire family instead. We also like the accompanying case, which has a silicone seal to protect against moisture, and snaps closed to safely secure all medications.

The Details: 8.7 x 5.6 x 1.4 inches | BPA-free plastic | 28 compartments

Best for Backups

Restree weekly pill organizer 4 times per day.

This case is ideal for anyone who takes pills up to four times a day, or wants the security of traveling with extra spots for backup pills. 

It’s larger than other seven-day organizers. 

If you take pills more than twice a day, you’ll need a case with space beyond the daily, AM, or PM compartments. This weekly organizer holds medications of all sizes for up to four daily doses, and each individual day-of-the-week case can pop in and out. 

But the real standout feature to us was the additional box labeled for backup pills. Use it for a fourth dose or pack with extra pills, since, despite our best intentions, it’s still possible to lose medications. Bringing a surplus of each kind is the safest way to avoid a snafu while away from home.

The Details: 9.4 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches | BPA-free plastic | 28 compartments

Tips for Buying Pill Cases for Travel

Determine how many pills you need to travel with before selecting a case.

Your personal medical regimen should be the main deciding factor when selecting a pill case. Consider factors like trip duration, the number of daily medications needed, dosing times, and pill sizes before selecting a case.

For example, if you take pills twice daily, we wouldn’t suggest a seven-compartment option with no separation for AM and PM, no matter how much you like the style. Likewise, think about how long you’ll be traveling and make sure your case’s compartments match up to fit enough pills for the number of days you’ll be away.

Consider how much space your pills need

Pill cases are not one size fits all. An organizer might have every feature you want, but if you take large vitamins or fish oil capsules that won’t fit inside, the case will quickly become obsolete. Make sure to look for a case with slots that will either fit your specific pills, or can adjust, should your medications change in the future.

Look for cases that are accessible

If you experience swollen fingers, tremors, or have arthritis, be sure to select a pill case with accessible features. For example, a push-button, spring-assisted design will be easier to open and close with the touch of a finger than a snap-shut lid.

Anyone can use a pill organizer, and many are multipurpose enough to hold other items. However, anyone who needs to take a pill on a scheduled basis would benefit greatly from using a pill case, especially while traveling. A pill organizer keeps medications of any kind organized so you never accidentally skip it, or alternatively, take too much.

Different countries have different regulations regarding medication. If you plan to travel internationally and will be carrying prescription medication in a pill case instead of the container it came in from the pharmacy, it's a good idea to bring a copy of the prescription from your healthcare provider to avoid possible confusion with customs or local authorities. And no matter how you travel with medication, be sure to research the rules for medications where you're visiting to confirm if they may legally enter the country.

Just because a case is designed or marketed to hold medication doesn’t mean you can’t use it for other items. Many cases are multipurpose and can hold items such as jewelry, earplugs, or small valuables. Depending on the case you purchase, you might use it to store lotion, shampoo, conditioner, serums, cleanser, or other liquid beauty or toiletry products, too. Just make sure the case is airtight and leak proof in those instances.

TSA regulations allow passengers to bring medications kept within a pill case onboard in a carry-on. It is not required to keep medication in its original labeled packaging when traveling within the United States. You can also pack pill cases in your checked baggage, though we’d advise against that in the event of baggage delays. If you’re bringing liquid medications in quantities larger than TSA's allotted 3.4 ounces, be sure to alert the TSA security officer when you start the screening process. 

Why Trust Travel + Leisure

Travel + Leisure contributor Emily Hochberg is a veteran travel and lifestyle writer and editor who vacations frequently with her family and researched dozens of pill cases to find the best options for traveling with supplements, vitamins, and medications.

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7 travel pill cases to keep your meds organized

Whether you are going on a trip or just need a way to keep your medications straight, a travel pill case can help. “They keep you organized so you can more easily remember to take your medications as prescribed each day,” says Dr. Karla Robinson , a board-certified family physician and medical editor at GoodRx.  “They can also help you keep track of medication you’ve already taken for the day, to prevent taking extra doses by mistake.” 

Travel pill cases or organizers can especially be helpful on a trip because they are easier to pack than multiple pill bottles, says Robinson. Don’t take prescription medication? They can also be used for supplements and vitamins. 

SKIP AHEAD How we picked the best travel pill cases | The best travel pill cases of 2024 | How to shop for a travel pill case

Selected Our top picks.

select 34 top-rated Amazon travel accessories for your next trip

How we picked the best travel pill cases.

The right travel pill case for you will have to do with your specific needs. However, the experts we spoke with did say there are some universal things that everyone should look for. Those characteristics include: 

• Delineated compartments: Most travel pill cases come with different areas to hold at least a week’s worth of medication and our experts recommend paying close attention to the way those compartments are situated. Look for clearly delineated compartments for each day if you take medication once a day or enough compartments for multiple times of day (morning, noon, evening, bedtime) if you take things at different times over 24 hours, says Alice Benjamin, a nurse practitioner and founder of the lifestyle website Ask Nurse Alice . 
• Closing mechanism: If you plan on traveling with your pill case, chances are it may get jostled around your suitcase. “Ensure your pill case has a secure closure mechanism to prevent accidental spills or openings, which could lead to medication mix-ups,” says Benjamin. “And if you have small children or pets at home, a pill case with a child-resistant or secure locking mechanism is important for safety.”
• Clear labeling: “For people with visual impairments, larger markings, clear labeling or high-contrast design can be very helpful,” says Benjamin. “Some pill cases even have braille or raised text for tactile identification.” Even if you don’t have visual impairments, clear labeling can make it quick and easy to grab the medication you need and go.

The best travel pill cases of 2024

We consulted with medical professionals about what to look for when shopping for a travel pill case. Then, using their guidance, we rounded up highly rated options from top retailers. 

Auvon Weekly Pill Organizer

This case stores up to seven days’ worth of medication and each compartment has a different colored lid and is labeled with the day of the week. Each compartment can hold up to 12 large vitamins and the lids stay firmly shut until you push the button to open them, according to the brand. Because this case has one large compartment for each day, it’s best for people who take all their pills at the same time of day. This option has a 4.8-star average from over 47,800 reviews on Amazon.

Zannaki Metal Travel Pill Organizer 

Zannaki Metal Travel Pill Organizer

This aluminum pill organizer is made up of seven compartments that screw together to form a larger vessel that’s shaped like, well, a big pill. Each compartment is labeled with the day of the week and can hold up to eight fish oil pills or 16 large vitamins, according to the brand. When closed, the compartments are airtight and keep out moisture, according to Zannaki. This pill organizer has a 4.5-star average from over 1,350 reviews on Amazon and comes in six colors — including matte pink , ice blue and midnight black .

Zoksi Weekly Pill Organizer

If you need to take medication or supplements in the morning and then again at night, this pill organizer may be a good option for you. Inside a larger box that locks shut with a plastic clasp sits seven smaller containers that each have two compartments. Each container comes in a different rainbow hue and is labeled with a day of the week on the side. When pulled out and laid flat, each container is split down the middle and can be opened on either side.You can take the larger container if you will be away for a week or can just select a few of the smaller containers if you are taking a shorter trip. This pill organizer has a 4.8-star average from over 8,600 reviews on Amazon. 

Koviuu Weekly Pill Organizer

My husband recently bought this to keep his daily vitamins and supplements in and I love how chic it looks sitting on our bathroom counter. Made from BPA-free plastic, there are seven individual canisters (each labeled with a day of the week) that slot into a larger container to keep them all together and secure. Each canister is shaped like a skinny tube and can be opened from either end. Inside, there is a divider. So, you can put your morning medication in the top and your evening medications in the bottom. The larger container everything fits in has a rotating handle. When closed, it keeps the canisters locked in place and when opened, it props up the container at an angle so you can easily see your canisters. 

Ezy Dose Push Button Pill Case 

Ezy Dose Push Button Pill Case

Made for people who take medications twice a day, this pill case has two removable trays. Each one has seven compartments labeled with the day of the week and one tray has moons on each compartment to denote the medication you take at night, while the other has suns for the medication you take in the morning. Each compartment has a push button that opens it and can fit up to 60 Aspirin, according to the brand. This pill case has a 4.6-star average from over 89,000 reviews on Amazon.

Mossime 2-Pack Weekly Large Pill Organizer

If you need to be able to travel with two weeks’ worth of medications or want to buy a one-week organizer for both you and your significant other, this two-pack is for you. For under $10, you get two separate pill cases that have seven separate compartments, each marked with a day of the week. Each container is a different color, making it easy to differentiate them. The compartments can each hold up to eight large supplements and the lids snap closed, according to the brand. This two-pack has a 4.6-star average from 2,900 reviews on Amazon.

Med-E-Lert Premium Locking Automatic Pill Dispenser

Benjamin recommends a locking pill case for anyone with children and says choosing one with an alarm can be helpful for those who tend to forget to take their medication. This pill case delivers on both fronts. This pill organizer has 28 compartments, which equates to four weeks worth of once-a-day doses or two weeks worth of twice-a-day doses. You can program up to six alarms and set it so that when the alarm goes off, only the medication you are supposed to take at that time is accessible. In between uses, you can lock the case with a key. This case has a 4.3-star average from over 3,200 reviews on Amazon.  

Questions to ask yourself when shopping for a travel pill case

Shopping for a travel pill case is highly personal, as everyone has different needs when it comes to medications and supplements. To ensure you select a travel pill case best suited for you, experts recommend asking yourself these questions. 

What are your storage needs?

If you take only a few pills a day, you may be fine with a smaller case. If you take more medication or need to take things at different times of the day, a larger option with more compartments will serve you better. “That said, if you are traveling, I always recommend packing more than you will technically need,” says Robinson. “That way you are covered if something happens.” With this in mind, selecting something that will fit a bit more than you think you’ll need is wise.

How will you be using your pill case? 

Will you only be using your pill case when you travel? Or do you want something to put on your counter at home so your pills are organized and easy to remember? This may influence your choice. If you are just throwing it in a suitcase, you may not need to worry about aesthetics as much. But if it will be sitting out on your counter, consider something that you won’t mind looking at every day. 

Are your medications light-sensitive? 

The potency of some medications can be impacted if they are exposed to moisture and light, says Benjamin. Since bathrooms can get humid thanks to hot showers, you want a pill case that closes tightly so your medications aren’t exposed to that humid air. If you are taking a medication that shouldn’t be exposed to light, you’ll want to look for an opaque or darkly tinted pill case. In terms of maintaining the integrity of your medications, washing your pill case with soap and water regularly is also important — it ensures you aren’t transferring bacteria or residue to new medication you add in there, says Robinson.

Meet our experts

At Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.

• Dr. Karla Robinson i s a board-certified family physician and medical editor at GoodRx. 
• Alice Benjamin is a nurse practitioner and founder of the lifestyle website Ask Nurse Alice .

Why trust Select?

Bethany Heitman is a contributor at NBC Select and a journalist who regularly covers topics like beauty, home and lifestyle. For this story, she spoke to two medical professionals about what to consider when shopping for a travel pill case.

Catch up on Select’s in-depth coverage of personal finance , tech and tools , wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and TikTok to stay up to date.

Bethany Heitman is a contributing editor at NBC Select.

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The 10 Best Travel Pill Organizers in 2023 [Detailed Guide]

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Things To Consider in Travel Pill Organizers

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If you are planning a trip or vacation and need to bring any prescription pills along, there’s no better solution than a travel pill organizer. With a travel pill organizer, not only can you have a reminder to take your pills on time, but you can also conveniently carry them all in 1 small package.

It might seem like a straightforward thing, but travel pill organizers can sometimes get messy if you don’t pick the right one. To give you some perspective for finding a suitable organizer for your medicine, we’ll give you detailed instructions on what to look for and our top picks.

When choosing a travel pill organizer, you should focus on a few crucial features. Some organizers have separate compartments with labels to help you take your medicine at specific times or on specific days based on your prescription. Other pill organizers have larger compartments that can fit multiple pills or larger pills like vitamins and supplements.

It’s also crucial that you go for a pill organizer with a design that allows easy and swift opening while still preserving your medicine. Here are the main things you should look for before making a purchase:

Labeled Compartments

If you have weekly prescription pills, you could benefit from a pill organizer that comes with labeled compartments. These organizers usually include separate compartments for every day of the week to help you get organized a bit better and more efficiently.

Bottom Line: Some organizers will only have daily labels, while others have compartments with personalizable labels that you can mark with the medicine name or other prescription details.

Easy To Open

Travel pill organizers shouldn’t be too complicated — they just need to have an easy-to-open design . Some might even use buttons to pop the organizer open.

This feature is particularly helpful for the elderly, those with arthritis, or people with other mobility issues. The whole point of this type of design is to keep your pills in 1 place without having to bother too much just to reach into the compartments.

Compartment Size

Of course, you can find different sizes of travel pill organizers, but whether you go for a larger or smaller one could make a huge difference for you. For example, if you just need to store pills or pills that you’ll be taking over the course of a few days, you can go with compact options.

Still, there are also organizers with larger compartments that can fit fish oil capsules and vitamins as well as other larger pills. The compartment size should be based on your prescription pills, their size, and how often you take them .

Time Labels

Along with the compartment labels to designate the pill type and medicine name, you should also look for compartments with a time label. You can fill out this label with your pill schedule based on your prescription so that you never miss taking your medicine on time.

These markings can also be found on the small containment bags that some pill organizers have instead of compartments.

The 10 Best Travel Pill Organizers

Here are our top picks for the best travel pill organizers. We’ve considered some of the most important aspects to look for based on the recommendations above, as well as different organizer types and sizes to suit everyone’s needs.

Lewis N. Clark AM/PM Folding Pill Organizer

If you are looking for a foldable and compact option for a travel pill organizer, the Lewis N. Clark pouch makes a great pick. It’s designed for prescription pills with AM/PM designation, and it has labels for every small pill bag included and red and blue markings so you never miss taking your medicine.

With 16 small pouches in a set, you can easily fit and carry both smaller pills and larger vitamins and supplements. It’s also lightweight since it’s made of polyester, and it has a Velcro opening for swift access to your pills. The addition of a medical reference card makes it a perfect choice for people who take prescription medicine.

As we’ve already mentioned, this organizer will also save you some space as it’s compact enough to fit into any large-sized pocket, pouch, or travel bag .

What We Like

• Well-organized and can be easily labeled for prescription pills

What We Don’t Like

• Plastic medicine containment bags

Vera Bradley Travel Pill Organizer

As a recycled material travel pill organizer, the Vera Bradley pill case comes with a small box for every day of the week and an extra box that can be used for vitamins. It’s equally efficient for packing prescription pills and vitamins or supplements, and it’s made of 100% eco-friendly, recycled cotton and plastic .

This organizer’s lightweight and easily fits into a backpack or a travel bag without taking up much space. Another thing worth pointing out is that the individual pillboxes can be snapped shut to provide maximum security and prevent spillage.

The plastic box material is also odorless and provides a safe environment for storing pills and prescription drugs while traveling.

• Recycled materials
• Doesn’t have labeled pill compartments

7-Day Pretty Pillbox Wide Weekly Pill Organizer

Perhaps the best compact option for a pill organizer is a 7-day pretty pillbox with a drawer-style compartment. It’s wide enough to let you pull out the small pill drawer with its 7 compartments, 1 for every day of the week. It’s also sleek and small enough to fit into any backpack or travel bag, measuring at just 6.5 inches in length and 1.5 inches in width .

It’s also a fairly stylish option as it’s beautifully designed to be both pretty and useful. There’s a side button that you can slide to pull out the pill drawers, which locks in place, keeping the drawer closed while the organizer is in your travel backpack.

There’s even an extra storage unit at the end perfect for vitamins that you can access by pulling the drawer from the other end.

• Ultimate space-saving option
• Doesn’t have day or time labels

EZY DOSE Weekly AM/PM Pill Organizer Vitamine and Medicine Box

EZY DOSE has made one of the best pill organizers and containers for travelers with a double set of 7 containment compartments in a row. This way, you have 2 rows you can use, making it a perfect option for couples or if you have multiple pill prescriptions.

The boxes are labeled by the days of the week and are blue on 1 side and purple on the other to make it easier to differentiate between the 2. It’s also available in smaller or larger sizes, so you can pick the option that suits you the best based on your prescription.

Each box is able to hold up to 25 smaller pills or capsules like aspirin and up to 4 large fish oil-sized tablets . You can even remove boxes if you don’t need all of them at your disposal, and the snap closure locks the pills in place while you are traveling.

• Large capacity pillbox with removable compartments
• A large-size box might be a bit bulky

MEACOLIA Travel Pill Organizer Moisture Proof Pill Box

An extremely useful portable solution for a travel pill organizer is this travel pillbox. This organizer is made of eco-friendly material since it’s made of cereal fiber and food-grade plastic with a bit of a silicone blend. Due to the 4.3 x 3.5-inch size, it easily fits into the palm of your hand or your pocket.

This organizer has a triple layer of protection for your pills which also prevents them from getting all mixed up while in the box. There are 2 large compartments on 1 side and 6 smaller compartments on the other , along with blank paper labels you can personalize to fit your needs.

Each small box can fit at least a few pills, while the larger slots can fill larger capsules or tablets like fish oil pills.

• Portable and compact pillbox
• Smaller compartments can’t fit larger pills

Muchengbao Store 4 Pack Pill Case

This travel pill organizer set is designed to fit a whole family during vacations and short trips. It comes with 4 plastic boxes, each one able to fit both prescription pills and larger vitamins thanks to their 6 small compartments and 4 larger ones.

This organizer easily fits into your pocket and makes a perfect travel option due to its perfect space-consuming to usability ratio. Each box is just 3.8 x 2.5 inches, and every compartment can at least a few pills.

It’s made of a polypropylene and plastic blend and comes in a variety of colorful options , so it can help motivate your children to take their vitamins regularly while on the road.

• A single solution suitable to fit a whole family
• Not all compartments fit larger pills

FYY Daily Pill Organizer with 7 Compartments Portable Pill Case

While it might be a bit feminine in terms of design, this pillbox is still a perfect and universal option for storing pills while traveling. It comes with 7 different compartments, with each one able to fit a few pills, and it’s designed to perfectly fit into a purse, handbag, or a travel backpack.

This organizer has 1 large capacity unit for larger pills and 6 smaller compartments. Thanks to its folding design, it takes up very little space, and it’s quite easy to use and open up to access your pills. The snap and magnetic lock help you keep your pills safe and sound while traveling, as well as prevent mixing them up.

• Foldable magnetic snap pillbox
• Mostly designed to fit women’s purses and handbags

Travel Pill Container Box for Purse

With a design that resembles a small lunchbox, this pill containment pack will serve you well while on the road. It’s a plastic pill container with a double-lock on the lids that stay open as you unfold the pack to arrange or take your medication.

It comes with 3 large compartments and 4 smaller ones, and it has both a double lock and a waterproof design. As for its storage capacity, this pill organizer can hold up to 8 fish oil capsules and 14 smaller pills in each large compartment.

With its durable construction and customizable stickers that you can use to label your pills, this option is a perfect choice for travelers.

• Double-lock system for keeping pills safe
• No built-in AM/PM marks

AUVON Canvas Bag Weekly Pill Organizer

This canvas pill container has everything you need for a week-long journey if you have to take daily prescription medicine. It’s suitable for longer travels due to its large compartments for each day of the week, each one with markings and an individual snap opening.

Made of premium and durable canvas that should last for years to come, and with its double protection and camouflage design, this container is designed to withstand more than 9,000 uses and snaps, so it can be used as a long-term solution for pill storage.

With an internal waterproof cortex layer and grid bags that can hold a prescription list, it has everything you need in a complete travel set.

• Complete pill set with separate containers
• Specific washing instructions

PERFORMORE 2 Pack of Portable Weekly 7-Day Pill Organizers

If you’re looking for a daily pill container set, you won’t be able to pass up this portable medicine organizer. It comes in a pack of 2 weekly sets that can be customized and are already daily labeled. It also weighs in at just 3.2 ounces, so you can easily bring it along on any travel or road trip.

The simple design is complete with quick-release buttons that are easily triggered so you can quickly unlock each compartment, however, once you lock the quick-release button, it needs to be firmly pressed to release again, so you’re pills are nice and secure.

Every container has enough space to fit up to 12 standard pills or 8 large fish oil capsules, and there are 7 slots in each pack.

All of this makes it a perfect option for travel if you don’t want your pills to spill out all over your travel bag. The total of 14 compartments in 2 separate packs also makes it an outstanding family travel solution.

• Set of 2 packs with quick-release compartments
• Looks a bit basic

Ultimately, a good travel pill organizer can help you take your medication on time without missing a single pill. Most of the options listed here are large enough to fit multiple pills while also managing to be compact,  so they don’t take up much space in your travel bag or backpack.

We hope that our top picks can serve as a good starting place to help you find the best-suited organizer for you and your family during your travels.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do pillboxes work for travel.

Travel pill organizers can help you arrange your medication properly and serve as a reminder of when you need to take your pills. With a pillbox, you can organize your medicines easily without having to worry about them getting mixed up in your travel bag or missing a prescription.

Do pill organizers come with pill labels?

You can find travel pill organizers that come with blank pill labels included in the set or AM/PM marks and pre-labeled daily prescription organizer compartments.

How many pills can fit into a pill organizer?

You can usually fit a daily dose of prescription pills or at least a few larger vitamin pills and fish oil pills in a single pill organizer compartment.

Can you mix up pills in a travel organizer?

If you’re careful, you shouldn’t have to worry about mixing up your pills in a travel organizer. You can use the different compartments in a pillbox to prevent mixing up the medicine. It’s also usually safe to store different pills together as long as you label everything properly.

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About Amar Hussain

Amar is an avid traveler and tester of products. He has spent the last 13 years traveling all 7 continents and has put the products to the test on each of them. He has contributed to publications including Forbes, the Huffington Post, and more.

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This $6 Amazon Essential Keeps My Medications and Vitamins Organized When I Travel

By Meaghan Kenny

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The one essential I keep in my carry-on no matter where I'm headed or for how long: a travel pill case from Amazon. The best travel pill cases are compact, secure, and easy to open on the go, and mine checks all the boxes. 

I used to bring the entire bottle of my daily medication in my carry-on and put loose vitamins in a plastic seal top bag—needless to say, this wasn't the best use of space (or single-use plastic). A year ago, I purchased a $6 travel pill case to save some packing room , stay more organized, and have something I could reuse trip after trip . Since then, it's been a packing non-negotiable for me and has made taking my medications, vitamins, and supplements while I'm traveling easier than ever. 

It's nearly impossible to stick to your normal routine when traveling. While I don't mind missing a few workouts or healthy meals on the road, I do want to stay on top of taking my supplements and vitamins every day. This sleek, portable case has eight separate compartments that hold everything I need for a week's vacation in one place and make it easy to track what I'm taking. It features two separate sections: One side with six small chambers for storing daily pills and a second side with two larger chambers that holds capsules and vitamins. Having a pill case with compartments of varied size makes it easy to pack as many pills as you need and organize them however you'd like. I use the smaller chambers for my daily allergy pills and the larger chambers to store emergency essentials that I like to have on hand, like Advil ,   Benadryl , and Tums . 

The size of this travel pill organizer is perfect for most trips I take. The compartments are spacious enough to hold at least a week's worth of pills, but the case is still compact enough to fit in my Dopp kit (for reference, it's smaller than an iPhone). I've packed this pill organizer on numerous trips and it's never opened while in transit or spilled any of my items. To secure each chamber, simply snap the plastic top down. After filling the compartments with your medication, snap the two sides of the case together and toss it in your carry-on . 

Something I love about this travel pill case compared to others on the market is its sleek design. When it's closed, no one would ever know you have a week's worth of supplements on hand. And of course, the price is right. This $6 travel essential from Amazon has accompanied me on short weekend getaways to the Catskills , a 10-day European cruise , and countless business trips —and I plan to bring it with me wherever I'm headed next.

If you're worried about carrying a pill case through airport security, rest assured that travelers are allowed to bring their prescription medications and over-the-counter supplements with them. TSA allows travelers to bring medication in pill or solid form in carry-ons and checked baggage—so you can bring your pill case no matter what bag you're packing. 

While I love traveling with this case, there are plenty of great options on the market with high ratings and glowing reviews. Below, a few more of the best travel pill cases that we recommend bringing on your next getaway.

More travel pill cases we recommend: 

Best day-by-day organizer

This best-selling pill organizer has over 57,000 five-star ratings on Amazon. It has two separate compartments for each day of the week with clear AM and PM labels, so you'll always remember if you took your medication or not. While it's designed for everyday use, it also doubles as a travel organizer for longer trips. If you're looking for an everyday pill box that will keep you on track or are headed on a two-week vacation, this one's for you.

Best for organizing by AM/PM

Another Amazon bestseller is this weekly pill case with AM and PM labels. Each day of the week has its own portable, pocket-size case that can be removed from the box and carried on its own for day trips or hikes . 

Most compact organizer

If you prefer something a little more discreet, this daily pill box has a simple yet polished design. The slim, lightweight organizer slides open and locks into place when you close it, so there's no need to worry about any of your pills falling out. Inside, there's a separate compartment labeled for each day of the week. 

Another very compact option

This small pill box fits in just about any purse or fanny pack you're bringing on your next adventure. It features four separate compartments that each fit several capsules or vitamins, making it an ideal choice for weekend trips when you need two to four days' worth of medications. 

Best multipurpose organizer

Cadence capsules are one of our editors' favorite reusable toiletry bottles , but they're versatile enough to neatly store pills, too. I keep a few emergency Tums stacked in one of these airtight, leakproof capsules in my tote bag at all times. 

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The Best Pill Boxes

By Adrienne Day

Pill boxes are the unsung heroes of medical care. Whereas for some people they function as time-savers or take-your-pill reminders, for others they are an essential part of a health-care routine.

After evaluating 14 pill boxes, interviewing experts, and testing boxes with a variety of people, we don’t think one pill box is right for everyone. But we can recommend a few that will fit most people’s needs.

Everything we recommend

Auvon iMedassist Moisture-Proof Weekly Pill Organizer

The most versatile pill box.

Good for both weekly and daily pill organization, this case is more durable and closes more securely than most organizers we tried. It’s huge, though—there’s no hiding this pill box.

Buying Options

Auvon Weekly Pill Organizer with Spring Open Design

A pill box designed for arthritic hands and fingers.

Larger compartments and a push-button design make this pill box easier to open and close than other models. But it has only one compartment per day, and it feels a bit lightweight and flimsy.

Mimi Medcessories Pretty Pillbox

A sleeker pill box.

Attractive and shiny, this model is the only pill organizer we like that doesn’t scream “I’m a pill box!” But we found it easier to accidentally spill pills with this case.

How we picked and tested

We looked for pill boxes that work for home use and for travel.

We preferred durability, ease of opening, and compartments that fit lots of pills.

We tested the pill boxes with five people who regularly take pills, and we got feedback from people at a senior center.

We sought a good-looking, well-organized pill box, as it can make the daily process of taking pills less onerous.

The most customizable option we tested, the Auvon iMedassist Moisture-Proof Weekly Pill Organizer comes with a case that holds seven smaller, color-coded containers for every day of the week, each with four pill compartments. The daily containers pop out, so you can bring just one day’s supply with you, no need to cart the whole thing around.

In contrast to some models we tested, this case has a latch that snaps shut, making accidental spills unlikely, even if you drop it. The Auvon iMedassist organizer was also one of the better-quality cases we tried, with a moisture-resistant gasket that makes a tight seal around the exterior of the box and better rub-resistant markings than we’ve seen on other models.

Other manufacturers make similar pill organizers, but the Auvon iMedassist had higher buyer ratings and the most reviews on Amazon at the time of our testing.

The Auvon Weekly Pill Organizer with Spring Open Design is a good choice for people who want a pill box that opens with the push of a button as opposed to their needing to pry open a latch.

This brightly colored model has roomy slots for every day of the week, and the marks on each compartment are rub resistant.

It has just one (fairly large) compartment per day, however, so it might not work for someone on a complicated pill-taking schedule. And we found its build quality to be a little flimsy.

The Mimi Medcessories Pretty Pillbox is definitely the sexiest pill box we tested (if a pill box can be considered sexy). Whereas most pill boxes look like they belong in a hospital, the Pretty Pillbox, with its sleek and compact silhouette, looks a bit like an oversized tube of lipstick. As a result, it’s not only discreet but also a great on-the-go option.

Unlike other cases, the Pretty Pillbox has an additional compartment for pills taken on an as-needed basis.

Some testers found the sliding mechanism a little finicky to use, however, and it’s easier to accidentally spill pills out of this case than with our other picks.

The research

Why you should trust us, who this is for, the most versatile pill box: auvon imedassist moisture-proof weekly pill organizer, the best pill box for arthritic fingers: auvon weekly pill organizer with spring open design, the most attractive and discreet pill box: mimi medcessories pretty pillbox, other good pill boxes, the competition.

As an occasional caregiver for family members, I’ve doled out plenty of medications and relied on pill boxes to track what I’m doing. For this guide, I spoke with experts on caregiving, consulted with community centers for older adults, and pored over hundreds of online pill box reviews, as well as academic research on pill boxes and medication management.

Beyond offering convenience and keeping pills organized, a pill box can help anyone who takes medications, in a few crucial ways:

• Remembering medication: A good pill box can literally be life-saving. Not taking medications as they’re prescribed causes around 125,000 deaths a year in the US alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Staying independent for longer: Pill boxes can forestall the need for more intensive care such as an adult-care facility, said Amy Goyer, AARP’s family and caregiving expert. “A pill box can be really key in helping someone be independent for as long as possible,” she said.

When you’re choosing a pill box for yourself or a loved one, think through the following questions to help you select the right model:

Do you need flexibility?

Your needs will most likely change over time, so if you want to purchase only one pill box, it may be prudent to buy a model that’s larger than you think you need.

Who will use the organizer?

If someone doles out your medication, it might be a good idea to involve them in the decision of which pill box to get.

Do kids live in the home?

Although most pharmacy pill bottles are child resistant, most pill boxes aren’t. If you are concerned about kids or anyone else getting into a pill box, invest in a model that either locks or allows you to monitor its contents (the only monitoring model we tried was the Med-E-Lert , which, unfortunately, we didn’t like).

Do you need automated reminders?

In theory, a smart pill dispenser connected to your phone via an app can remind you or a loved one to take medication on schedule and monitor adherence. Unfortunately, the smart models we tried don’t live up to the hype . If you need a reminder to take pills, we suggest setting up a scheduled reminder on a phone or a smart speaker for use in combination with a regular pill box.

You can find hundreds of pill boxes out there, and new ones are surfacing all the time. To narrow the field, we started with advice from AARP’s Amy Goyer: “Can you get it open easily? Will it stay shut? Are you gonna spill your pills when you pick it up? These may seem like little things, but in the middle of a caregiving day, it can really throw things off.”

In looking for pill boxes to test, we wanted to find models that met the following criteria:

• Big enough for lots of pills: We looked for boxes that had compartments roomy enough to hold large pills—or a good quantity of medication and vitamins—and would be appropriate to set on a counter.
• Good for travel: We also considered smaller cases suitable for fitting inside a bag.
• Priced right: A good pill box shouldn’t cost more than $25, and many decent ones are less than $10.
• Easy to open: A pill box is helpful only if the person can open it. For anyone who has limited wrist or finger strength, a model with spring-open compartments is a better choice. But even models without springs should open relatively easily.
• Well made: The hinges shouldn’t break, the markings shouldn’t rub or wash off, and the day-of-the-week labels should be clear.
• Stays closed during transit: Digging around a bag for spilled pills is no one’s idea of fun, so we looked for pill boxes that stayed shut even when jostled around.
• Made with removable compartments: Although removable compartments are not essential for a box you’ll use mostly at home, if you travel a lot or need to access your pills during the day, the option to carry a smaller container can be key.
• Designed attractively: A good-looking and well-organized pill box can do a lot to make the daily process of taking pills less onerous.

Though pill box choice is highly subjective, when we were deciding on which models to test, we noticed that a few elicited rave reviews on Amazon, Facebook groups, and Reddit.

We tested 14 pill boxes, including two smart pill dispensers and an automatic model. I put most of them through an array of stress tests, bending back the hinges to see if they flexed without snapping and dropping them from counter height to see if they would break or pop open.

I also noted how easy each box was to open, taking into consideration the needs of folks who may have limited strength or dexterity in their hands. I scraped the markings on each box to see if they would come off. I tested whether each box was readily portable and if it accidentally opened while in transit. And I used the top four contenders for a week each during my own pill routine.

I tested pill boxes with members of the Park Slope Center for Successful Aging in Brooklyn, New York. I also asked my mom’s caregiver and my dad to test some of the pill boxes.

Finally, three Wirecutter staffers who take daily pills and have a diversity of pill box needs—including taking a lot of pills, taking pills at specific times throughout the day, needing something portable, and needing to be reminded to take pills—tested our top picks.

Wirecutter’s smart-home expert, senior staff writer Rachel Cericola, tested the smart and automatic pill dispensers. She evaluated the setup process, gauged the quality of the accompanying apps, and used each dispenser during her own routine.

Who it’s for: People who want a pill box that can hold a week’s worth of pills yet is flexible enough for daily transport.

Why it’s great

It’s large enough to fit all your pills for the week. The Auvon iMedassist Moisture-Proof Weekly Pill Organizer consists of a section for each day of the week that can hold four daily doses. Some people we spoke with liked this design because they could use it for two weeks (by using half the compartments) or even a month (by using only one compartment per day). Other organizers we tried that had fewer daily compartments were too small to hold a week’s worth of pills, especially for people who take a lot of medications. The individual compartments in the Auvon iMedassist model are also big enough to hold larger pills and supplements.

It’s easy to travel with. The smaller daily cases are removable, so if you’re going somewhere for a day, you can just take that day’s pills rather than taking the whole case. And if you’re traveling with the larger case, its sturdy latch makes spills unlikely. Most of the other organizers we tried aren’t quite as flexible. One of our panelists said, “I balked at how unwieldy the Auvon seemed at first since the full case is enormous, but removing an individual day each morning makes it much less obtrusive.”

It’s well made. Some pill boxes we tested had markings that rubbed off right away, but the Auvon iMedassist organizer’s markings are embedded in the plastic and withstood our efforts to scratch or remove them. Five separate hinges hold together the case, which seems designed to withstand many hours of opening and closing.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• You won’t fool anyone into thinking this is anything but a pill box. It may be “too much” pill box for some people. This was pretty much the only thing our testers took issue with.
• One tester thought the markings were confusing, as this organizer indicates the time of day with a rising sun, a full sun, a moon, and a star. If you prefer word labels, you might consider the Sukuos Weekly Pill Organizer 7 Day (4 Times a Day) Case , an extremely similar model that simply states “Morn,” “Noon,” “Eve,” and “Bed” on its compartments.

Who it’s for: People with limited hand dexterity or strength who might have a hard time with a traditional pill box latch.

It’s easy to open. If dealing with a traditional clasp is an issue for you, the Auvon Weekly Pill Organizer with Spring Open Design might be the right choice. It’s designed to pop open when you push down on a lever. (We were even able to open the compartments using only our elbows.) One tester said the spring-open design made this box “a pleasure” to use.

It has spacious compartments. Its individual compartments were among the biggest in our tests and are roomy enough for large pills and supplements.

It has clear labels. The letters denoting the day of the week are large and did not rub off when we scraped them.

• This Auvon organizer has only one compartment per day, so if you need to take pills more than once a day, at a specific time, this model might not be for you. If you want a similar design with two compartments, we recommend the Ezy Dose AM/PM Weekly Pill Organizer , though the markings on that model started coming off within a day of use in our tests.
• It’s quite lightweight, and it had a tendency to slide along the counter when we tried to open it with one hand, so you may have to hold it down with one hand while depressing the lever with the other.
• Some testers noted that the hinges felt flimsier than those on our other picks.

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants a nicer-looking (and still functional) pill box and doesn’t mind paying a little more for it.

It’s good-looking, and it comes in multiple colors. Most pill organizers look like they belong in a hospital—and with them, there’s no hiding the fact that you’re using a pill box. In contrast, the Mimi Medcessories Pretty Pillbox could pass as a cosmetic case. The plastic body is coated with a soft metallic material that gives it an elegant glow. It comes in three colors: rose, champagne, and “steele.”

It has daily compartments, plus an extra. In addition to the usual one compartment per day, this model includes a small compartment for pills taken on an as-needed basis, unlike our other picks. It also slides open easily in either direction, revealing compartments for Saturday and Sunday on one side and Monday through Friday on the other.

It’s portable. Though this pill box is large enough to hold a week’s worth of pills, it’s still small enough to slide into a bag or purse.

• Although everyone who saw this pill box loved the idea, some testers were put off by its plastic sliding mechanism, which felt like it could easily break. Another tester found the mechanism to be sticky in the beginning, though its movement became smoother after a few uses.
• It’s far too easy to open this box upside down and accidentally dump all your pills out on the floor (confirmed one late night by yours truly), as the top side looks identical to the bottom, save a small logo.
• The compartments are narrower than those of our other picks, so if you have thicker fingers, plucking the pills out may be more difficult. This pill box also may not work for someone who has to take more than a few pills a day.
• Some online reviewers don’t like that the Saturday and Sunday compartment labels are switched (an intentional design choice so that they appear in the correct order if you slide open the pill box to the right), but this didn’t bother us.

If you’re looking for an easy-to-open pill box with two compartments per day: We really liked how simple the Ezy Dose AM/PM Weekly Pill Organizer was to open. It has two compartments per day that spring open in a similar fashion to those of the Auvon Weekly Pill Organizer with Spring Open Design , and it also has little grippy feet that prevent it from sliding along the counter as you put pressure on the latch—a downside of the Auvon version. But its day-of-the-week markings started to rub off almost immediately in our tests.

If you want a prettier pill box: With more than 10,500 followers on Instagram and raves on Reddit, Port and Polish definitely has a fanbase. The pill box is cute and discreet and comes in an array of colors. But we thought the day-of-the-week tabs were a bit flimsy, and we didn’t understand why a pill box needed a mirror.

If you need a pill box with Braille labels: Curiously, the only pill box we encountered with Braille was this Ezy Dose Weekly Pill Organizer —and with a price around $4.50, it was one of the cheapest models we saw at the time of our research. It comes in a variety of colors, and it seems fine as a basic option with only one compartment per day.

If you want a pill box with four compartments per day but find the labels on our top pick somewhat cryptic: The Sukuos Weekly Pill Organizer 7 Day (4 Times a Day) Case is similar to the Auvon iMedassist Moisture-Proof Weekly Pill Organizer in every way but uses “Morn,” “Noon,” “Eve,” and “Bed” for the time of day as opposed to symbols.

Classic pill boxes

Although the Holii Daily Pill Organizer and the Kemaier Daily Pill Organizer are good-looking, neither is organized by the day of the week or labeled on its compartments, and the Kemaier box is often out of stock.

The Se7en-Day Weekly Pill Organizer is much like our top pick, the Auvon iMedassist organizer, but the case is a bit flimsier, and it has only three compartments per day (which could be a selling point for some people).

The Sukuos Weekly Pill Organizer 7 Day (2 Times a Day) has round containers that hold the morning and evening pills for each day, and we like that those containers are removable. But we found the cartridge shape bulky and the latch for the case quite flimsy.

Smart and automatic pill dispensers

The Ellie Smart Pill Box was the best smart pill dispenser we tested, and it has the potential to be a time-saver for people with complex pill-taking regimens. However, for most people, we don’t think this model is helpful enough to warrant its high price. The box doesn’t track how many pills you take from the pill reservoir, or even if you’ve removed a pill at all—only that you’ve opened the box. On top of that, in our tests the spring-loaded latch had a tendency to pop open a bit too abruptly and eject all of its contents. We also had a difficult time connecting a smartphone to the device, though customer service was quick to help us. Some useful-sounding features, such as the box’s ability to notify a caregiver that you’ve taken your pills, are available only for an additional weekly fee.

The battery-operated Med-E-Lert Automatic Pill Dispenser is quite large, and in our tests it was confusing to set up. The individual compartments are too small to fit larger vitamins or supplements, and it doesn’t offer a remote way of shutting it off, so if you are out of the house, the alarm will sound until you attend to it (though you can program it to flash a light instead of making a sound). That said, one caregiver we spoke with noted that this model was great for her particular situation, and some online reviews say that it works well for people living with dementia. It’s the only dispenser we tested that has a lock and key, which you must use to fully open it.

The Loba Smart Supplement Organizer is a smart pill dispenser that’s geared toward the “wellness market” rather than older adults or others who take medications, and it lacks certain features that are crucial for many people, such as an audible alarm and customization of the schedule for different days of the week. It does have small removable compartments, though, as well as customizable LED colors that make the box glow in any hue you choose.

The Hero is a subscription-based smart pill dispenser that has some rave reviews online for its ability to integrate remote care into the pill-dispensing process, but we decided against testing it because of its very high price tag, which includes a one-time initiation fee of about $100, a monthly fee ranging from $30 to $45 depending on the plan you choose, and a one-year minimum commitment.

This article was edited by Claire Perlman and Christine Cyr Clisset.

Amy Goyer, national family and caregiving expert, AARP , phone interview , April 27, 2023

Laura Thielen, data manager, Park Slope Center for Successful Aging, Brooklyn, New York , in-person interview , February 23, 2023

Aisha Biggs, caregiver , in-person interview, January 2023

Meet your guide

Adrienne Day

Further reading

The Best Smart Home Devices to Help Aging in Place

by Rachel Cericola

Smart-home devices can make it easier for you to help an older loved one age safely and securely in their own home.

What’s the Best Simple Cell Phone for Seniors?

by Courtney Schley

A basic cell phone like the Jitterbug Flip trades a touchscreen and apps for large on-screen text and simple, easy-to-press buttons.

Ask Wirecutter: Can You Help My Elderly Dad Thwart Package Thieves?

by Annemarie Conte

Smart-home tech can help seniors age in place with the added benefit of foiling package poachers.

Great Gifts for Kids (And What Makes Them Great)

by Tim Heffernan

Here are Wirecutter’s kid-tested, parent-and-teacher-approved gift ideas for toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary-school students.

The 8 Best Pill Organizers of 2024, According to Doctors

Around half of all people in the United States use at least one prescription medicine every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Older adults (over age 65) tend to take the most medicine, while younger children take the least, says Laura Purdy, MD, MBA , a board-certified family medicine physician.

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Whether you take vitamins or supplements routinely, or are prescribed medications, having bottles strewn around your home, from vitamins in the refrigerator to prescriptions in the bathroom cabinet, can lead to chaos and make it difficult to remember if you've taken the pills you need.

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To the rescue? Pill organizers, which help simplify this daily ritual.

"A pill organizer is a highly effective way to ensure vitamin and or supplement compliance," says Kien Vuu, MD . "I find them highly time-saving when I have my supplements organized and I don't expend additional time or brain power each time I need to take a vitamin or supplement."

And of course, pill organizers are also helpful if you have a short- or long-term prescription for a medication that you need to take each day. Here, a look at the best options.

The Best Pill Organizers

• ‌ Best Weekly Pill Organizer ‌: ​​ SE7EN-DAY Weekly Pill Organizer ($6.99, Amazon)
• ‌ Best Pill Organizer for Work ‌: AIXPI Dose Weekly (7-Day) Pill Organizer, Vitamin and Medicine Box ($9.90, Walmart)
• ‌ Best Travel Pill Organizer ‌: MEACOLIA Travel Pill Organizer ($8.97, Amazon)
• ‌ Best Smart Pill Organizer ‌: Hero Health Smart Pill Dispenser (Starting at $29.99/month, HeroHealth.com)
• ‌ Best Oversized Pill Organizer ‌: Cadence Capsules A Capsule A Day ($98, KeepYourCadence.com)
• ‌ Best Pill Organizer for Limited Dexterity ‌: 7-Day Pill Reminder with Push Button ($4.99, Walgreens)
• ‌ Best Pill Organizer With Lock ‌: 7-Day Pill Reminder with Lock ($4.99, Walgreens)

How We Chose

We spoke with doctors and other experts to understand what to look for in a pill organizer, and organized our picks around the following factors:

For more information on how we choose and cover products, click here .

1. Best Weekly Pill Organizer: ​​SE7EN-DAY Weekly Pill Organizer

• Easy to use
• Budget-friendly

Many daily medications are taken multiple times a day. Or, you might take one supplement to help you wake up and focus on work and another to improve your rest at night. Our top pick has three compartments for each day, which makes it easy to stay organized.

Plus, it has more than 26K positive reviews on Amazon — it's inexpensive, along with being easy to clean, store and use.

‌ Buy it ‌: Amazon ; ‌ Price: ‌$6.99

2. Best Pill Organizer for Work: AIXPI Dose Weekly (7-Day) Pill Organizer, Vitamin and Medicine Box

• Ideal for travel
• Individual pill sections could get lost

Many doctors recommend taking prescription pills and supplements with meals because they can make some people feel nauseous or dizzy. If you don't chow down until you get into the office or pick up a bagel on your commute, you need a pill organizer that can go with you. This brand allows the various sections to pop out and store in your purse or bag.

It's also simple to use and isn't expensive.

‌ Buy it ‌: Walmart ; ‌ Price: ‌ $9.90

3. Best Travel Pill Organizer: MEACOLIA Travel Pill Organizer

• Great for travel
• Small compartments for pills

While your out-of-office might be up during your trip, your health needs never take a vacation. Remembering to swallow meds can be tough for those who take a daily prescription. And, if you're taking them to the beach or into a city center, you may worry they will spill in your bag. Cut out the stress with this zippered case that features an interior pill separator. It's small, compact, and easy to throw in a purse, beach bag or backpack.

‌ Buy it ‌: Amazon ; ‌ Price: ‌$8.97

4. Best Smart Pill Organizer: Hero Health Smart Pill Dispenser

• Great for caregivers or anyone taking many medications

If you take several medications, it can be tricky to keep up with how many pills you need to take, and when. Or, it can be stressful if you have loved ones who struggle to take their medicine consistently — particularly if they do not live nearby.

This smart pill dispenser removes the guesswork out of daily medicine management, Dr. Purdy says. "This is fully automatic, holds 90 days of medications at a time and is controlled by an app," she says. "This is great for someone who wants to automate as much of the process as possible and loves integrating technology into their daily routines."

Here's how it works: You talk to your physician or pharmacist about using the product (Hero Health says most insurance companies will work with them and it's covered by Medicare). Then, you load prescriptions into the app, including usage, time of day and so on. Next, you pour in your medication (up to a 90-day supply). When it's time to refill, you are mailed your next 90-days of medication.

There are settings so you can control the medication from afar as a caregiver, too.

‌ Buy i ‌t: HeroHealth.com ; ‌ Price: ‌ Starting at $29.99/month

5. Best Oversized Pill Organizer: Cadence Capsules A Capsule A Day

• Oversized compartments
• Travel friendly
• More expensive

Some folks take one vitamin and call it a day. Or have their birth control — and that's it. Others, especially those with chronic illness, take mouthfuls of tablets once or twice a day. Many pill organizers can fit a few pills, but this one can be optimized for your specific needs. This type of organizer allows you the room you need to maintain your health.

‌ Buy It ‌: KeepYourCadence.com ; $98

7. Best Pill Organizers for People With Limited Dexterity: 7-Day Pill Reminder With Push Button

• Easy to open tabs
• Larger compartments
• Not as aesthetically pleasing

If you have limited dexterity in your hands, you'll benefit from a pill organizer that has easier to open tabs, says Danielle Hambrick, PharmD, the manager of Diagnostic Testing at Walgreens. This one has bigger compartments with a button, so shaking or lack of strength doesn't prevent someone from taking their medicine.

‌ Buy it ‌: Walgreens : Price: $4.99

8. Best Pill Organizer With Lock: 7-Day Pill Reminder with Lock Large

• Child-proof
• Easy to store

If you have small children in the home — or maybe grandchildren who visit frequently — Hambrick says it's vital to have a child-proof pill organizer. Ideally, one with a lock, like this top pick. "Always keep all pills on a high shelf away from children... locking the medication can help serve as an extra layer of protection from children gaining access to the medication," Hambrick adds.

‌ Buy it ‌: Walgreens ; ‌ Price: ‌$4.99

What to Look for in a Pill Organizer

1. ease of use.

The goal of a pill organizer is to make it easier to swallow your daily pills. That's why anything you choose should be straightforward and guess-free.

"If someone only takes a couple of medications per day that are not time specific, a very simple pill organizer may be the best choice," Dr. Purdy says. "There are some more complex options that have several doses per day, and even a couple of weeks at a time, which can be used for more involved medication regimens."

2. Medications vs. Vitamins

Skipping a day or two of vitamins won't significantly impact your health in most cases. However, forgetting a prescribed medication can have ramifications. That's why it's important to keep your specific protocol in mind when buying a pill organizer.

Those who need to follow a strict regimen or are caring for someone who is on one, you may want to invest in a smart dispenser. If you're taking vitamin C or a probiotic because you want to — but it's not essential — you may be just fine with a standard pill organizer.

3. Your Needs and Lifestyle

Make sure to opt for a pill organizer that suits your needs. That may mean selecting one with easy-to-open buttons or a large font (so you can easily see the day of the week). Other features, like the ability to lock the pill organizer, may or may not be important.

If you take medications twice a day, look for an organizer that has a.m. and p.m. compartments, suggests Jamie McManus, MD, chair of medical affairs, Shaklee Corporation. "If you want to take your meds when you are out and about, look for an organizer that has pull-out compartments that you can take in your purse or backpack," she says.

Is this an emergency? If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, please see the National Library of Medicine’s list of signs you need emergency medical attention or call 911.

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Floral Pill Case Box, 14 Day Pill Holder Pill Container & Medication Organizer, Travel Case - 4 Marked Compartments for Each Day of The Week - Morn, Noon, Eve, Bed

Purchase options and add-ons, about this item.

• MARKED COMPARTMENTS: Each compartment is marked for each day of the week; Morn Noon Eve Bed
• PERFECT FOR TRAVELLING: The set sports a snap enclosure which makes sure your case is closed and there are no spills
• PREMIUM QUALITY FAUX LEATHER AND PLASTIC: This set is bound to last you a really long time, you wont need to think of buying a replacement for s to come

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Product Description

This 14-day pill Organizer, with its attractive yet discreet book-like cover, separates daily pills into 4 snap-shut sections for secure convenience. Each side of booklet holds 1 week worth of pills features 14 separate removable daily pill holders: each daily pill holder has 4 snap-shut sections divide pills into morning, noon, evening & bedtime. WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including DIETHYLHEXYLPHTHALATE, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer. For more information please visit the official PROP65 website.

Product details

• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12 x 2 x 9 inches; 8 ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ GM8272-1
• Date First Available ‏ : ‎ April 19, 2016
• Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Smart Essentials
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01EIGWXJW
• #410 in Personal Pill Organizers

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Showcasing Floral 14-Day Pill Box Case Organizer

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Customer Review: Perfect. Nice tapestry material

Customer Review: I am disabled and needed this to help me not get confused when taking my meds

Sharon Douglas

Love this pill case

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Important information

Ingredients.

Pill Organizer case

Legal Disclaimer

Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.

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Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers like the size, appearance and portability of the personal pill dispenser. For example, they mention it takes up less space, looks good and is extremely well designed. That said some complain about the closure. Opinions are mixed on sturdiness, and compartment size.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers like the quality of the personal pill dispenser. They say it's functional, practical, and works perfect for two weeks of medication. Some say the case is good and the compartments inside are tough to open. Overall, most are happy with the value of the product.

"...It is surprisingly well constructed for the price ! The binding is actually stitched on, doesn't feel finally even empty!..." Read more

"...Compact and easy to read. It has helped to separate those pills that I take more than 2 times a day...." Read more

"...For example: small screws, nuts and things. Also great for small craft items ! Not so great for daily use of med taking!" Read more

"This is my second time buying these. The lettering rubbed off eventually on the first one. I really like that. You can do two weeks at a time...." Read more

Customers like the appearance of the personal pill dispenser. They say the case is pretty and feminine, with a beautiful pattern. They also appreciate the sturdy, durable construction and the nice twill fabric.

"...shut; small, lightweight and dark - pills hate the light; nice looking to keep out on a table - no one will know what it is and the lights from the..." Read more

"...The fact that it has a nice twill or whatever type of fabric it is, on the outside makes it not look so obvious of a gigantic pill container...." Read more

"Love the quality of the case itself. Sturdy, durable and beautiful pattern . Containers are well made and maybe a bit too “child proof”...." Read more

" Nice case but the pill boxes are very flimsy and the tops were breaking off." Read more

Customers find the personal pill dispenser easy to use and store. They say it's a compact and good traveling case and organizer. They also appreciate that the daily container is removable and easy to pack. Overall, customers are happy with the portability of the product.

"...; compartments snap shut; small, lightweight and dark - pills hate the light; nice looking to keep out on a table -..." Read more

"Although the case is not the easiest to fill it is ideal for travelers . Compact and easy to read...." Read more

"...The boxes themselves are quite lightweight and somewhat small compared to others that I have seen on the market...." Read more

"My husband have the single version prior. I wore out but so easy to carry and fill !..." Read more

Customers like the size of the personal pill dispenser. They mention that it takes up less space than their old 31 day container, is lightweight, and is the perfect size for traveling or mainly just for small spaces. The containers are larger than one they previously bought, and each compartment is small but manages to fit their entire dose.

"...; compartments snap shut; small , lightweight and dark - pills hate the light; nice looking to keep out on..." Read more

"... Compact and easy to read. It has helped to separate those pills that I take more than 2 times a day...." Read more

"...The plus is that it takes up a lot less space than my old 31 day container did." Read more

Customers like the organization of the personal pill dispenser. They say it's nice, helpful for organizing two weeks of pills, and easy to organize. They also mention that it holds two-weeks of daily meds, and has individual compartments.

"I is a nice carrier , well put together...." Read more

"This pill organizer is nice ...." Read more

"This makes traveling with medications so much easier. No need to carry lots of pill bottles . Very discreet and functional" Read more

"...the supplements that need to be in "dark containers" can be stored with less concerns than when I just used an over-sized clear case...." Read more

Customers are mixed about the sturdiness of the personal pill dispenser. Some mention it's very sturdy and well made, while others say the inside is really thin and flimsy. The compartments are tough to open and seem to break very easy. The snap is not reinforced and is susceptible to rapid deterioration.

"...I wanted all my pills in one place. The plastic hinges are a little delicate . I broke one." Read more

"...She likes the tapestry on hers. Seems to be well made ." Read more

" Very cheaply made , cannot keep plastic compartments closed and some broke immediately...." Read more

"...Nice not to have to fill up on 1x weekly. However, wish compartments were a little more sturdy , specifically the lids...." Read more

Customers are mixed about the compartment size of the personal pill dispenser. Some mention it holds 4 weeks of pills, while others say the compartments are smaller than some. The actual pill holders for each day are small and flimsy, and the product takes up lots of precious room.

"...on putting it in your carry on, beware that it will take up lots of precious room ...." Read more

"...an issue I can get creative but again bfd... The boxes hold my menagerie of pills well enough and I do have 3 horse pills in one of my boxes and..." Read more

"...It only fits 10 instead of the 14 but that is OK since it will at least fit them. I saved the original ones for other uses...." Read more

"...Thought I could put 2 days worth in each day's box. Since they are too small , I can only put my a.m. pills in two spots and my p.m. pills in the..." Read more

Customers are dissatisfied with the closure of the personal pill dispenser. They mention that the snap lids keep popping open, the compartments are loose, and the cases are flimsy. Some customers also report that the pill holders are not snapped or held in by anything except floppy plastic.

"...The biggest cons I can come up with is that the plastic boxes are difficult to open and there's nothing to hold them in when you close the book......" Read more

"Very cheaply made, cannot keep plastic compartments closed and some broke immediately...." Read more

"...Ugh!The case has a snap , that if you don't hold the fabric down while pulling on the snap, it pulls the fabric and I have a feeling, given..." Read more

"Good idea, but after just 2 weeks of use one of the snaps has broken . I’ve taped it with Scotch tape and it’s holding fine, but am disappointed." Read more

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Disclaimer : While we work to ensure that product information is correct, on occasion manufacturers may alter their ingredient lists. Actual product packaging and materials may contain more and/or different information than that shown on our Web site. We recommend that you do not solely rely on the information presented and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before using or consuming a product. For additional information about a product, please contact the manufacturer. Content on this site is for reference purposes and is not intended to substitute for advice given by a physician, pharmacist, or other licensed health-care professional. You should not use this information as self-diagnosis or for treating a health problem or disease. Contact your health-care provider immediately if you suspect that you have a medical problem. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition. Amazon.com assumes no liability for inaccuracies or misstatements about products.

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2018 Primetime Emmy & James Beard Award Winner

In Transit: Notes from the Underground

Jun 06 2018.

Spend some time in one of Moscow’s finest museums.

Subterranean commuting might not be anyone’s idea of a good time, but even in a city packing the war-games treasures and priceless bejeweled eggs of the Kremlin Armoury and the colossal Soviet pavilions of the VDNKh , the Metro holds up as one of Moscow’s finest museums. Just avoid rush hour.

The Metro is stunning and provides an unrivaled insight into the city’s psyche, past and present, but it also happens to be the best way to get around. Moscow has Uber, and the Russian version called Yandex Taxi , but also some nasty traffic. Metro trains come around every 90 seconds or so, at a more than 99 percent on-time rate. It’s also reasonably priced, with a single ride at 55 cents (and cheaper in bulk). From history to tickets to rules — official and not — here’s what you need to know to get started.

A Brief Introduction Buying Tickets Know Before You Go (Down) Rules An Easy Tour

A Brief Introduction

Moscow’s Metro was a long time coming. Plans for rapid transit to relieve the city’s beleaguered tram system date back to the Imperial era, but a couple of wars and a revolution held up its development. Stalin revived it as part of his grand plan to modernize the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 30s. The first lines and tunnels were constructed with help from engineers from the London Underground, although Stalin’s secret police decided that they had learned too much about Moscow’s layout and had them arrested on espionage charges and deported.

The beauty of its stations (if not its trains) is well-documented, and certainly no accident. In its illustrious first phases and particularly after the Second World War, the greatest architects of Soviet era were recruited to create gleaming temples celebrating the Revolution, the USSR, and the war triumph. No two stations are exactly alike, and each of the classic showpieces has a theme. There are world-famous shrines to Futurist architecture, a celebration of electricity, tributes to individuals and regions of the former Soviet Union. Each marble slab, mosaic tile, or light fixture was placed with intent, all in service to a station’s aesthetic; each element, f rom the smallest brass ear of corn to a large blood-spattered sword on a World War II mural, is an essential part of the whole.

The Metro is a monument to the Soviet propaganda project it was intended to be when it opened in 1935 with the slogan “Building a Palace for the People”. It brought the grand interiors of Imperial Russia to ordinary Muscovites, celebrated the Soviet Union’s past achievements while promising its citizens a bright Soviet future, and of course, it was a show-piece for the world to witness the might and sophistication of life in the Soviet Union.

It may be a museum, but it’s no relic. U p to nine million people use it daily, more than the London Underground and New York Subway combined. (Along with, at one time, about 20 stray dogs that learned to commute on the Metro.)

In its 80+ year history, the Metro has expanded in phases and fits and starts, in step with the fortunes of Moscow and Russia. Now, partly in preparation for the World Cup 2018, it’s also modernizing. New trains allow passengers to walk the entire length of the train without having to change carriages. The system is becoming more visitor-friendly. (There are helpful stickers on the floor marking out the best selfie spots .) But there’s a price to modernity: it’s phasing out one of its beloved institutions, the escalator attendants. Often they are middle-aged or elderly women—“ escalator grandmas ” in news accounts—who have held the post for decades, sitting in their tiny kiosks, scolding commuters for bad escalator etiquette or even bad posture, or telling jokes . They are slated to be replaced, when at all, by members of the escalator maintenance staff.

For all its achievements, the Metro lags behind Moscow’s above-ground growth, as Russia’s capital sprawls ever outwards, generating some of the world’s worst traffic jams . But since 2011, the Metro has been in the middle of an ambitious and long-overdue enlargement; 60 new stations are opening by 2020. If all goes to plan, the 2011-2020 period will have brought 125 miles of new tracks and over 100 new stations — a 40 percent increase — the fastest and largest expansion phase in any period in the Metro’s history.

Facts: 14 lines Opening hours: 5 a.m-1 a.m. Rush hour(s): 8-10 a.m, 4-8 p.m. Single ride: 55₽ (about 85 cents) Wi-Fi network-wide

Buying Tickets

• Ticket machines have a button to switch to English.
• You can buy specific numbers of rides: 1, 2, 5, 11, 20, or 60. Hold up fingers to show how many rides you want to buy.
• There is also a 90-minute ticket , which gets you 1 trip on the metro plus an unlimited number of transfers on other transport (bus, tram, etc) within 90 minutes.
• Or, you can buy day tickets with unlimited rides: one day (218₽/ US$4), three days (415₽/US$7) or seven days (830₽/US$15). Check the rates here to stay up-to-date.
• If you’re going to be using the Metro regularly over a few days, it’s worth getting a Troika card , a contactless, refillable card you can use on all public transport. Using the Metro is cheaper with one of these: a single ride is 36₽, not 55₽. Buy them and refill them in the Metro stations, and they’re valid for 5 years, so you can keep it for next time. Or, if you have a lot of cash left on it when you leave, you can get it refunded at the Metro Service Centers at Ulitsa 1905 Goda, 25 or at Staraya Basmannaya 20, Building 1.
• You can also buy silicone bracelets and keychains with built-in transport chips that you can use as a Troika card. (A Moscow Metro Fitbit!) So far, you can only get these at the Pushkinskaya metro station Live Helpdesk and souvenir shops in the Mayakovskaya and Trubnaya metro stations. The fare is the same as for the Troika card.
• You can also use Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Rules, spoken and unspoken

No smoking, no drinking, no filming, no littering. Photography is allowed, although it used to be banned.

Stand to the right on the escalator. Break this rule and you risk the wrath of the legendary escalator attendants. (No shenanigans on the escalators in general.)

Get out of the way. Find an empty corner to hide in when you get off a train and need to stare at your phone. Watch out getting out of the train in general; when your train doors open, people tend to appear from nowhere or from behind ornate marble columns, walking full-speed.

Always offer your seat to elderly ladies (what are you, a monster?).

An Easy Tour

This is no Metro Marathon ( 199 stations in 20 hours ). It’s an easy tour, taking in most—though not all—of the notable stations, the bulk of it going clockwise along the Circle line, with a couple of short detours. These stations are within minutes of one another, and the whole tour should take about 1-2 hours.

Start at Mayakovskaya Metro station , at the corner of Tverskaya and Garden Ring,  Triumfalnaya Square, Moskva, Russia, 125047.

1. Mayakovskaya.  Named for Russian Futurist Movement poet Vladimir Mayakovsky and an attempt to bring to life the future he imagined in his poems. (The Futurist Movement, natch, was all about a rejecting the past and celebrating all things speed, industry, modern machines, youth, modernity.) The result: an Art Deco masterpiece that won the National Grand Prix for architecture at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. It’s all smooth, rounded shine and light, and gentle arches supported by columns of dark pink marble and stainless aircraft steel. Each of its 34 ceiling niches has a mosaic. During World War II, the station was used as an air-raid shelter and, at one point, a bunker for Stalin. He gave a subdued but rousing speech here in Nov. 6, 1941 as the Nazis bombed the city above.

Take the 3/Green line one station to:

2. Belorusskaya. Opened in 1952, named after the connected Belarussky Rail Terminal, which runs trains between Moscow and Belarus. This is a light marble affair with a white, cake-like ceiling, lined with Belorussian patterns and 12 Florentine ceiling mosaics depicting life in Belarussia when it was built.

Transfer onto the 1/Brown line. Then, one stop (clockwise) t o:

3. Novoslobodskaya.  This station was designed around the stained-glass panels, which were made in Latvia, because Alexey Dushkin, the Soviet starchitect who dreamed it up (and also designed Mayakovskaya station) couldn’t find the glass and craft locally. The stained glass is the same used for Riga’s Cathedral, and the panels feature plants, flowers, members of the Soviet intelligentsia (musician, artist, architect) and geometric shapes.

Go two stops east on the 1/Circle line to:

4. Komsomolskaya. Named after the Komsomol, or the Young Communist League, this might just be peak Stalin Metro style. Underneath the hub for three regional railways, it was intended to be a grand gateway to Moscow and is today its busiest station. It has chandeliers; a yellow ceiling with Baroque embellishments; and in the main hall, a colossal red star overlaid on golden, shimmering tiles. Designer Alexey Shchusev designed it as an homage to the speech Stalin gave at Red Square on Nov. 7, 1941, in which he invoked Russia’s illustrious military leaders as a pep talk to Soviet soldiers through the first catastrophic year of the war.   The station’s eight large mosaics are of the leaders referenced in the speech, such as Alexander Nevsky, a 13th-century prince and military commander who bested German and Swedish invading armies.

One more stop clockwise to Kurskaya station,  and change onto the 3/Blue  line, and go one stop to:

5. Baumanskaya.   Opened in 1944. Named for the Bolshevik Revolutionary Nikolai Bauman , whose monument and namesake district are aboveground here. Though he seemed like a nasty piece of work (he apparently once publicly mocked a woman he had impregnated, who later hung herself), he became a Revolutionary martyr when he was killed in 1905 in a skirmish with a monarchist, who hit him on the head with part of a steel pipe. The station is in Art Deco style with atmospherically dim lighting, and a series of bronze sculptures of soldiers and homefront heroes during the War. At one end, there is a large mosaic portrait of Lenin.

Stay on that train direction one more east to:

6. Elektrozavodskaya. As you may have guessed from the name, this station is the Metro’s tribute to all thing electrical, built in 1944 and named after a nearby lightbulb factory. It has marble bas-relief sculptures of important figures in electrical engineering, and others illustrating the Soviet Union’s war-time struggles at home. The ceiling’s recurring rows of circular lamps give the station’s main tunnel a comforting glow, and a pleasing visual effect.

Double back two stops to Kurskaya station , and change back to the 1/Circle line. Sit tight for six stations to:

7. Kiyevskaya. This was the last station on the Circle line to be built, in 1954, completed under Nikita Khrushchev’ s guidance, as a tribute to his homeland, Ukraine. Its three large station halls feature images celebrating Ukraine’s contributions to the Soviet Union and Russo-Ukrainian unity, depicting musicians, textile-working, soldiers, farmers. (One hall has frescoes, one mosaics, and the third murals.) Shortly after it was completed, Khrushchev condemned the architectural excesses and unnecessary luxury of the Stalin era, which ushered in an epoch of more austere Metro stations. According to the legend at least, he timed the policy in part to ensure no Metro station built after could outshine Kiyevskaya.

Change to the 3/Blue line and go one stop west.

8. Park Pobedy. This is the deepest station on the Metro, with one of the world’s longest escalators, at 413 feet. If you stand still, the escalator ride to the surface takes about three minutes .) Opened in 2003 at Victory Park, the station celebrates two of Russia’s great military victories. Each end has a mural by Georgian artist Zurab Tsereteli, who also designed the “ Good Defeats Evil ” statue at the UN headquarters in New York. One mural depicts the Russian generals’ victory over the French in 1812 and the other, the German surrender of 1945. The latter is particularly striking; equal parts dramatic, triumphant, and gruesome. To the side, Red Army soldiers trample Nazi flags, and if you look closely there’s some blood spatter among the detail. Still, the biggest impressions here are the marble shine of the chessboard floor pattern and the pleasingly geometric effect if you view from one end to the other.

Keep going one more stop west to:

9. Slavyansky Bulvar.  One of the Metro’s youngest stations, it opened in 2008. With far higher ceilings than many other stations—which tend to have covered central tunnels on the platforms—it has an “open-air” feel (or as close to it as you can get, one hundred feet under). It’s an homage to French architect Hector Guimard, he of the Art Nouveau entrances for the Paris M é tro, and that’s precisely what this looks like: A Moscow homage to the Paris M é tro, with an additional forest theme. A Cyrillic twist on Guimard’s Metro-style lettering over the benches, furnished with t rees and branch motifs, including creeping vines as towering lamp-posts.

Stay on the 3/Blue line and double back four stations to:

10. Arbatskaya. Its first iteration, Arbatskaya-Smolenskaya station, was damaged by German bombs in 1941. It was rebuilt in 1953, and designed to double as a bomb shelter in the event of nuclear war, although unusually for stations built in the post-war phase, this one doesn’t have a war theme. It may also be one of the system’s most elegant: Baroque, but toned down a little, with red marble floors and white ceilings with gilded bronze c handeliers.

Jump back on the 3/Blue line  in the same direction and take it one more stop:

11. Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square). Opened in 1938, and serving Red Square and the Kremlin . Its renowned central hall has marble columns flanked by 76 bronze statues of Soviet heroes: soldiers, students, farmers, athletes, writers, parents. Some of these statues’ appendages have a yellow sheen from decades of Moscow’s commuters rubbing them for good luck. Among the most popular for a superstitious walk-by rub: the snout of a frontier guard’s dog, a soldier’s gun (where the touch of millions of human hands have tapered the gun barrel into a fine, pointy blade), a baby’s foot, and a woman’s knee. (A brass rooster also sports the telltale gold sheen, though I am told that rubbing the rooster is thought to bring bad luck. )

Now take the escalator up, and get some fresh air.

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21 Things to Know Before You Go to Moscow

Featured city guides.

Shooter Files by f.d. walker

Street Photography Tips, Interaction, Travel, Guides

Apr 24 2017

City Street Guides by f.d. walker: A Street Photography Guide to Moscow, Russia

*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, street walks, street tips, safety concerns, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for. So you can be ready to capture the streets as soon as you step outside with your camera!

At over 12 million people, Moscow is the largest city in Russia and second largest in Europe by population ( Istanbul is #1). An urban, cosmopolitan metropolis with more than enough glitz and glam to cater to the elite, but without losing its fair share of Soviet era roughness around the edges. It can be fast paced, brash, busy, and trendy like other big cities, but it has its blend of West meets Russia atmosphere and beauty that provides plenty of unique interest. The Red Square is as famous as it gets, but there’s so much more to this city, including the most beautiful subway system you’ve ever seen. It would take years to capture all of Moscow, but that means you have an endless amount of areas to discover.

So here’s a Street Photography guide so you can be ready to capture all that Moscow has to offer before you even arrive!

• Patriarch’s Pond
• Old Arbat Street
• Maroseyka Street
• Tverskoy Boulevard

Top 5 Street Spots:

1. red square.

The Red Square is the most famous square in not just Russia, but all of Eastern Europe. The name actually doesn’t come from the color of the bricks or communism, but from the name in Russian, Krásnaya, once meaning “beautiful” before its meaning changed to “red.” This large plaza is what you see on the cover of guide books and magazines for Moscow, with St. Basil’s Cathedral being the center piece next to Lenin’s Mausoleum surrounded by the Kremlin Wall. Of course, the Red Square attracts hordes of tourist due to the main attractions, but all that activity around an interesting atmosphere does provide street photo opportunities. It’s also the central square connecting to the city’s major streets, providing a good starting point to explore outward.

You’ll also find the popular pedestrian only Nikolskaya Street connecting the Red Square to Lubyanka Square. This line of expensive shops includes plenty of activity, while also leading you to another popular square. Filled with history rivaling any city, the Red Square and surrounding areas are the heart and soul of Russia.

2. Patriarch’s Ponds

Patriarch’s Ponds is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Moscow. Despite the name being plural, there’s only one large pond, but it’s worth a visit with your camera. It’s a popular spot for locals and expats to come relax or take a stroll around the pond. You get an interesting mix of young and old too, from young love to “babushkas” feeding pigeons. It’s a very peaceful park atmosphere in one of the nicer areas within the city center, while bringing enough activity for street photography. 

The pond is shallow and in the winter becomes a popular spot for ice-skating too. The area is also well-known for the location in the famous Russian novel, The Master and Margarita. 

3. Old Arbat (Stary Arbat)

Old Arbat is the most famous pedestrian street in Moscow, and dating back to the 15th century, also one of its oldest. Originally, it was an area of trade, but soon became the most prestigious residential area in Moscow. During the 18th century, Arbat started attracting the city’s scholars and artists, including Alexander Pushkin. Cafes lined the streets and impressive homes filled the neighborhood. Since then, New Arbat street was created as a highway in the area, while Old Arbat was paved for a 1km pedestrian only walkway.

Due to the historic buildings, famous artists that lived here, and the bohemian atmosphere, Old Arbat has become a big attraction for tourists today. Now, there’s a mix of cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, street performers, street merchants and other attractions for visitors, and some locals, to come enjoy. It can get really busy here and there’s usually something interesting going on so it’s a good street to come walk with your camera for guaranteed life.

4. Gorky Park

One of the most famous places in Moscow is Gorky Park. The official name is Maxim Gorky’s Central Park of Culture & Leisure, which gives you an idea of what goes on here. When built, it was the first of its kind in the Soviet Union. Divided into two parts, it stretches along Moscow River. One end contains fair rides, foods stands, tennis courts, a sports club, a lake for boat rides, and more. This end brings more active life due to its number of attractions, while the other end is more relaxed, where you’ll find gardens, trees, older buildings, and an outdoor amphitheater.

Gorky Park attracts mostly locals so it’s a good spot to capture the non-tourist side of Moscow life. Muscovites come here to escape the city and unwind in a picturesque setting. The park remains alive outside of the warmer months too, especially when the lake turns into the city’s largest outdoor skating rink. I’d recommend taking the metro out here to spend at least half a day exploring the massive park’s life with your camera.

5. Maroseyka Street

Maroseyka Street is a popular area not too far from the Red Square. The long, winding street turns into Pokrovka and is lined with restaurants, cafes, bars and places to stay. It’s actually where I like to stay when I’m in Moscow due to its location and solid street photography opportunities itself. You have Kitay-gorod station near and if you keep walking southwest, you’ll get to the Red Square. But if you walk northwest, as it changes to Pokrovka, you can find a long street of activity for photography with its own interesting atmosphere.

6. Tverskoy Boulevard

Tverskoy Boulevard is the oldest and longest boulevard in Moscow, beginning at the end of Nikitsky Boulevard, and finishing at Pushkin Square, a spot to come for activity itself. The boulevard is made up of two avenues, with pedestrian walkways in-between. You’ll find grass, shrubbery, trees, benches and more walking it’s almost kilometer length. Many people come here to enjoy some relaxation, walk their dog, or just to use it to walk wherever they’re going. Its center location also provides a nice place to walk with your camera near plenty of other spots you’ll want to check out anyway.

Sample Street Walk:

For a full day of Street Photography, covering some of the best spots, you can follow this sample street walk for Moscow:

• Start your morning walking around the Red Square (1), while exploring the surrounding area, including Nikolskaya Street
• Then walk northwest to Patriarch’s Ponds (2) and slowly walk the pond and surrounding area with your camera
• Next, walk east to the Pushkin Monument and stroll down Tverskoy Boulevard (6)
• Once Tverskoy Boulevard (6) ends, it will turn into Nikitsky Boulevard. Follow this down until you get to the start of Old Arbat Street (3), across from Arbatskaya station
• After you’re done walking down Old Arbat Street (3) for more street photography, spend some time checking out Moscow’s beautiful metro stations
• To finish off the day with more street photography, get off the metro near Red Square (1) again, Maroseyka Street (5) or wherever you’re staying for the night.

3 Things I’ll Remember about Shooting in Moscow:

1. museum metro.

The Moscow metro system was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union and today includes 203 stations across 340km of routes. The elaborate system has some of the deepest stations in the world too, with escalators that seem to go on forever. None of this is what makes it so special, though. Many of its stations feel like stepping inside a museum, making it without a doubt the most interesting and beautiful metro system I’ve been in.

When built, Stalin wanted to make the metro stations “palaces for the people” with marble, chandeliers, and grand architecture. The best part is the variety of architecture and styles used, making many of the stations a completely different experience visually. You could easily spend a whole day traveling the stations and there are even tours available for people who wish to do just that. My advice, though, would be just to buy a ticket and hop on and off at different stations, while exploring different lines. The museum-like surrounding mixed with the crowds of characters can make for a great photography experience.

Since there are so many stations, here are some of my favorites to check out:

• Novoslobodskaya
• Mayakovskaya
• Elektrozavodskaya
• Komsomolskaya
• Ploschad Revolyutsii
• Dostoyevskaya
• Prospekt Mira

2. Moscow is Big

It’s no secret that Moscow is a big city, but it can feel even bigger with how spread out much of it is. This is especially true if you compare it to cities outside of Asia. If I compared it to cities in Europe, I’d probably say only Istanbul would warrant more time to really discover the depths of this city. Most only explore around the Red Square and surrounding area, but that is such a small part of the city. Although, that central area does give you plenty to see on its own.

Fortunately, I had a good friend living in the city to show me around, but it opened up my eyes even more to how much there is to discover in Moscow. It’s a big city with a variety of atmosphere that can take you from “east” to “west” and trendy to rugged depending on where you go. I’d imagine you’d have to live here a while to really know the city.

3. Cosmopolitan Mix of East meets West

Modern skyscrapers mixed with amazing architecture, a world-class metro system with museum-like beauty, trendy fashion and chic clubs, Moscow is a rich mix of Russian culture and history in a more western cosmopolitan package. There is a push to keep the Russian culture, while also pushing forward with a modern metropolis the whole world will envy. This comes with an impressive skyline, that continues to grow, and endless modernities, but with soviet nostalgia and atmosphere mixed in for good measure.

Mixed in with this grand western cosmopolitan atmosphere, is a strong national pride in Russia. This includes their famous leader, Vladimir Putin. Maybe no other place will you see a country’s leader more often. All over, from the pricey tourist shops to the underground walkway stalls, you’ll find goods with Putin’s likeness covering them. From t-shirts to magnets to Matryoshka dolls. There’s a strong national pride that can be seen around the city, which also extends to their leader. Moscow is many things. It’s East meets West, modernizations meets Soviet era, and a whole lot more.

What To Do For a Street Photography Break?:

Eat at a stolovaya.

Stolovayas are Russian cafeterias that became popular in the Soviet days. You grab a tray and walk down the line of freshly prepared local dishes, and select whatever you want from the chefs. They’re usually inexpensive and a much better value than restaurants, while giving you the opportunity to try from a wide selection of everyday Russian food. They’re also very tasty. I always include some borsch on my tray and go from there. The places themselves are all over Moscow and usually come with Soviet-era aesthetics to complete the experience.

Street Safety Score: 7

*As always, no place is completely safe! So when I talk about safety, I’m speaking in general comparison to other places. Always take precaution, be smart, observe your surroundings and trust your instincts anywhere you go!

Being the 2nd largest city in Europe with over 12 million people, you’re going to have your dangerous areas, but for the most part, it feels safe walking around. Russia is statistically higher in crime compared to most of Europe, but this generally doesn’t apply to tourists and visitors. Around the Red Square and surrounding city center, you should feel completely safe walking around. Pick pocketing can happen, but no more than other touristic places. I always explore Moscow freely without coming across too much to worry about. It’s a spread out city, though, so of course it matters where you are. Just use basic street smarts, know where you are and Moscow shouldn’t give you a problem. 

People’s Reaction Score: 7

Moscow is fast paced, big city life, which usually means people aren’t too concerned with you, or your camera. I don’t find people notice or pay much attention to me when I’m out taking photos in Moscow. For the most part, people just go about their day. You shouldn’t get too many looks or concern. But it can depend on the area you are in. The more you stick out, the more you might get noticed with suspicions. I’ve never had any problems in Moscow, or Russia, but just be careful who you’re taking a photo of if you get out of the city center. Other than that, it’s about average for reactions. 

Street Tips:

Learn the alphabet .

Much of Moscow, including the metro system, doesn’t use english. The Russian alphabet uses letters from the Cyrillic script, which if you aren’t familiar with it and don’t know the sounds, can be hard to decipher the words. This is most important for street names and metro stops when trying to get around. It can save confusion and make it easier getting around if you learn the basic alphabet. At the very least then, you can sound out the words to see which are similar in the english conversion, which can help matching them to maps. When out shooting street photography, getting around is as important as anything. So save yourself some time and frustration by learning the Russian Alphabet.

Use the metro

While Saint-Petersburg feels very walkable for a city its size, Moscow can feel very spread out, even for its bigger size. Outside of the Red Square area, you can have plenty of walking before getting anywhere very interesting, so you’ll need to take the metro a lot if you really want to explore the city. Maps are deceiving here too, it will always be further than it looks.

Another reason it’s less walkable than Saint-Petersburg is its completely different set-up. Moscow’s streets are mostly contstructed in rings with narrow, winding streets in-between. This is common with medieval city cities that used to be confined by walls, but you usually don’t have it in a city this massive. Saint-Petersburg has a more grid-like pattern that also uses the canals to help you know your way around. When it comes to navigating on foot in Moscow, it can be more difficult, so bring a map and take the metro when needed. It’s why Moscow’s metro carries more passengers per day than the London and Paris subways combined.

Explore other areas if you have time

Moscow is really big. While most people stay around the Red Square within the Boulevard Ring, there’s so much more to the city. I covered some other spots outside of this circle, but if you really want to see the city, you’ll need time. If you do have time, some other areas I’d check out first are Zamoskvarechye, along some of the south and western Moscow.

Inspiration:

For some more inspiration, you can look through the Street Photography of Moscow photographer Artem Zhitenev  and check out 33 of my photos taken in Moscow .

Conclusion:

Moscow’s name brings a certain mystique, but once you’re there it might bring a different atmosphere than you expect. It’s big and sprawling, but beautiful in many ways. It can feel like a European capital on a grand scale, but you can definitely find its Russian side in there.

The urban sprawl of Moscow can be intimidating, but give it enough time and you’ll be rewarded with plenty to discover. All with the world’s best metro system to take you around.

I hope this guide can help you start to experience some of what Moscow contains. So grab your camera and capture all that Moscow has to offer for Street Photography!

If you still have any questions about shooting in Moscow, feel free to comment below or email me!

(I want to make these guides as valuable as possible for all of you so add any ideas on improvements, including addition requests, in the comment section!)

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