The 7 Best First Aid Kits to Keep You Prepared for Any Situation, According to Experts and Reviewers
The 7 Best First Aid Kits to Keep You Prepared for Any Situation, According to Experts and Reviewers
Here’s the thing about emergencies: You never know when they’re going to happen until they do. But they inevitably will happen. So make sure you’re prepared for any situation—anywhere—with well-stocked first-aid kits at home and on the go.
The best first-aid kit for you will be one that’s customized to your household or personal specs. “First-aid kits should be tailored to the person or family,” explains Christine Russo, pediatric trauma program manager at Stony Brook Children's Hospital. “For example, if someone has cardiac disease, they might consider including a chewable baby aspirin in their kit. Similarly, a person with low blood sugar or taking insulin for diabetes may want to include supplies such as glucose tabs. Anyone in the home with serious allergies could need an epinephrine injector and an antihistamine available.” You might find these items in a pre-assembled kit, or you might need to add them to your store-bought kit.
Check expiration dates on any medications in your kit periodically, she says. (Here’s where calendar reminders come in handy.)
Russo further recommends keeping emergency phone numbers on hand, and also supplementing your first-aid kit with preparedness courses, such as CPR offered by the American Heart Association. “Even the best-stocked first-aid kit is rendered useless unless the user is prepared!”
Because you could be anywhere when you need supplies, make sure to keep kits stocked at home, at the office, in your car, in your gym bag, backpack, purse, luggage—wherever you or your loved ones roam.
To help you stock up, we selected the best first-aid kits on the market, with input from medical professionals as well as feedback from real-world reviewers.
- Best for the car: Prevention First-Aid Kit
- Best for the outdoors: Surviveware First-Aid Kit
- Best for the home: M2 Basics First-Aid Kit
- Best for families with kids: Be Smart Get Prepared First Aid Kit
- Best for office: Johnson & Johnson First-Aid Kit
- Best for travel: First Aid Only All-Purpose Essentials Kit
- Best ultralight/compact: Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight Watertight First Aid Kit
The best first aid kits have you covered from small cuts and scrapes to burns. Here, find the best first aid kits on amazon and beyond to keep in your car.
