If you have to take medication on a daily basis, it can be all too easy to forget. Missing your medication isn't just a nuisance; it can potentially have a harmful impact on your health. Pill boxes with daily compartments are useful for knowing that you've taken the right pills on the right day, but they can't tell you when you need to take them.
Luckily, there are smart pill dispensers that can. These connected pill dispensers can not only store your pills and make it simple to take the right tablets on the right days, but they can also remind you when it's time for you to take them, with audible alarms, and even alerts on your phone.
If you never want to forget to take your medication ever again, then here are some of the best smart pill dispensers out there.
Best smart pill dispensers: Our top picks
Ellie Smart Pill Box
A clever light system lets you know how many of each pill to take
The Ellie Smart Pill Box uses a clever light system on the lid to tell you how many pills you need to take from each compartment. Audible alarms, flashing lights, and phone notifications ensure you won't miss a dose.
- Easy to refill
- Clever light indicators
- Can contact caregivers if medication is missed
- Not the cheapest
- Only seven compartments
The Ellie Smart Pill Box takes a different approach to the majority of smart pill dispensers. Instead of dividing up your pills by day, they're divided by type, into one of the seven compartments. When it comes time to take your tablets, the lights on the lid of the pill dispenser indicate how many pills you need to take from each section. It makes refilling the pill dispenser a piece of cake, as you don't have to worry about counting out the right amount of pills for each day; you just fill up each compartment will as many pills as will fit.
In the accompanying app, you add information about the pill that you place in each compartment, including how often you take it and how many times a day. You can then set an individual alarm for each pill in the dispenser. When it's time to take your pills, an alarm will sound on the pill dispenser and the lights will flash, and you'll also get a notification on your phone. When you open the lid of the pill dispenser, the lights will indicate how many pills you need to take from each compartment. If the pill dispenser isn't opened when the alarm sounds, the app can even notify a caregiver that the medication has been missed.
LiveFine Smart Wi-Fi Automatic Pill Dispenser
28 days of pill storage with audible alarms and notifications
If you want to store enough pills to keep you going for nearly a month, the LiveFine Smart Wi-Fi Automatic Pill Dispenser can store up to 28 days of pills. The built-in screen, audible alarms, and phone notifications remind you when it's time for your next dose.
- Stores up to 28 days of pills
- Interchangeable dosing rings
- Audible alarms and notifications
- Not the most stylish pill dispenser
- Time consuming to refill
- Not the greatest app
If you're the type of person who likes to get organized for the whole month ahead, then the LiveFine Smart Wi-Fi Automatic Pill Dispenser may be just what you need. It has the capacity to store 28 days of medication, with plenty of room for multiple pills per day. There are clever interchangeable dosage rings that fit onto the dispenser that enable you to take one dose per day, or multiple doses per day over several days. Once the pills are in, you can lock the pill dispenser with a key, and the device will automatically rotate to the correct compartment for the current day when it's time to take your pills.
Using the app, you can set your doses and add alarms to alert you when to take your medication. You'll receive a notification on your phone but the pill dispenser itself will also sound an alarm. Multiple users can connect to the pill dispenser, who can track if you've taken your medication or not. It will also track how many doses of your pills are left, so you have plenty of time to restock.
Daviky Smart Pill Organizer
A 7-day smart pill dispenser that's perfect for travel
A perfect smart pill dispenser for when you're travelling, the Daviky Smart Pill Organizer has enough room for seven days of pills. You can use the app to set alarms, which will sound on the dispenser, and you'll also receive phone notifications.
- Ideal size for travel
- Audible alarms and phone notifications
- Rechargeable battery
- Can't store a huge number of pills
- Not the most secure
- Display can be hard to read
If you're travelling, your medication will need to come with you. The Daviky Smart Pill Organizer is an ideal travel companion, with enough space to store a week's supply of pills, but small enough that it's easy to fit into your luggage. There are seven compartments labelled with the days of the week, with a small display on the pill dispenser showing the current time, battery level, and the number of alarms set. When it's time to take your medication, an alarm will sound on the pill dispenser and you'll also receive a notification on your phone.
Using the app, you can set alarms, enter your medication schedule, add photos of your different pills so that you always know which to take, monitor the battery level of the pill organizer, and track your medications. The pill dispenser is rechargeable, so you don't need to worry about replacing batteries.
MOBI Connect Smart Wireless Automatic Pill Dispenser
A smart pill dispenser that's part of a wider smart health ecosystem
The MOBI Connect Smart Wireless Automatic Pill Dispenser can store up to 28 days of pills, and will only give you access to the pills for that specific day. The app allows you to connect with other smart health products from the MOBI brand.
- Stores up to 28 days of pills
- Audible alarm
- App connects with other MOBI health products
- Not the best looking
- Time consuming to refill
- Touch controls can be finicky
The MOBI Connect Smart Wireless Automatic Pill Dispenser is another 28 day pill dispenser that can fit multiple pills per day. The dispenser locks shut once filled, so that you can only access the medication for the specific day. There's a display on the dispenser showing the current time and number of alarms that are set, with touch controls if you want to edit the alarms on the dispenser itself. The alarm will sound on the device and will continue until the lid is opened. You'll also see a notification on your phone.
It's far easier to set alarms using the app, however. You can set up to six alarms per day to remind you to take your medication, and your app will keep track of how many pills you've taken and remind you when to refill. Caregivers can also install the app to ensure that you're taking your medication on time. The app is part of the wider MOBI ecosystem, allowing you to integrate other health products such as blood pressure monitors and emergency alert buttons.
Comfytemp Medicine Box
A smart pill box with an interactive display
This low-cost smart pill dispenser is easy to refill thanks to its clever indication system that tells you which pills to take, so you don't need to pre-sort them. Small enough to fit into a bag to take on the go, with visual, audio, and vibration alerts as well as phone notifications.
- Great value
- Easy to refill
- Clever system to indicate which pills to take
- Small capacity
- No use if you take more than four types of pill
- Pills can be fiddly to get out
The Comfytemp Medicine Box is another smart pill dispenser that sorts your pills by type rather than by day. It uses a numeric display with small arrows on the dispenser itself to indicate how many pills you need to take from each of the four available compartments. When it's time to take your medication, the light will flash, the pill dispenser will play an alarm, and it will also vibrate. You'll also get a notification on your phone.
Using the app you can add up to four types of pills for the four compartments of the pill dispenser. You can create custom times and cycles of when you need to take the pills and track your medication history in the calendar. The pill dispenser is small enough to fit in bag, but if you need more room there's an eight compartment version, too, although that version doesn't have the smart capabilities.
Loba Smart Pill Organizer
A stylish subtle option with individual pill cases
The Loba Smart Pill Organizer is a stunning smart pill dispenser, made with a real wood exterior. The dispenser lights up in your choice of colour when it's time to take your pills, and inside there are individual daily pill containers that you can slip into a bag if needed.
- Stylish design
- Individual daily pill cases
- Customisable light colour
- No audible alarm
- Time consuming to refill
- Not the most secure
Smart pill dispensers don't have to be ugly. The Loba Smart Pill Organizer is a stylish design with a real wood exterior that you won't mind leaving out on display. When it's time to take your medications, the pill dispenser will light up in a colour of your choosing to let you know it's time to take your pills. You'll also receive a notification on your phone. Open the dispenser's lid and take out one of the individual pill cases inside that you can prefill will the correct pills. The cases are split in two, with an AM and PM side. You can even slip the pill cases into your bag to take with you.
Using the app, you can set up your medications and the alarms to remind you when to take them. You can also choose the colour that the pill dispenser will light up when it's time to take your pills. You can even set a reminder for when you need to organize your pills again. Once you open the lid of the smart pill dispenser, your medications are logged as being taken, or you can choose to log them manually in the app.
The bottom line: What is the best smart pill dispenser?
If you're looking for a smart pill dispenser that makes refilling easy, but always ensures that you take the right number of each type of pill at the right time, then the Ellie Smart Pill Box is a great choice. It's got a stylish design, an easy-to-follow light system to show you which pills to take, and can even alert a caregiver if you miss your medication. It does everything that you could want a smart pill dispenser to do.
Ellie Smart Pill Box
A clever light system lets you know how many of each pill to take.
The Ellie Smart Pill Box uses a clever light system on the lid to tell you how many pills you need to take from each compartment. An audible alarm, flashing lights, and a phone notifcation ensure you won't miss a dose.
If you're looking for a low-cost alternative, then the Comfytemp Medicine Box is worth a look. It also allows you to put different meds in different compartments so that you don't need to waste time filling each compartment with the right number of the right type of pills for each day. The display shows you which pills you need to take, and it's small enough to take with you when you're out and about.
How I chose the best smart pill dispensers
There were a few considerations when choosing the best smart pill dispenser. I wanted to include products that gave both a visual or audio alarm as well as sending phone notifications, so that the chance of missing your medication was as low as possible. I also wanted to include a range of sizes, from small dispensers that cover a single week to larger ones that can store all of your pills for an entire month. Finally, I wanted to ensure that there was a range of price points.
How to choose a smart pill dispenser: Questions to ask yourself
There are a few key questions when choosing a smart pill dispenser that can help you make the right choice for your needs.
How many pills can a pill dispenser hold? If you're the type of person that likes to get all your ducks in a row then you may prefer a larger smart pill dispenser that can store up to 28 days of pills. If you prefer to refill your pill dispenser more frequently, there are options that can store a week's worth of pills.
How do I know when it's time to take my pills? All the smart pill dispensers on this list feature some kind of alert to let you know when it's time to take your pills. Many feature an audio alarm from the pill dispenser itself, some of the pill dispensers light up to let you know it's time to take your pills, and some will even vibrate. All the products on this list will also send a notification to a connected phone when it's time to take your pills.
What happens if I miss taking my pills? Many of the smart pill dispensers on this list will sound an alarm until you mark the pills as taken or open the lid of the device. This means it will be hard to forget to take your pills. However, if you do miss them, some of the smart pill dispensers on this list are able to inform a caregiver that you've missed your medication, ensuring that if the pills are important for your health, they'll be able to take appropriate action.