The best first aid kits you can buy

Why you'll love it: The Be Smart Get Prepared 250 Piece First Aid Kit is OSHA and ANSI compliant and covers the first aid needs of up to 50 people, making it perfect for the office.

The Be Smart Get Prepared Kit is a large, comprehensive first aid kit designed to meet the needs of several dozen people. It's a great choice for businesses, retail locations, schools, churches, and even for the home. What this rather bulky kit is not suitable for travel or camping.

The kit is housed in a large hard plastic case that helps keep the components organized and protected, though the case is not watertight or resistant to moisture or temperature fluctuations that can affect some of the components, so it needs to be stored in a temperate indoor environment.

The Be Smart Get Prepared 250 Piece First Aid Kit has all the wound care components you would expect, from alcohol prep pads to antiseptic towelettes to multiple bandages in varied size. What sets this kit apart from the others in terms of suitability for use in the office or at a school are the medicines it comes with. Many of these medicines are something you will have ready access to at home, but not at work, school, or on other such locations.

The kit includes two types of pain and anti-inflammatory tablets and antacids, as well as cold packs, another handy feature for use when a kitchen with ice in the freezer might not be nearby.

The Be Smart Get Prepared 250 Piece First Aid Kit has a solid 4.4-star rating on Amazon, with a customer named Jeffrey saying "it is so great to have everything in one place." An owner named Loren speaks for many when she says it's "full of stuff I hope I never have to use."

A writer with SurvivalBlog.com appreciated how the kit was "organized in compartments ... inside the sturdy plastic case," while a description from Survival Safety Supplies noted its "comprehensive selection of first aid items."

Pros: Great choice for workplace, comes with selection of medicines, hard plastic shell protects components

Cons: Case is bulky and not water resistant, latches prone to failure

Buy the Be Smart Get Prepared 250 Piece First Aid Kit on Amazon for $21.99

Why you'll love it: With the TripWorthy Compact Travel First Aid Kit in your car, truck, or boat, you'll be ready to face minor medical emergencies even when you're miles from home.

While I wouldn't recommend the Trip Worthy Compact Travel First Aid Kit for the hiker or the mountaineer, it's the perfect choice for the person, family, or group of friends traveling by car, boat, or even by bike or canoe. There are plenty of completely waterproof first aid kits designed expressly for use on the water, but as they tend to be bulkier, I'm recommending this one for the boat and/or the car — just try to keep it dry.

The kit is a bit too big for a trekker's backpack, but it's the perfect size for stashing in the trunk, under the seat, or in a bicycle's panniers.

It features six different types of adhesive bandages, gauze pads, butterfly strips, wraps, and tape, so getting a wound covered up will be easy. Cleaning out minor wounds won't be an issue either, thanks to the wipes and ointments that come tucked away in this compact kit.

Now, aside from size, why do I think this is a great first aid kit for travel? Five reasons. The TripWorthy Compact Travel First Aid Kit comes with a compass, an emergency blanket, a poncho, a rescue whistle, and a glow stick, all of which can help make the difference in a survival situation you endure while far from the comforts — and the supplies — of home. That moleskin blister pad won't hurt, either.

I do wish the kit had any itch relief ointments and burn gels included, but you can always add those later.

The TripWorthy Compact Travel First Aid Kit has a stellar 4.8-star rating even with hundreds of reviews logged. A satisfied owner named Steven speaks for many when he says: "It comes with me on every trip and I would never leave home without it."

Video reviewer Daddy-O Geek called the kit "very compact" yet said it came with "everything you need." In a write up with Gear We Are, a tester noted its great price point and its "medical grade quality components."

Pros: Comes with great survival gear, compact but comprehensive, features multiple bandage types

Cons: Packed tightly making it hard to quickly locate items

Buy the TripWorthy Compact Travel First Aid Kit on Amazon for $17.97 (originally $34.99)

Why you'll love it: If you are cut off from emergency services following a natural disaster or in times of civil unrest, you'll be glad you have the Lightning X First Responder First Aid Kit.

Whether you foresee a time when there won't be anyone on the other end of the line when you dial 9-1-1 or if you just really like to be prepared for any potential accident or illness, keeping the Lightning X First Responder First Aid Kit at home is the way to go. Yes, this kit is overkill for most households, but it's also pretty much the last kit you'd ever need to buy (not counting the items that merit periodic replacement, like alcohol wipes).

Anyone in need of first aid or preparing to administer it will appreciate the many bandages, the rolls and pads of gauze, the antiseptic wipes, the ointments, the tapes, and more. The person with some actual medical training will appreciate the stethoscope, the sphygmomanometer, the airway kit, and other more advanced medical tools. In the right hands, this kit is essentially a mobile trauma center, but in any hands, it's got all your basic and intermediate first aid needs covered.

This comprehensive first aid kit comes loaded in a lightweight, ergonomic backpack with padded straps and reflective stripes, so should you need to take it on the go, you'll be comfortable and highly visible. While it's a great choice for the well-prepared home, this kit was designed for emergency response professionals to use in the field, after all.

Amazon customers have mostly issued five-star reviews, with one owner saying the Lightning X First Responder First Aid Kit is "a perfect size and comes with a good variety of supplies," while a fellow customer calls it simple an "excellent product."

The gear review with Wiki.Ezvid.com noted the kit's "reinforced bottom for stability and water-resistance" that helps protect the supplies and called Lightning X kits ideal for "first responders dealing with an extremely wide range of emergencies."

Pros: Comprehensive supplies, features advanced medical gear, comes with backpack

Cons: Pricier than other options, many components not needed for basic first aid

Buy the Lightning X First Responder First Aid Kit on Amazon for $124.99

Why you'll love it: The Coleman All Purpose Mini First Aid Kit costs less than a fancy cup of coffee, but it can help you treat all sorts of minor scrapes, scratches, bug bites, and more.

If you need to treat a compound fracture or a sucking chest wound, you're probably going to need a more advanced medical kit than this one. But more often than not, the damage we endure is more along the lines of minor cuts and scrapes, burns and bites, and the occasional puncture wound. For those everyday injuries, the Coleman All Purpose Mini First Aid Kit is the ideal choice.

It costs so little that there's really no excuse not to buy one (unless you essentially assembled your own using a tin that once housed mints...), and given the diminutive size of this kit, you can (and should) bring one along whenever your travels might lead you away from ready access to medical treatment.

Into that charming little tin, Coleman packed several antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, sting relief wipes, and a total of sixteen bandages in five different size and shape varieties. There is also a razor blade you might use to cut away clothing or trim medical tape and gauze (not included) and a pair of safety pins that ... you probably won't use.

On the whole, people love this kit. It has a 4.5 out of five-star rating on Amazon, and most comments are along the lines of remarks left by an owner named Anna, who says it's a "perfect little kit. An owner named Ashley says the Coleman All Purpose Mini First Aid Kit is " great for your average day to day cuts, scrapes, and stings."

A video reviewer with Abel Adventures appreciated the small size and light weight of the Coleman kit, noted that it's made in the United States, and said it was certainly "worth the $6" he paid for it.

Pros: Very affordable, lightweight and compact, perfect for travel

Cons: Not at all comprehensive

Buy the Coleman All Purpose Mini First Aid Kit on Amazon for $6.99

The best emergency kits you can buy

An emergency kit is something you should have around, in case an unexpected dangerous event happens. You can make your own, or purchase a preassembled kit that has everything you may need. We've rounded up the best emergency kits you can find preassenbled.

Here are the best emergency kits you can buy:

• Best emergency prep kit overall: Sustain Supply Co. Comfort4 72-Hour Emergency Survival Kit
• Best emergency kit for severe weather: ER Emergency Ready Tornado/Hurricane Survival Kit
• Best low-cost emergency preparedness kit: Ready America 2-Person 3-Day Emergency Kit
• Best emergency kit for evacuations: Emergency Zone Urban Survival Bug-Out Bag
• Best compact emergency preparedness kit: Aootek Emergency Survival Kit