Medical ID Bracelets

Medical ID Bracelets seem to be one of the topics that come up frequently. There are so many different types available, choosing the right one for you and your child can become very overwhelming.

Just to list of a few of the main types I came across. I found the traditional metal bracelet, the nylon webbing Velcro bracelet, and silicone bracelets. Each had their positive and negatives.


Traditional Metal Bracelets

The best thing about these bracelets is that they are easily identifiable as a medical alert bracelet. When seconds count this bracelet tells emergency medical staff that there is something of note. My biggest draw back was the price. Another draw back was that they are a fixed size. I did not want to get something my daughter would grow out of quickly or have to wait to fit into. So we decided against a traditional one for now.

Nylon Webbing Velcro Bracelets

The biggest benefit to these bracelets was that they came in a wide variety of colors and patterns. They were available with a Velcro closer or a clip and were somewhat adjustable. Great for growing kids that are going to need a little wiggle room. They were less expensive than the traditional bracelets. However, my little one like the sound of Velcro so much she would spend all day taking it off and then who knows where it would be. Not to mention if you get them wet they need to come off to dry out properly. I wore something very similar when I was in school, after a while they get a little ripe.

Silicon Bracelets


Silicone bracelets come in lots of colors, with an interchangeable ID tag or they can simply have your child's allergens printed directly on them. There are some with mix and match tabs that can list multiple allergens at once. Because of the recent popularity of silicon bracelets for awareness on so many issues, they are not always readily noticed as being for a medical alert. But they are very customizable, inexpensive, and come in a variety of sizes that include toddler. Once you have your interchangeable ID plate you can simply purchase larger bands as your child grows.

I personally chose to go with the silicon bracelet until such a time where my daughter could move to a more traditional bracelet of her choosing. Mostly because she was 18 months when I picked it out.

There are so many options I'm sure that there is one out there that is right for you and your child. And I encourage you if your child is old enough get them to participate. If they don't wear it, it can't help them, and they're more likely to wear it if they like it.