For people who have chronic health conditions (as well as many others), wearing a medical alert bracelet daily is a significant part of their every day safety. But, for the most part, they consist of clunky steel tags or cheap-looking plastic medical bracelets.
Whether you have a special event where a tacky metal bracelet just won’t suffice or you just want to be more fashionable with your everyday wear, there are a variety of options to stylishly upgrade your medical alert bracelet. This obviously should not be the reason you forego their protection, though.
What is a Medical Alert Bracelet?
Medical alert bracelets were inspired by military dog tags. They provide soldiers with a way to display their blood type for medical aid while stranded in combat zones without access to medical records. Medical alert bracelets give EMTs access to a case’s health risks such as epilepsy, diabetes, heart conditions, or life-threatening allergies.
To be effective, medical alert bracelets need to meet some basic requirements:
- Location: EMTs and E.R. nurses will always check wrists and necks as part of their normal triage.
- Versatility: Since we never know when disaster will strike, they need to be worn every day. This means they need to be versatile enough to match different styles of clothes, and they should be resilient and water-resistant.
- Legibility: As tempting as it can be to experiment with fonts, the information provided by medical alert bracelets needs to be easy to read and leave no room for confusion.
- Safety: A frail bracelet that may break or get tangles is one that is likely to break before making it to the E.R. In addition, it’s best to avoid serrated edges or sharp textures, which could cause further injury
Stylish Options for Everyone
Whether you are working in an office where suit and tie attire may make you feel like your medical alert bracelet stands out for the wrong reasons, or even if it just clashes with your day-to-day fashion choices, there are suitable design options available. In the mix are a variety of medical alert bracelets for men and also women’s medical alert bracelets.
Regardless of your situation, medical alert tags have been updated to give you the versatility to neither compromise your health nor your overall aesthetic. Some of the most popular options available are as follows:
Silver or Gold Chains
Delicate and elegant, a neat gold chain will rarely look out of place in the office or during a night out. In addition, they pair well with a back plaque, which provides the necessary space to include your medical information.
Beaded Bracelets
If your style is more boho-chic, a beaded bracelet can serve as a fun-looking alternative. This design option offers some discretion by blending the medical cross symbol into the design of the bead, which will let EMTs know what’s on the back without advertising your condition. These are great womens medical alert bracelets.
Leather Bands
Leather bands offer a much more casual look that is perfect for outdoorsy people or a more mellow feel overall. If you are into trekking, camping, fishing, or simply like to dress the part, a braided leather or paracord bracelet will look right at home. They will be much more resilient and unlikely to attract too much attention. Just make sure you keep them away from water!
Metal Cuffs
These combine all the elegance of a silver or gold chain with an extra edge of ruggedness (plus there’s extra writing space). This makes them an ideal choice for a stylish medical alert bracelet. You can go for a thick silver or steel cuff for a retro rocker look, or choose a slimmer carved model for a more formal occasion.
Onyx Linked Chains
Stronger and often cherished, linked chains are the perfect choice for upscale occasions and black-tie events. It’s not uncommon to use these bands for the larger plaques that will encompass a larger amount of personal information. They offer a wide enough variety to choose from, such as expansion bands, roman cuffs, and even some with a USB drive that can provide extra personal data.These have proven to make great medical alert bracelets for men.
Sports Bands
Relatively cheap, easy to engrave, and with seemingly endless color combinations available, silicone medical alert bracelets are adaptable and casual so you can wear it to the gym, when playing with your kids or when dressing up in your team’s colors.
No matter which fashionable medical bracelet you choose to upgrade to, just ensure that you’re keeping the basic requirements in mind for your own safety. Before medical assistance even arrives to look at your bracelet, you’ll need to have a quick and efficient way to get them to you in an emergency. In some cases, slurred speech, numbness, or extreme weakness may make it impossible to talk to a 9-1-1 operator. With Rescu, get professional help 24/7 with just a few taps of your fingers – and once medical assistance has arrived, your stylish medical bracelet will ensure they know what is wrong.
