When our founder, Lauren, set out to make the Nokabox, she was thinking about ways to keep people healthy while they were on the go. She wanted to create something so functional and stylish that it would make people want to take their pills, and want to make their health a priority. The Nokabox pill organizer’s particular combination of time-saving features, hassle-free filling, spill-proof drawers, and beautiful design is setting a new standard for pill organizers. But the concept of a cute pill box isn’t new. In fact, pill boxes themselves date back to around 1500 b.c. and if there’s one thing we know about humans, it’s that if they’re going to make something, they want to make it fashionable.
Throughout history, people have used their pill boxes as a means of self expression. Like other practical products such as timepieces, makeup compacts and the snuff boxes used to carry tobacco, those who had the extra money, wanted the items they carried to be pretty. These luxury pill boxes, though simple in form– usually a small hinged or lidded box– were elaborately decorated.
Manufactured pills were invented in the Victorian era, which is when stylish pill boxes really had their heyday. Tablets and capsules that were the predecessors to today’s pills became the norm. Perfect for stashing in a small container. Pill boxes at this time were made from wood and bone, precious metals like gold and silver, and even carved from stone. There were larger pill boxes meant to sit on a bedside table or vanity, but eventually these pill boxes were miniaturized so a woman could throw them in her purse.
Today, we think of these pill boxes as collectors’ items. Tiny boxes of gorgeous enameled designs and miniature china receptacles are especially sought after as antiques. While they make a gorgeous knickknack, the cute pill boxes of the past are no longer practical for a modern life on the go. They lack the durability and space. But there’s a modern equivalent now that Nokaboxes exist. And you no longer need to be royalty to afford a stylish place to stash your supplements.
It’s a pill box that’s as cute as its ancestors, with the cutting edge design and features of today. History has come full circle.