Key Similarities
- Life Alert and Medical Guardian are two of the most expensive medical alert systems.
- Life Alert and Medial Guardian both offer on-the-go plans.
- Both companies offer 24/7 monitoring that connects you to emergency services.
Key Differences
- Life Alert has slower response times than Medical Guardian.
- Life Alert’s products don’t need to be recharged, unlike Medical Guardian.
- Medical Guardian’s services are cheaper than Life Alert’s products.
- Life Alert does not offer fall detection, while Medical Guardian does.
Chances are you’ve heard of Life Alert. It may be the most well-known medical alert system, but it’s far from the best option out there. That’s where Medical Guardian comes in. It has higher-tech products at reasonable prices, with quicker response times.
We tested Medical Guardian and Life Alert’s products for ourselves, and we’ll tell you how they compare and recommend which one to choose based on our hands-on experience. You’ll learn about our experience using the products, as well as their plans and pricing, response times, customer support, and more. Let’s get into it.
Life Alert vs. Medical Guardian: Company Overviews
Medical Guardian vs Life Alert information
Medical Guardian was established in 2006, and it’s one of the most reliable medical alert systems on the market. Its products are more high tech than most competitors, including Life Alert, and it’s also known for its stellar customer support.
Life Alert was founded in 1987, giving it a leg up as one of the oldest medical alert companies. Its famous slogan, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up,” became cemented in pop culture. Even though most of the slogan’s fame was tongue in cheek, it helped put Life Alert on the map.
Either way, Life Alert is proud of it, and it’s featured on the company’s website in big, red text.
User Experience
Life Alert website landing page
Life Alert
We had high hopes before visiting Life Alert’s website, but we were disappointed. The site and user interface are outdated, making it tough to navigate.
Even though its three main products — the Micro Voice Pendant System, the help button, and the On-the-Go + GPS — are displayed on the homepage, you can’t click them.
We thought that would be different on the product page, but it wasn’t. We still couldn’t click or expand on the products to learn more. Instead, a big, red banner at the top of the website tells you to call an 800 number for more information or a free brochure.
Pro Tip: If fall detection is a must for your medical alert system, check out our guide to the best medical alert systems with fall detection.
If that’s not bad enough, Life Alert requires you to order your system over the phone. When we ordered ours, they asked us questions about who would be using the system, their health issues, how well they can navigate their own home, and whether they live alone. It’s as if no updates have been made since the company was founded.
Medical Guardian
Medical Guardian’s website was more aesthetically pleasing, with easy paths directly to the individual products. We were also able to buy our system directly through the website. If you’re not in the mood to talk on the phone, you don’t have to. We also liked how detailed the site was and how easy it was to add accessories or learn more about certain features before buying.
Privacy Policies
Medical Guardian follows strict policies regarding your information. Its website promises that the only third parties with which it will share your information are ones that may be of interest to you and your needs from the company. Medical Guardian also promises not to share information with third parties that you didn’t share with them first.
Life Alert’s website states that by submitting your information, you are agreeing that the company can collect it. Life Alert also states that it will not share your information with third parties unless you grant permission. Everything you submit to the company will be used only for Life Alert to provide the highest-quality customer service it can.
Pro Tip: Check out our guide to the best medical alert systems to see the best brands in the industry stacked up against one another. You may be interested in a completely different brand than Life Alert or Medical Guardian.
In terms of privacy, both companies are pretty even. It was a lot easier to gather the information from Medical Guardian than it was from Life Alert though.
Customer Support
After reaching out to Medical Guardian’s customer support, we learned that it can be contacted in several different ways, including by phone and live chat. The company’s Life Safety Consultants are available seven days a week, from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET. Its Customer Care line is offered six days a week, from Monday to Saturday, but the times differ between weekdays and weekends.
Life Alert’s website features its customer-support number in a red-and-white banner at the top of the homepage. Unlike Medical Guardian, its customer-service line is open 24/7, but wait times vary. When we called, it took nearly 10 minutes before we were connected to a real human.
Life Alert vs. Medical Guardian: Detailed Comparison
Plans and Pricing
Medical Guardian homepage product options
Medical Guardian
Medical Guardian has plans that can cover you both from your home and on the go. Below is an overview of Medical Guardian’s plans and pricing.
| Plans | Device purchase | Cost | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MGClassic | n/a | $32.95 per month |
|
| MGHome Cellular | $149.95 | $37.95 per month |
|
| MGMini | $149.95 | $39.95 per month |
|
| MGMini Lite | $149.95 | $44.95 per month |
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| MGMove | $199.95 | $39.95 per month |
|
The cheapest option for Medical Guardian is the MGClassic, which has a monthly fee of $32.95. That includes the device for free.
The other Medical Guardian at-home device you can use is the MGHome Cellular, which has a device fee of $149.95 and a monthly fee of $37.95. That’s only $5 more than the monthly fee for the MGClassic.
Medical Guardian’s on-the-go plans cost more than the at-home options. The MGMini has two models: the MGMini and the MGMini Lite. The former costs $39.95 a month, while the latter costs $44.95 per month. They both have a device fee of $149.95. Check out our review of the MGMini to see the results of our hands-on tests.
Medical Guardian’s smartwatch is the most expensive. The device alone costs $199.95, but the monthly fee is only $39.95, which is the same as the MGMini.
FYI: If a smartwatch is what you’re looking for, check out our review of the best medical alert systems worn as watches. Apple surprisingly made our list, but you’ll have to read the article to find out more!
Life Alert
Life Alert devices
Life Alert is not only one of the most well-known medical alert systems, but also one of the most expensive. Here’s an overview of Life Alert’s pricing.
| Plans | Device purchase | cost | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Alert Help PERS LTE (base unit) | $95 | $49.95 per month |
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| Life Alert Help Button LTE (wall-mounted help button) | $198 | $20 more per month |
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| Life Alert Help Pendant LTE (mobile help button) | $198 | $20 more per month |
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Monthly payments for Life Alert begin at $49.95, but the steep $198 activation fee can increase the price to a whopping $89.95 per month.
By subscribing to an annual plan, however, you may be able to secure a discount of $82.36 a month, with your first month free. There is a major caveat to the deal though: Life Alert will lock you into a three-year contract. That contrasts with Medical Guardian, which not only offers a monthly option, but also gives you the opportunity to cancel your plan at any time.
Medical Equipment and Features
Life Alert help button
Life Alert’s products may be easier to use, but the wait times are longer to get in touch with monitoring agents. The company’s products also have the benefit of being completely waterproof and not needing to be charged.
Waterproof or not, however, we found that Medical Guardian products provided a much less stressful experience in terms of contacting advisers. The company’s technology also just works better, its response times are faster, and its devices are more reliable and more affordable.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison between Life Alert’s and Medical Guardian’s capabilities.
| Life Alert | Medical Guardian | |
|---|---|---|
| User interface | Beginner friendly | Intermediate friendly |
| Can be used at home | Yes | Yes |
| GPS location tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi location tracking | No | Yes |
| Caregiver app | No | Yes |
| Range | Up to 1,000 feet | Up to 1,400 feet |
| Connection type | Landline, cellular | Landline, cellular (AT&T/Verizon) |
| Fall detection | No | Yes (as an add-on for $10 a month) |
| Battery | Never needs charging | 5 days |
| Water resistance | Yes | Yes (IP67) |
| Response times | 2 minutes | Within 25 seconds |
Response Times and Reliability
One of the best aspects of Medical Guardian is its automatic fall detection, which we tested several times across a variety of devices. Keep in mind that you will have to add the feature separately for an extra $10 a month.
After trying fall detection, it was clearly worth the price. It didn’t work in every one of our simulated falls, but it was mostly reliable. While testing the MGMove Smartwatch, however, we found out it does not support fall detection. All of Medical Guardian’s other products support automatic fall detection.
With Medical Guardian, it took an average of 20 seconds to get on the line with a support member after pushing the SOS button.
FYI: All Medical Guardian devices with fall detection are reliable, with one exception. When we tested fall detection on the MGMini, it worked only one out of every 10 or 11 times. For some reason, fall detection doesn’t work well on the MGMini, so we advise against it.
Life Alert does not offer fall detection. Its emergency system seems to serve its purpose, but it took around two minutes after we pressed the Help button to connect to monitoring agents. Two minutes is too long to wait in an emergency.
Accessories and Add-Ons
Medical Guardian’s Smartwatch, the MGMove, has fun extras and functionalities. The Support Circle app can be added for an extra $5 a month, and with it, you can message your friends and family members, receive daily reminders, set notifications, and more. Medical Guardian’s smartwatch also tracks your steps, tells you the weather, and gives you the time.
Upon purchasing a product on Medical Guardian’s website, you will be offered several add-on bonuses.
- $6.99 a month for a protection plan
- $2.99 a month for an extra help button
- $2.99 a month for enhanced emergency notifications
When ordering with Life Alert, you aren’t given options for your protection plan. Instead, a sales agent recommends a plan to you based on your conversation with them.
When we talked to an agent while buying our system, we were asked about our family members’ medical and living situations. The agent then recommended a plan.
Mobile App Options
When it comes to a mobile app, Medical Guardian reigns supreme. It offers the MyGuardian app, which allows your family or caregivers to keep track of you using the location tracking on your device. You can also pay your bills, get customer support, see your messages, set reminders, and more on the app.
Life Alert has a mobile app, but it doesn’t offer a caregiver app. All of Life Alert’s mobile systems have GPS tracking, but there isn’t an app for your family members to track your location.
MyGuardian app
Pro Tip: If you’re looking to get the best device for as little money as possible, take a look at our guide to the most affordable medical alert systems. You’ll be sure to get the most bang for your buck.
Recap: Life Alert vs. Medical Guardian
Medical Guardian may not be perfect, but what medical alert company is? Compared to Life Alert, Medical Guardian offers more features and a simpler ordering process. Some people may prefer Life Alert for its simplicity, but the extra costs don’t seem worth it.
Pick Life Alert if you’d like…
If you’re looking for a simple medical alert system, Life Alert has it. Its products do what they’re intended to, but its high prices and the long wait times to get in contact with a monitoring agent rank it behind its competitors. Even though its customer service is open 24/7, the unreliable response times don’t make it worth the extra cash.
Pick Medical Guardian if you’d like…
Medical Guardian is your best bet if you’re looking for a medical alert system that is technologically advanced and efficient when contacting monitoring agents. A majority of its products feature automatic fall detection, and you won’t have to wait long to get the help you need and deserve.
Medical Guardian vs Bay Alarm Medical FAQs
- Is Bay Alarm Medical better than Medical Guardian?
That depends on what you’re looking for in a medical alert system. Medical Guardian will be more satisfying for tech-savvy customers, but Bay Alarm Medical is the perfect fit for people who don’t want extra accessories and apps, and plan to use the product only for its main purpose: calling for help.
- What is the monthly cost of the Medical Guardian Alert?
Medical Guardian’s plans start at $29.95 per month, and its three on-the-go plans start at $39.95 a month. There are also additional fees, such as On Guard Alerts for an extra $3 a month and automatic fall detection for $10 a month.
- What is the monthly cost of the Bay Alarm Medical alert system?
Bay Alarm Medical’s plans start at $27.95 a month, while plans for the on-the-go devices start at $34.95 a month. You can pay an additional fee of $10 a month for automatic fall detection.
- Does Medicare pay for Bay Alarm Medical or Medical Guardian?
Unfortunately, Medicare does not cover medical alert systems.
- Do Medical Guardian and Bay Alarm Medical devices work away from home?
Yes. In addition to their classic at-home devices, both Medical Guardian and Bay Alarm Medical offer on-the-go devices, including smartwatches.
