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What Comes to Mind with “Medical Alert System”?
When you think of a “medical alert system,” you likely picture a device that allows you to press a button and get in touch with an emergency operator at a monitoring center, who can then send first responders to your location. While most medical alert systems come with monitoring services—available for a monthly fee—there’s also an option for unmonitored systems that don’t involve any recurring fees.
Are No-Fee Medical Alert Systems a Good Choice?
Everyone likes to save money, but are these unmonitored, “no fee” medical alert systems really a smart choice? To explore this, we conducted hands-on evaluations of four popular systems that are available for purchase on Amazon.
Our tests revealed that these systems vary significantly in both functionality and overall quality. In the end, one system emerged as the top performer among the no-fee options. However, we still believe that fully monitored medical alert systems offer better protection overall. Read on to find out why.
Types of No-Fee Medical Alerts
One of the main challenges in selecting a no-fee medical alert system is the sheer variety of types available. A simple Amazon search for “no fee medical alert” brings up more than 60 different products.
Some of these devices aren’t true medical alert systems; instead, they are medical alarms that notify someone in the home when a senior needs assistance or leaves their bed.
Other no-fee medical alerts function as accessories to your smartphone, rather than as independent devices. If the person using it is tech-savvy, these systems might be suitable. We’ve included one such device—Silent Beacon—in our review to showcase this category of systems.
Still, others resemble traditional monitored medical alert systems. These no-fee devices feature an emergency button that contacts 911 directly. The difference is that, while monitored systems connect you to an emergency center that liaises with 911 on your behalf, no-fee systems bypass the middleman, allowing you to speak directly to a 911 operator.
With so many types available, choosing the right system can be confusing.
Hands-On Testing of No-Fee Medical Alert Systems
In this article, we’ve reviewed four leading no-fee medical alert systems to help you navigate the options. Through hands-on testing, we compared their features and performance in real-world situations.
Our reviews focus on systems that closely resemble full-service, monitored medical alert devices. These systems typically share the following characteristics:
- They operate independently without requiring a smartphone.
- They come with a wearable pendant for your wrist, waist, or neck.
- They dial 911 or an emergency contact outside your home.
- They enable two-way communication with emergency operators.
The table below highlights the key features of the four no-fee systems we reviewed.
| LogicMark Guardian 911 | Silent Beacon | SkyAngel 911FD | FastHelp Medical Alert | |
| Home Use | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| On-The-Go Use | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Calls 911 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Calls Personal Contacts | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Two Way Communication | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| GPS Location | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Automatic Fall Detection | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Requires Smartphone | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Price | $229.77 | $89.99 | $179.77 | $149 |
| ReliaScore | 5.1 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 5.8 |
Systems that match our four criteria are similar to monitored medical alert systems, but without the 24/7 monitoring center. Instead, communication is left to you and your emergency contacts. While this saves money, is it the best choice?
Monitored versus Unmonitored Medical Alert Systems
Full-service, monitored medical alert systems from providers like Medical Guardian, Bay Alarm Medical, or Lively Mobile charge between $24.99 and $49.95 per month for 24/7 coverage. This fee covers access to a professionally run emergency monitoring center that acts as an intermediary between you and 911 emergency services.
Is this additional service worth the price, or could you just call 911 directly in an emergency?
We believe that the monitoring services offer four key advantages:
- They track your location. Traditional medical alert systems worked only in the home, but more seniors now opt for mobile medical alert systems or smartwatches that can be used anywhere, whether in the yard, the neighborhood, or while running errands. A monitored system ensures the company operator can determine your location even when you’re not at home—something that most 911 operators cannot do when you’re away from your home phone.
- They send help when you can’t respond. In a medical crisis, if you’re unable to speak, calling 911 yourself isn’t effective. 911 opersators field numerous calls daily, and if the caller can’t communicate, it complicates the situation. With a monitoring service, the operator can speak to 911 on your behalf and dispatch help to your location even if you’re unable to.
- They store your medical history. Most monitored systems ask for your medical background, such as medications and health conditions, during setup. Having this on record allows the operator to share your medical information with emergency responders, which can be crucial in an emergency.
- They notify multiple contacts. While unmonitored systems often allow you to list a few emergency contacts, they typically stop once they reach one. A monitoring service can contact all your emergency contacts as well as 911.
Our Reviews
We tested four unmonitored medical alert systems and identified one clear winner.
The systems we evaluated were:
LogicMark Guardian Alert 911
LogicMark’s Guardian Alert 911 is one of the pricier unmonitored medical alert systems, but it feels outdated. It relies on a home landline and lacks a cellular option.
The system consists of a base unit and a pendant, as shown below.
The system includes a base unit and a pendant, with the base unit plugging into a traditional phone jack. This setup, while functional, may be challenging for seniors who are unfamiliar with splitting phone lines.
The pendant is the size and shape of a small walkie-talkie. It has one button that you push in an emergency. That signals the base unit to dial 911. 911 operators can then speak with you through the pendant. Since the system is home-based and 911 operators know the address associated with your home phone, the operators are able to send help to your address.
Overall we see little advantage to this system over simply dialing 911 yourself using your existing telephone. While other versions of Guardian Alert give you the option to call family members in addition to 911, this version only dials 911. Why not just dial 911 directly from your home phone?
The main value of this system is that you can keep the pendant on your person, which makes it easier to call for help if you fall.
But by that measure, the pendant is large and awkward compared to other wearable emergency buttons. We think it’s too big to wear around the neck comfortably, which means wearing it on your hip is the best option.
Also, though the system is water resistant, LogicMark warns against repeated exposure to water, which means it isn’t fully waterproof. That means you can’t wear the system in the shower, which is a major area where falls can occur.
The pendant requires a AAA battery that you install using a special screwdriver supplied with the system. Use the screwdriver to remove two small screws from the back and add the battery, as shown below. The screws are thin and about the size of eyeglass screws.
While the tiny screws may seem like a small inconvenience, they may be a challenge for a senior with limited dexterity. Keep in mind that your loved one will need to change the battery several times over the life of the system.
Our opinion of the system isn’t helped by the fact that it arrived in the box that had clearly been used before, and possibly used and returned several times.
Overall, we’re not impressed with this system. There are better systems available for less money.
Silent Beacon
Silent Beacon is a Bluetooth accessory that works with your existing smartphone. While the device is well-designed and comes with an easy to use smartphone app, it isn’t a standalone medical alert system.
Though Silent Beacon doesn’t meet one of the four criteria we noted above, we’ve included it to give you an idea of how this type of system works.
Silent Beacon consists of a compact, well-designed panic button that you can wear on your hip or around your neck. It works with a free smartphone app that allows you to pair the beacon with your phone and set up emergency contacts.
We had some minor issues setting up the device. While the operating manual gives instructions for pairing the device with your smartphone, these don’t match the app. We were able to pair the system by charging it, activating Bluetooth on our phone, and then tapping the + symbol in the app.
After pairing, the app told us that beacon calling was not set up, even though we had entered a phone number. The user manual gives no guidance on this. We finally figured out that you needed to set the contact person you entered as your emergency contact. It would be nice if the app walked you through this during setup.
Amazon users report that you can only add one contact. We tried to add a second contact to confirm this, but weren’t allowed to do so using the free version of the app.
To add more contacts, we would need either a Basic subscription for $2.99/month or Plus subscription for $4.99/month. Those prices are low compared to full service medical alerts, but you might not be aware of them when you buy. The company does mention these in the product details on their Amazon page. That page also mentions an Elite plan that includes 24/7 call center monitoring, but this option wasn’t available in the app at the time we tested the device.
Though the manual claims up to 60m (180 ft) range between the beacon and your phone, we found connectivity dropping if you move more than 30 feet from your phone, which is a typical Bluetooth range. Fortunately the device pairs again once you move within range. Also, the phone app can issue an alert if pairing is lost for any reason.
The device doesn’t feature automatic fall detection, which means it operates as a pure emergency help button.
We can see the Silent Beacon’s utility as a personal emergency response device. In a crisis you may not want to dig your phone out of a purse and then fumble to dial 911 or use the iPhones’ awkward emergency dialing feature. Instead you can wear the Silent Beacon around your neck and just push the button for help.
As a medical alert system, you can view the Silent Beacon as being comparable to a first generation in-home medical alert system. Like Silent Beacon, these systems feature a wearable button that connects through a base station to call for help. In this case the base station is your smartphone.
If, like us, you tend to leave your phone on the counter while at home, the beacon allows you to call for help if you can’t reach your phone.
If you’re considering an in-home medical alert for a senior who is comfortable using a smartphone and an app, Silent Beacon is a good, affordable choice.
But if you or your loved one aren’t smartphone savvy, a monitored mobile medical alert system with built-in fall detection may be a simpler and better alternative.
SkyAngel 911 FD
If you’re determined to buy an unmonitored medical alert system instead of a fully monitored system, then we think the SkyAngel 911 FD is the best choice on the market.
This medical alert stands out among the “no fee” systems we tested because it has two key features:
- Emergency cellular service
- Automatic fall detection
Though you don’t pay a monthly fee for SkyAngel, the system includes emergency cellular service. The system is fully independent and doesn’t require pairing with a cell phone or a connection to your home landline.
That means that the SkyAngel is a true mobile medical alert system that you can take with you wherever you go.
If you have an emergency away from home, pushing the SOS button places an emergency call to 911.
The system also includes automatic fall detection, which triggers a call to 911 anytime a fall is detected. This feature makes SykAngel stand out from the other unmonitored systems we tested.
In our tests, we could trigger an emergency alert by holding the Sky Angel at shoulder height and dropping it onto a countertop. The system immediately initiated a call to 911, but gave us an option to cancel the call by pushing the SOS button. In our tests, its fall detection was comparable to that of the monitored mobile medical alerts we tested, such as Lively Mobile+ or Bay Alarm’s SOS Mobile.
When you call 911, the SkyAngel features two-way voice communication that lets you speak to the operators. Unfortunately, that’s where you reach the limitations of the system.
Yes, you can communicate with 911 operators through the device. But if you’re away from home, you’ll need to tell the emergency operator your exact location to get help.
Companies that offer monitored medical alert systems have their own emergency operators who are able to see the medical alert’s current location using a GPS signal. They can then communicate with you and with 911 operators to send help where it’s needed.
911 operators in most parts of the United States can’t identify a cell phone’s current location. So SkyAngel isn’t able to tell them where you are. What’s more, if you’re unconscious or unable to speak, 911 operators will have no idea about the nature or place of your emergency.
These are serious limitations you should consider before buying.
Those concerns aside, the system itself is stylish, compact and feels good in your hand. Though the system arrived partially charged, we were able to use it after a few minutes of charging. Other than that, the system arrived fully set up.
FastHelp
A small, convenient medical alert system that works at home or around town, FastHelp is similar to the Sky Angels 911 FD medical alert system.
FastHelp is similar to SkyAngel 911 FD in that it doesn’t require a monthly fee and has built-in emergency cellular service. It’s a convenient and portable option, but it lacks fall detection. Additionally, the audio quality during our tests was poor, making it difficult for both us and the 911 operator to hear each other clearly.
This system is good in theory but needs improvement in its hardware.
Read our detailed review of FastHelp Medical Alert here.
Bottom Line: Should You Buy a No Fee Medical Alert?
We were impressed with the SkyAngel 911 FD and chose it as the Best No Fee Medical Alert System. At a price tag of $179.77, it’s a viable choice especially if you’re highly sensitive to price.
However, before you buy an unmonitored system we strongly recommend that you take a look at a full service mobile medical alert system such as the SOS Mobile from Bay Alarm Medical. A system like the SOS Mobile has a higher cost, but we see the value of an emergency monitoring center that can share your exact location with 911 and communicate with them if you aren’t able to speak in an emergency.
We think that’s worth the additional cost. And to help with the cost, some full-service companies offer discounts to AARP members that can reduce the price of monitored systems.
