Medical alert systems are an important way to ensure that seniors and other vulnerable populations can get the help they need in an emergency. These systems typically include a base unit and a wearable help button that can be activated in the event of an emergency.
Aloe Care Health and Bay Alarm Medical are two of the most popular medical alert system providers on the market. They both offer a variety of features and services that can be beneficial for seniors who live alone or have medical conditions that require close monitoring.
We both awarded them an overall grade of A. Let's take a closer look at the two systems to see how they compare in terms of features, costs, and overall effectiveness.
Aloe Care Health vs Bay Alarm Medical:Features & Pricing
 |  | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | Overall Grade: A | Overall Grade: A | ||
| Costs | ||||
| Monthly Cost Price | $24.99 - $49.99 | $19.95 - $49.95 | ||
| Device Cost | $99.99 - $349.99 | $0 - $159 | ||
| Shipping Fee | n/a | $12 | ||
| Cancellation Fee | No fee | No fee | ||
| Fall Detection Fee | n/a | $0 - $10 | ||
| Cellular Fee | n/a | n/a | ||
| Spouse Monitoring | $29.99 | $39 | ||
| Features | ||||
| Connectivity Option | Cellular or Cellular | Cellular or Cellular | ||
| Two-way Speaker & Microphone | Yes | Yes | ||
| Home-based Back Up Battery Life | 4-6 hours | 32 hours | ||
| On-the-go Battery Life | 120 hours | 6-18 hours or 72 hours | ||
| Button Range | 200 ft or 200 ft | 1000 ft | ||
| Water Resistant | Yes | Yes | ||
| GPS Tracking | Yes, some plans | Yes, some plans | ||
| Caregiver App | Yes | Yes, some plans | ||
| Response Time | 30 seconds or 30 seconds | 20 seconds | ||
| More Details | See All Plans | See All Plans | ||
Aloe Care Health vs Bay Alarm Medical:Pros and Cons
Aloe Care Health
Pros:
- Reasonable monthly monitoring fees
- Availability of free mobile app - Aloe Care Health App
- 24/7 professional emergency monitoring
- Voice-activated system
- Does not charge for an additional fall detection fee as it's already included in their monthly subscription fee
- Free shipping on all orders plus offers to expedite shipping for an additional cost
- Motion sensors availability with their Total Care plan
Cons:
- One-time device cost shall be paid upon purchasing a plan and it's somewhat more expensive than what other providers charge
- Devices are waterproof but are not recommended to be submerged in water for too long
- Buttons only have 200ft range from the base station
Bay Alarm Medical
Pros:
- Low monthly monitoring fees
- Fall detection feature is available for an additional monthly fee
- Quick response rate at 20 seconds
- Offers a 30-day trial period
- Plans are flexible and can be customized according to your specific needs
Cons:
- Extra buttons cost more than what other providers charge
- One-time device cost shall be paid upon purchasing a plan
Aloe Care Health Overview
Aloe Care's plans start at $24.99 up to $49.99 a month, which is average for the industry. They don't require a long-term contract, so you're free to cancel their services at any time. Though like some other medical alert system providers, they do charge a one-time device that you have to pay upfront upon purchasing a plan.
What's also good about their systems is that automatic fall detection is already included in their monthly subscription fee. Other providers charge an additional monthly fee for this feature so it's nice to see that Aloe Care is already including it in their base price.
One downside of their system is that the buttons only have a 200ft range from the base station. So if you live in a large home, you might need to purchase an extra button so that you can still be covered in the event of an emergency.
Medical Alert Systems
- Emergency Response
- Type of Device
- Connectivity Option
- One-Time Device Cost
- Wearable Fall Detection
- Home Battery Backup
- On-The-Go Battery Life
- Shipping Fee
- Response Time
- Spouse Monitoring
- GPS Tracking
- Caregiver App
- Voice Activated
- Button Activated
- Water Resistance
- Speaker & Microphone
- Button Range
- Cancellation Fee
Mobile Companion
Mobile Companion is Aloe Care's on-the-go device that offers LTE coverage. It's a small, pocket-sized device that has a fall sensor and two-way voice communication. It also has real-time GPS tracking and can last up to 5 days on a single charge. The monthly subscription for this service is $24.99 a month. This plan comes with a one-time device cost of $99.99.
Essentials
Aloe Care's Essentials plan includes a voice-activated, 4G LTE-connected base console called Smart Hub and a wearable Care Button. This home-based system costs $29.99 a month with a one-time device cost of $99.99.
The Smart Hub acts as the brains of the system and is equipped with motion, temperature, and air quality sensors. It also has a button to trigger an alarm that will notify the monitoring center. The Care Button is a wearable device that has a range of 200ft and can also be used to trigger an alarm.
Essentials Plus
The Essentials Plus plan costs $39.99 a month plus a one-time fee of $249.99 for the device cost. The one-time purchase fee includes a Smart Hub base that is voice-activated and has built-in motion, temperature, and air quality sensors; a wearable Care Button to call for help up to 200ft range; and a Mobile Companion device with wearable fall detection and AT&T LTE coverage nationwide.
Total Care
Aloe Care's Total Care package includes their Smart Hub base station that's voice-activated and has built-in motion, temperature, and air quality sensors. You also get their wearable Care Button to call for help up to 200ft away as well as their Mobile Companion device with AT&T LTE coverage nationwide. This plan also includes two additional mobile security features: two motion sensors and automatic fall detection.
This plan is the most expensive they offer which costs $49.99 a month with a one-time device cost of $349.99. It includes everything from their Essentials Plus plan but with a few more features.
Bay Alarm Medical Overview
Bay Alarm's monthly monitoring fees start at $19.95 up to $39.95 a month, which is lower than what most other providers charge. Their home-based system has two connectivity options – through a landline or wirelessly through 4G-LTE AT&T or Verizon network.
Their devices are water-resistant which means you can use them even when you're in the shower or when you're outside your home in the rain. Bay Alarm's quick response rate of 20 seconds is one of the fastest in the industry.
One downside of their system is that they charge an additional monthly fee of $10 for fall detection. So if you're interested in this feature, you'll need to factor that into your monthly budget.
Medical Alert Systems
- Emergency Response
- Type of Device
- Connectivity Option
- One-Time Device Cost
- Wearable Fall Detection
- Home Battery Backup
- On-The-Go Battery Life
- Shipping Fee
- Response Time
- Spouse Monitoring
- GPS Tracking
- Caregiver App
- Voice Activated
- Button Activated
- Water Resistance
- Speaker & Microphone
- Button Range
- Cancellation Fee
In-Home Basic
This is the most basic plan that Bay Alarm offers. This plan uses landline as connectivity option and is valued at $19.95 a month. This plan includes waterproof devices with buttons ranging up to 1000ft. Optional fall detection can be added to this plan at $10 a month.
In-Home Preferred
The In-Home Preferred plan from Bay Alarm is a cellular-connected home-based system that provides a variety of features for a monthly fee of $29.95. This plan also includes fall detection, which can be added for an additional $10 a month.
This plan is popular because it offers free shipping when you pay quarterly, and free shipping plus a free one-month monitoring fee when you pay annually.
In-Home Premium
This plan includes a base unit, a help button, and four wall buttons that you can place around the house for added security. You can get this plan for $39.95 a month, or quarterly or annually for a discounted rate. You also have the option to add fall detection for an additional $10 a month.
SOS Mobile Lite
Bay Alarm's ultra-compact and lightweight on-the-go device is a great choice for those who are always on the go and need to have a reliable and easy-to-use mobile medical alert system. Unlike their home-based system, SOS Mobile requires a one-time device payment of $99.
The device is available on both AT&T and Verizon 4G-LTE networks and comes with a caregiver tracking app and GPS location tracking feature. Plus, the device is IPX6 water-resistant and can last up to 3 days after a full charge. Fall detection monitoring is available for an additional $10 a month.
SOS Mobile Plus
This plan is very similar to SOS Mobile Lite and their only difference is the automatic fall detection comes free with this plan. This plan has a monthly monitoring fee of $39.95 and comes with a one-time equipment fee of $99.
SOS Mobile 360° Bundle
This system is a bundle of home-based and on-the-go devices that offers the best of both worlds. You can have In-Home Preferred + Mobile device + Fall Detection for only $49.95 a month, on top of the one-time device cost of $99. This bundle saves you a significant amount compared to subscribing to the two plans separately. The same offer comes with the Mobile 360° Bundle plan when you opt to pay it quarterly or annually.
SOS Smartwatch
The SOS Smartwatch is another option on Bay Alarm's on-the-go systems. Just like the SOS Mobile, it is priced at $29.95 a month but with an additional $159 equipment fee for the smartwatch.
The SOS Smartwatch does not come with a fall detection monitoring feature, but it does have optimal display lighting, clear two-way communication, an SOS button, and step tracker. The device is also powered by the 4G-LTE cellular network, which allows fast response speed and GPS location tracking. The device has a modern look, is water-resistant, and has a battery life of 6 to 18 hours.
In-home + Smartwatch
This is yet another package they offer. The plan costs $49.95 a month. You'll save money by taking advantage of this plan, which also includes access to 24/7 monitoring service, location tracking, and in-home protection.
Aloe Care Health vs Bay Alarm Medical:Cost Comparison
Bay Alarm's system is a lot more affordable with its monitoring fees that start at $19.95 a month and one-time equipment fees that cost only $99 for its SOS Mobile and $159 for its SOS Smartwatch. Whereas, Aloe Care has a higher monthly monitoring fee starting at $24.99 up to $49.99 and one-time equipment fee starting from $99.99 to $349.99.
On the other hand, Aloe Care offers free shipping, whereas Bay Alarm charges its customers $12. Additionally, Aloe Care's plans are already equipped with a fall detection feature which costs an additional $10 a month for Bay Alarm's customers.
Lastly, Aloe Care charges lower spouse monitoring/extra button costs for only $29.99 while Bay Alarm charges $39 for the same service.
Aloe Care Health vs Bay Alarm Medical:Features Comparison
When it comes to features, Aloe Care Health and Bay Alarm Medical have different offers. Bay Alarm's home-based system is a lot more basic with its appearance and lack of a caregiver app.
Both of their devices offer two-way communication, GPS location tracking, and fall detection features. However, Bay Alarm only offers a fall detection feature for an additional $10 a month, while Aloe Care's plans already come with this feature.
Bay Alarm's Mobile SOS and Aloe Care's Mobile companion are both compact, lightweight, water-resistant, and with GPS location tracking that is great for those who are always on the go.
However, Aloe Care's Mobile Companion has a longer battery life of up to 5 days while Bay Alarm's Mobile SOS only lasts up to 3 days. Moreover, Aloe Care's device can only be used up to 200ft range from the base while Bay Alarm's device has a range of up to 1000ft.
Monitoring Center
Aloe Care and Bay Alarm's monitoring centers operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. Both of them are 100% US-based and have nationwide coverage across the country. Aloe Care is TMA Five Diamond Certified and Bay Alarm is CSAA Five Diamond Certified.
While they both have excellent monitoring centers, Aloe Care's average response time is 30 seconds while Bay Alarm has an impressive response time of 20 seconds. Additionally, Aloe Care is only available in English for now but they are currently working on incorporating Mandarin and Spanish into their system. On the other hand, Bay Alarm's emergency response operators can accommodate up to 170 languages which means they can give out help and support even to non-English callers.
Our Pick
After comparing Aloe Care Health and Bay Alarm Medical, we have decided that Bay Alarm Medical is the better choice. This is mainly because their system is more affordable with their monitoring fee which starts at only $19.95 a month. Although Aloe Care's system offers a free fall detection feature, it is not as comprehensive as Bay Alarm's system.
Bay Alarm's home-based premium plan offers more protection than the most expensive Aloe Care plan can offer. With the devices that come along with their plans, you'll surely get more protection for your money with Bay Alarm.
Most importantly, Bay Alarm's monitoring center is more equipped to respond to emergencies with its shorter response time and ability to communicate in various languages. After all, the main purpose of a medical alert system is to be able to get help as soon as possible in case of an emergency.
If you're looking for a medical alert system that can give you the most bang for your buck, then we recommend Bay Alarm Medical.
