Bay Alarm Medical vs. Medical Guardian

As old age sets in, our body slowly loses the ability to function as it once did. This is a natural process that happens to everyone, and there’s no way to prevent it. However, there are ways to manage the effects of aging, so that we can maintain our independence and quality of life for as long as possible.

One way to do this is to get a medical alert system. These systems typically include a wearable help button that, when pressed, will connect the user to a 24-hour monitoring center. This way, if there’s an emergency at home or elsewhere, help is always just a button press away.

Medical alert systems have come a long way in recent years, thanks to advances in technology. Many of today’s systems use WiFi, GPS, and cellular connections to offer even more coverage and peace of mind. Some systems even allow users to wear them outside the home, so they can stay connected no matter where they go.

Bay Alarm Medical and Medical Guardian are two of the most popular medical alert system providers in the US. Both companies offer a variety of system options and pricing plans to fit different needs and budgets, with no long-term contracts required.

Both companies have received an overall rating of A from Elderguide. Let's take a closer look at each company and compare their offerings in terms of features, costs and overall effectiveness.

	Bay Alarm Medical	Medical Guardian
Overall Grade	Overall Grade: A	Overall Grade: A
Costs
Monthly Cost Price	$19.95 - $49.95	$29.95 - $39.95
Device Cost	$0 - $159	$0 - $199.95
Shipping Fee	$12	$12.5
Cancellation Fee	No fee	No fee
Fall Detection Fee	$0 - $10	$1 - $10
Cellular Fee	n/a	n/a
Spouse Monitoring	$39	$0 - $2.99
Features
Connectivity Option	Cellular or Landline	Cellular or Landline
Two-way Speaker & Microphone	Yes	Yes
Home-based Back Up Battery Life	32 hours	32 hours
On-the-go Battery Life	6-18 hours or 72 hours	120 hours, 120 hours or 24 hours
Button Range	1000 ft	1400 ft, 500 ft or 1300 ft
Water Resistant	Yes	Yes
GPS Tracking	Yes, some plans	Yes, some plans
Caregiver App	Yes, some plans	Yes, some plans
Response Time	20 seconds	20 seconds
More Details	See All Plans	See All Plans

Bay Alarm Medical

Pros:

• Flexible payment terms
• Offers 30-day trial period
• No hidden charges
• Plans can be customized according to needs and budget
• Dedicated to providing the best service
• Offers caregiver app with geofencing capability
• 24/7 monitoring

Cons:

• Charges $99 and $159 one-time device fee for mobile GPS help button and smartwach, respectively
• Fall detection costs $10 a month

Medical Guardian

Pros:

• Availability of automatic fall detection feature
• Availability of GPS location tracking feature
• 24/7 US-based monitoring
• Plans can be customized according to you preferences
• Wide in-home coverage

Cons:

• Spouse monitoring is not available on all devices
• Expensive upfront costs and fees
• Limited add-ons

Bay Alarm Medical Overview

Monthly monitoring fees from Bay Alarm start at $19.95 up to $49.95 a month, which is less than what most other companies charge. Their home-based system has two connectivity options – through a landline or wirelessly through 4G-LTE AT&T or Verizon network.

The company's devices are water-resistant, so users may use them while in the shower or even when out in the rain. The devices also include a built-in two-way speaker and microphone for clear communication with the monitoring center.

Meanwhile, their on-the-go devices come with GPS location tracking, so loved ones can always see where users are. Plus, the devices can be connected to a caregiver app, which allows caregivers and family members to track the user's location and receive notifications when the help button is pressed.

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

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 with a range of 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.

Medical Guardian Overview

Medical Guardian offers plans that are very similar to Bay Alarm's. They have a home-based system and an on-the-go system, both of which connect through a landline or cellular network.

Medical Guardian's home-based system starts at $29.95 a month with an additional $10 for fall detection. Whereas their on-the-go systems offer a fixed monthly monitoring fee of $39.95 with a one-time equipment fee that differs depending on the device.

Medical Alert Systems

Classic Guardian

The Classic Guardian is a medical alert system that is relatively affordable, with monthly costs of only $29.95/month. It also has landline connectivity and a wearable fall detection option for an additional $10/month. The base unit has a range of 1300ft and can last up to 32 hours on battery backup. Plus, this device is water-resistant and features an SOS flashlight.

Home 2.0

Home 2.0 is a system that includes a base unit and help button, which connect through a cellular network. The system costs $34.95 per month, with a one-time device fee of $124.95. You may also opt to add a wearable fall detection device for an additional $10 per month.

The base unit features a built-in speaker and microphone for clear two-way communication, as well as a backup battery that can last up to 32 hours. It has a range of up to 1400ft from the base unit, so you can be sure to get the help you need wherever you are in your home.

Mobile 2.0

The Mobile 2.0 comes with a portable, lightweight base unit that can be clipped to your belt or carried in a purse. It also has a personal help button that can be worn as a pendant or wristband. The base unit has a built-in speaker and microphone for clear two-way communication, and it also has a long-lasting battery that can last up 5 days.

Additionally, the device is water resistant so it can withstand getting wet, and it can even be carried in the shower or during rainstorms. The personal help button can also work up to 500ft away from the base unit.

This system can be purchased for a monthly monitoring fee of $39.95 with a one-time device cost of $124.95.

Mini Guardian

The Mini Guardian is a lightweight, wearable help button that can be purchased for a monthly monitoring fee of $39.95 and a one-time device cost of $149.95.

The device has a long-lasting battery that can last up to 5 days without being charged and can be worn in the shower. Additionally, the button can be worn as a necklace, can be clipped to the user's belt or clothing, or can even be placed in a pocket.

The device comes with an HD speaker and microphone that is used when communicating directly with an emergency response operator, ensuring clear communication in case of an emergency. With a strong cellular network, the Mini Guardian can be taken anywhere, providing peace of mind no matter where you or your loved ones go.

Mini Guardian can be upgraded to include automatic fall detection for an additional $10 a month, which will automatically call for help if the user falls and is unable to press their button.

MG Move

MG Move is a water-resistant, cellular-connected Smartwatch-like medical alert device that offers features beyond emergency monitoring. The device includes a touch screen display, a built-in speaker and microphone, and an SOS button. It also features a step tracker and a weather app. The device costs $39.95 a month with a one-time equipment fee of $199.95.

MG Move comes with a free automatic fall detection upgrade, which will automatically call for help if the user falls and is unable to press their button.

When it comes to pricing, both Bay Alarm Medical and Medical Guardian offer some of the most affordable options in the medical alert industry. However, among these two providers, Bay Alarm offers less expensive plans with their systems starting at $19.95 a month. Medical Guardian’s systems start at $29.95 a month, which is still a very reasonable price.

Both companies charge their customers a shipping and one-time equipment fee for some of their devices and again, Bay Alarm charges less than Medical Guardian does. Both companies offer automatic fall detection that may come with any of the systems for an additional monthly cost of $10.

On the other hand, an added extra button for spouse monitoring costs $39 more from Bay Alarm while it only costs $2.99 a month from Medical Guardian. Hence, depending on the features that are most important to you and your budget, either company could be a good option for you.

Let's now talk about the similarities and differences of the features that these two companies offer.

Bay Alarm Medical and Medical Guardian both provide a base unit that can be connected via a landline or a cellular connection. The two-way speaker in their base units allows for clear communication between the user and the emergency response operator. In the event of a power outage, their devices come with backup battery power that lasts 32 hours.

Bay Alarm's equipment has a consistent coverage that ranges up to 1000ft, while Medical Guardian's products cover a range from 500ft up to 1400ft, depending on the type of system that you choose. Every system the two companies offer comes with a personal help button. This help button may be worn as a necklace or a wristband. While Bay Alarm provides on-the-go devices that may survive up to 72 hours or 3 days before recharging, Medical Guardian offers on-the-go products that can last longer than 5 days.

Finally, both companies offer Smartwatch-style medical alert devices and our pick for the best smartwatch-style medical alert device goes to Bay Alarm as it offers more features and added protection than Medical Guardian's product.

Monitoring Center

Bay Alarm and Medical Guardian have 100% US-based state-of-the-art monitoring centers that operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. Both companies have nationwide coverage in the US which means they can provide services to their customers no matter where they are in the country.

Bay Alarm received CSAA Five Diamond Certification while Medical Guardian is TMA Five Diamond Certified - the two highest accreditations that a monitoring center can receive. These recognitions are a testament to the reliability and quality of the services that these companies provide.

In the event of an emergency, both companies' operators can attend to the customer within 20 seconds. Bay Alarm's emergency response operators can accommodate non-English customers as they offer language support for over 170 languages.

OUR PICK

Comparing these two companies side-by-side, it is clear that they are both great choices for a medical alert system. It is a considerably close call, but our pick for the better medical alert system goes to Bay Alarm Medical.

Bay Alarm has more affordable systems and equipment, its base unit has more features, and its mobile app provides more benefits than Medical Guardian's. While both companies have excellent monitoring centers that are Five Diamond Certified by different organizations, Bay Alarm's operators can provide language support for over 170 languages - making it a better choice for non-English speakers.

If you are looking for an affordable yet comprehensive medical alert system, Bay Alarm might have one for you.