LifeFone vs. Bay Alarm Medical

Medical alert systems are designed to provide seniors and other individuals with disabilities or chronic medical conditions with a way to get help in an emergency. These systems can typically be home-based, mobile, or a combination of both.

Home-based medical alert systems usually consist of a base unit that works either through landline or cellular technology and a personal help button that can be worn as a pendant or bracelet. Mobile medical alert systems are similar to home-based systems, but they are compact, lightweight and use cellular technology instead of a landline. This means they can be used anywhere with a cellular signal.

LifeFone and Bay Alarm Medical are well-established providers of medical alert systems and have been in the industry for decades providing quality products and services to their customers.

LifeFone and Bay Alarm offer a variety of home-based and mobile systems, as well as a wide range of features and prices. While both companies offer quality products, some key differences between them make one a better choice for you than the other. Let's take a closer look at these two providers.

	LifeFone	Bay Alarm Medical
Overall Grade	Overall Grade: A-plus	Overall Grade: A
Costs
Monthly Cost Price	$29.95 - $45.95	$19.95 - $49.95
Device Cost	$0	$0 - $159
Shipping Fee	$11.95	$12
Cancellation Fee	No fee	No fee
Fall Detection Fee	$0 - $10	$0 - $10
Cellular Fee	n/a	n/a
Spouse Monitoring	$39.95	$39
Features
Connectivity Option	Landline, Cellular or Cellular	Landline, Cellular or Cellular
Two-way Speaker & Microphone	Yes	Yes
Home-based Back Up Battery Life	32 hours or 30 hours	32 hours
On-the-go Battery Life	720 hours or 384 hours	6-18 hours or 72 hours
Button Range	1300 ft or 1400 ft	1000 ft
Water Resistant	Yes	Yes
GPS Tracking	Yes, some plans	Yes, some plans
Caregiver App	Yes, some plans	Yes, some plans
Response Time	15 seconds	20 seconds
More Details	See All Plans	See All Plans

LifeFone

Pros:

• A reputable medical alert company in the US for over 40 years
• Devices can cover a range of up to 1400ft
• Offers 100% lifetime warranty
• No activation and cancellation fees
• 24/7 monitoring, including holidays
• Offers a wide range of additional optional devices
• A variety of features such as daily safety checks, activity tracking and medication reminders can be added for a fee
• Offers a 30-day money-back guarantee; any unused prepaid amount will be refunded pro-rated
• Impressive battery life of up to 30 days

Cons:

• Prices and packages can be difficult to understand
• Website can be overwhelming
• Optional services and add-on features might cost a significant amount of money

Bay Alarm Medical Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Payment terms are flexible
• Offers a 30-day trial period for new customers
• No hidden charges
• Plans can be customized according to needs
• Dedicated to providing superior products and services
• Offers a caregiver app with geofencing capability
• 24/7/365 monitoring

Cons:

• Charges one-time equipment fee of $99 and $159 for the mobile GPS help button and smartwatch, respectively

LifeFone Overview

LifeFone has been a well-trusted provider of medical alert systems in the US for over 40 years. The company was supported and recognized by many leading health care providers and third-party organizations including the Better Business Bureau (a consumers' website) which awarded the company an A+ rating.

Apart from the plans they offer, the company also offers a wider range of optional devices with a variety of features and benefits to choose from depending on your needs and preferences. Plus, they offer a 100% lifetime warranty on all of their devices so users won't have to worry about replacement costs.

Medical Alert Systems

At-Home Landline

LifeFone's At-Home Landline is a home-based medical alert system that can be purchased for $29.95 a month. It has a base station that connects to your home's landline phone and has clear two-way communication, as well as coverage that can range up to 1300ft. It also has a backup battery that will last up to 32 hours.

The system also features a room temperature sensor and remote phone answering feature for added protection and convenience. Additionally, it comes with a personal help button that can be worn as a pendant or wristband. Plus, this system can be upgraded with waterproof wearable fall detection for an additional $5 a month.

At-Home Cellular

This plan is ideal for people who don't have a landline service or don't want to use one. The At-Home Cellular system costs $34.95 a month and works similarly to At-Home Landline, with the exception of network connectivity. This system, like any other cellular-connected medical alert device, requires a strong network signal in order to function correctly, so we recommend calling Lifefone's customer support before purchasing one to see whether your area has strong network coverage.

The system includes a base unit that uses AT&T's 4G cellular network with a clear two-way speakerphone, as well as the same backup battery and coverage range as the At-Home Landline. It also comes with a personal help button that can be worn either as a pendant or wristband.

At-Home and On-The-Go

This plan consists of AT&T 4G-LTE-connected base unit, a mobile device with GPS location tracking capability that works as a mobile base unit and a personal help button that can be worn as a pendant or wristband.

More features are included with this system than in the AT-Home system plans The base unit that comes with this plan has a lighted display that shows time, date, ambient temperature, and signal strength information to assist you in locating the best spot for the base unit inside your house. It also includes a backup battery that can survive up to 32 hours without electricity.

This option is ideal for people who want the reassurance of a medical alert system without having to worry about leaving their homes. With this plan, users can set off the alarm from up to 1400ft away from the base unit or 600ft away from the mobile device. This service comes with a monthly monitoring charge of $39.95 and for an extra monthly fee of $10, you may add a wearable fall detection pendant that will automatically call for help if it detects a fall.

At-Home and On-The-Go VIP

The At-Home and On-The-Go VIP plan consists of an all-in-one water-resistant voice-in-pendant that can be worn on the neck or on a belt clip. The device is compatible with 4G LTE cellular service and has a battery life of up to 30 days, making it ideal for people who are constantly on the move.

The portable device also comes with GPS location tracking capability so users can be easily located in case of an emergency and clear two-way voice communication that allows users to speak directly to a care agent through the pendant.

The At-Home and On-The-GO VIP plan can be purchased for a monthly cost of $43.95. Unfortunately, this system does not offer a fall detection function.

At-Home and On-The-Go VIPX

This plan includes a small, yet powerful, waterproof device that works on Verizon and AT&T cellular networks. The device supports clear two-way voice communication, GPS tracking capability, and the option of fall detection for an extra $5 a month. It comes with a battery life of up to 16 days and is available in black, white, and silver colors.

The At Home and On-The-Go VIPX plan costs $45.95 a month, plus an extra $8 a month if users opt to access the caregiver app. The app allows caregivers to keep track of their loved ones' location, activity, first motion of the day, button presses, and battery life.

Bay Alarm Medical Overview

With over 70 years of expertise in the industry, Bay Alarm is one of the most trusted medical alert providers today in the US. The company offers a wide range of medical alert systems to meet the needs of any user, whether they are at home or on the go. This company is committed to excellence and experience, offering 24/7 monitoring service through their own CSAA Five Diamond Certified professional monitoring centers.

Monthly monitoring costs for Bay Alarm's medical alert systems start at $19.95 and go up to $39.95 a month, which is less than what other companies 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.

Medical Alert Systems

In-Home Basic

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 combination of home and mobile devices that provides the best of both worlds. For $49.95 per month, on top of the one-time device cost of $99, you may have the In-Home Preferred + Mobile device + Fall Detection. This package reduces the overall cost compared to purchasing each plan separately.

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.

Let's talk about how these two providers compare in terms of their pricing.

When it comes to monthly monitoring fees, Bay Alarm offers more affordable options with their plans starting at $19.95. However, Bay Alarm charges one-time equipment fees for the devices they provide their customers while LifeFone does not. This is a thing to consider since not all users are comfortable with making an upfront payment.

Both companies do not charge cellular and cancellation fees so users are free to change their minds about the service anytime they want. On the other hand, both companies charge their customers a shipping fee amounting to $12. Additionally, they both charge an additional monthly cost for the fall detection feature that can really be helpful, especially for the elderly. LifeFone charges $5 a month while Bay Alarm charges $10 a month for this feature.

Another important cost to take into account is the charge for an extra button for spouse monitoring. Life Fone offers this service for an additional one-time fee of $39.95 while Bay Alarm only charges $39 for each extra button.

Let's now go over the features each company offers and see how they compare.

LifeFone offers five medical alert system plans, each of which comes with a water-resistant phone and a two-way speaker and microphone for clear communication. The company provides systems that may be used with either a landline or cellular network connection. LifeFone's home-based systems have backup batteries that can last 30 to 32 hours in the event of a power outage. Plus, the systems can cover a range of up to 1300ft to 1400ft.

Meanwhile, the company's on-the-go devices can last from 16 to 30 days and can cover a range of up to 600ft from the mobile base unit. Additionally, the devices offer GPS location tracking capability which is essential in locating users' whereabouts in case of an emergency. Plus, LifeFone's VIPX can have access to their caregiver app for an additional $8 a month.

On the other hand, Bay Alarm offers eight system plans which can also be used with either a landline or cellular network connection. The company's home-based devices have backup batteries that can last up to 32 hours and coverage that ranges up to 1000ft. Whereas their on-the-go devices can last up to 72 hours or 3 days. What's good about Bay Alarm is that the company offers a smartwatch-like medical alert device for a fashionable and discreet way of getting help.

Both companies have a caregiver app but LifeFone charges an additional $8 a month for users to access this while Bay Alarm offers it free.

Monitoring Center

LifeFone's monitoring center is 100% US-based and it operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. Calls and alerts are typically answered within 15 seconds, and their coverage is available nationwide.

The company's monitoring center is recognized by a number of third-party organizations. They are TMA Five Diamond Certified, UL-certified, and FM-approved. This means that their response center meets or exceeds the highest standards in the industry. LifeFone's unique emergency care plan allows users, their caregivers and family members to customize the company's care agents' response to fit their specific needs. For instance, users may ask the care agents to call their loved ones first before contacting emergency responders in case of an emergency.

Bay Alarm's monitoring centers also operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. The company has two monitoring centers located in Utah and Idaho. Both of their monitoring centers are CSAA Five Diamond Certified which means they have met the strictest guidelines in the industry. They also undergo random inspections by the UL testing facility to make sure they are keeping up with the standards.

Moreover, their emergency response operators can accommodate up to 170 languages which means they can give out help and support even to non-English callers. Some of the languages they can cater to are Spanish, Chinese, Farsi, Vietnamese, & Russian.

OUR PICK

As mentioned earlier, both companies have been in the industry for decades already making them both reliable when it comes to providing medical alert systems and emergency response services. Both companies offer products and services that are top-notch and are sure to meet the needs of their users.

In terms of the number of plans offered, Bay Alarm Medical has more to choose from as they offer 8 system plans while LifeFone only has 5. However, it's worth noting that LifeFone's plans are more comprehensive as they offer more features than Bay Alarm's.

What sets LifeFone apart is that the company provides an emergency care plan that can be customized to users' liking. This makes it easier for users, their caregivers, and family members to manage the company's response in case of an emergency.

Hence, we believe that LifeFone is the better pick when compared to Bay Alarm.