LifeFone vs. GetSafe

It only makes sense that as we grow older, we begin to think about our safety a little bit more. As our muscles start to deteriorate and we are no longer as agile as we used to be, the risk of injuries and accidents starts to increase. More so, various health conditions can start to develop, which can also lead to dangerous situations.

That's why it's important to have a reliable medical alert system in place, one that can help you or your loved ones in the event of an emergency. Not just elders, but anybody who lives alone or has a medical condition that might require immediate assistance can benefit from medical alert systems.

There are several medical alert systems on the market and two popular ones are LifeFone and GetSafe. Both of these systems offer a variety of features and benefits, but which one is the best for you or your loved one?

	LifeFone	GetSafe
Overall Grade	Overall Grade: A-plus	Overall Grade: A
Costs
Monthly Cost Price	$29.95 - $45.95	$24.95
Device Cost	$0	$79 - $279
Shipping Fee	$11.95	$12
Cancellation Fee	No fee	No fee
Fall Detection Fee	$0 - $10	$10
Cellular Fee	n/a	n/a
Spouse Monitoring	$39.95	$25
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	No
Button Range	1300 ft or 1400 ft	No
Water Resistant	Yes	Yes
GPS Tracking	Yes, some plans	No
Caregiver App	Yes, some plans	No
Response Time	15 seconds	20 seconds
More Details	See All Plans	See All Plans

LifeFone

Pros:

• A reputable medical alert company 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 as the website can be overwhelming
• Optional services and add-on features might cost a significant amount of money

GetSafe

Pros:

• Offers non-wearable medical alert devices
• Monthly monitoring fees are affordable and budget-friendly
• Offers a 30-day free trial period for new customers
• Does not require long-term contracts
• Availability of extra buttons as add-ons

Cons:

• Expensive one-time equipment fee
• Does not offer devices such as smartwatch or touchscreen tablet
• Lacks activity tracking, medication reminders, etc.

LifeFone Overview

LifeFone is a medical alert system that aims to assist seniors and disabled individuals in keeping safe during an emergency. The firm has been in the business for more than 40 years and provides a variety of services that may be customized to each consumer's demands. LifeFone has received praise from prominent health care professionals as well as third-party organizations such as Better Business Bureau, which gave it an A+ rating.

LifeFone also offers its unique personalized emergency care plan. This service allows the user's caregivers and family members to receive phone, email, and text notifications in case of an emergency. This service also allows users to customize the response of LifeFone's care agents based on their needs and preferences.

Medical Alert Systems

At-Home Landline

LifeFone's At-Home Landline is a home-based system that comes with a monthly monitoring fee of $29.95. The system includes a landline-connected base unit with a clear two-way speakerphone, as well as a backup battery that lasts up to 32 hours and coverage up to 1300ft.

The At-Home Landline system also consists of a personal help button that may be worn as a pendant or wristband, as well as an automatic room temperature sensor that will notify the user's caregiver or family member when the home's temperature rises above or falls below their customized levels.

Additionally, this system can also answer incoming calls from the user's telephone landline. When the telephone rings, users can press the help button on their base unit or pendant and it will automatically connect the call to the base unit through the device's speakerphone.

At-Home Cellular

This plan is perfect for users that do not have landline service or prefer not to use one. The At-Home Cellular system costs $34.95 a month, and functions the same as At-Home Landline, the only difference is their connectivity option. This system, like any other cellular-connected medical alert system, needs a steady network signal to function properly, so we recommend contacting Lifefone's customer care before purchasing to verify whether your area is covered by the network.

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 a base unit that connects to AT&T's 4G LTE cellular network, a mobile device that functions as a mobile base unit with GPS location tracking capability and battery that can last up to 30 hours, and a personal help button that can be worn as a pendant or wristband.

The base unit that comes with this plan has more features than what's included in the AT-Home system plans. It features a lighted display that shows time, date, ambient temperature, and a signal strength indicator to help you find the best location for the base unit inside your home. It also has a backup battery that can last up to 32 hours in case the power goes out.

This plan is perfect for users who want the protection of a medical alert system while also being able to leave their homes without worry. With this, you'll be able to trigger the alarm from up to 1400ft away from the base unit, or up to 600ft away with the mobile device. This plan can be purchased for a monthly monitoring fee of $39.95. A wearable automatic fall detection pendant can be added to this plan at an additional monthly cost of $10.

At-Home and On-The-Go VIP

At-Home and On-The-Go VIP pan 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 works with 4G-LTE cellular service and has a battery life of up to 30 days, making it ideal for users who are frequently on the go.

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

A small powerful waterproof device that uses Verizon and AT&T cellular networks comes with this plan. The device features clear two-way voice communication, GPS location tracking capability, and optional fall detection that costs an additional $5 a month. It has a battery life of up to 16 days and is available in colors black, white and silver.

The At Home and On-The-Go VIPX system costs $45.95 a month and if you opt to access the caregiver app, it will cost an additional $8 a month. The app allows caregivers to track the location, activity, first motion of the day, button presses, and battery levels of their loved ones.

GetSafe Overview

GetSafe was established in 2015 as part of the Bay Alarm Family of Companies, the company that owns Bay Alarm Medical. Unlike most companies on our list of best medical alert system providers, GetSafe does not offer a landline-connected system, choosing instead to focus on more modern, cellular-based technology.

GetSafe offers a fixed monthly subscription fee of $24.95 so users only need to pay for the device cost upfront. The amount of equipment you'll need is determined only by the amount of coverage your property requires, which we like. It's different from the traditional way medical alert companies price their services in which the monthly payment generally rises as you add more buttons and devices.

The devices included in GetSafe's systems are the base unit, voice-activated wall button, and standard wall button. Their device options are impressive as they offer three ways to get you help: call, press, and pull.

The 4G-LTE base unit is an easy-to-use, cellular-connected, in-home console that acts as the control center for the medical alert system. It has a two-way speakerphone, so you can communicate with the monitoring center directly from the unit.

There's also an emergency button attached to the unit that, when pressed, will immediately send a signal to the monitoring center and start the help process. The base unit has a 32-hour backup battery so it can operate even if the electricity goes out. It looks great too – it comes in a modern white finish that would complement any home decor.

The voice-activated wall button is a compact, wireless and water-resistant device that can be placed anywhere in your home – next to your bed, in the bathroom, on the staircase, etc. It is voice-enabled and has a button and a pull-cord that gives users various ways to get help.

The standard wall button is a simpler version of the voice-activated wall button. The button is wireless, water-resistant, and easy to install but it lacks a voice-activation feature. We recommend placing this device by the shower and other areas where falls and accidents will most likely occur.

Medical Alert Systems

Starter

GetSafe's Starter is their most basic plan, suitable for small apartments or houses with only one bedroom. This includes one 4G-LTE base unit, one voice-activated wall button, and one personal help button. All of GetSafe's plans include a monthly monitoring fee of $24.95, but this plan costs an additional $79 upfront for the device fee.

Standard

The Standard plan includes one 4G-LTE base unit, two voice-activated wall buttons, one standard wall button, and one personal help button. The one-time equipment fee for this package is $179. This is designed for single-family houses with two to three bedrooms.

Select

This plan includes one 4G-LTE base unit, three voice-activated wall buttons, two standard wall buttons, and one personal help button. The one-time device fee for this plan costs $279. GetSafe's Select plan is designed to provide protection for larger, multi-level homes with many bedrooms and bathrooms.

These two providers offer medical alert systems at very different pricing points. LifeFone charges a higher monthly rate than GetSafe, but they do not charge any equipment fees. GetSafe, on the other hand, has a lower fixed monthly monitoring cost, although they do charge an equipment fee that ranges from $79 to $129 depending on the system you choose.

Both companies charge the same amount for the shipping fee, which is $12. If users opt to add an extra button for spouse monitoring, LifeFone charges $39, while GetSafe charges only $25 for each button. When it comes to the optional fall detection, LifeFone charges an additional $5 a month, while GetSafe charges an extra monthly cost of $10 for the same service.

As you can see, GetSafe is the more affordable option when considering the total monthly cost. And while LifeFone does not charge an equipment fee, their monthly monitoring fee is almost double that of GetSafe's, making them a less budget-friendly choice in the long run. However, when comparing price points, you must also consider the devices and services provided by the companies. This way, you can make an informed decision about which company offers the best value for your specific needs.

Let's now talk about the features that both companies offer. One major difference between the two providers is that LifeFone offers systems that cover a range of up to 1400ft, connect through landline and cellular networks, and can be used both at home and on the go while Get Safe's three system plans are all home-based and connect through a cellular network only.

This is a major consideration for users who want a system that they can take with them when they travel. Additionally, in order for these cellular-connected systems to work properly, there must be a strong cell signal in the home. This could be a problem for users who live in rural areas or places with spotty cell service.

Moreover, LifeFone offers a caregiver app for an additional monthly cost of $8 while GetSafe does not have this service. Included in LifeFone's on-the-go devices are battery life that lasts up to 30 days and GPS location tracking capability. GetSafe's home-based system, on the other hand, offers customers three convenient ways to summon help in the event of an emergency - call, press, and play.

OUR PICK

In conclusion, both LifeFone and Get Safe are great choices for affordable and reliable medical alert systems. However, LifeFone offers a more comprehensive set of features than GetSafe.

GetSafe offers a unique set of home-based systems however, having a medical alert system that you can take with you wherever you go is a major advantage especially if you suffer from conditions that put you at risk of falling or experiencing a medical emergency. Plus it's better to get two options for connectivity rather than just one.

LifeFone also offers more devices and choices for customers to pick from, ensuring that each system is tailored to their specific requirements. For these reasons, we believe that LifeFone is the better pick between the two companies.