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7 min readA long-lasting medical alert battery can save the day if there’s a power outage or a charger snafu. We’ve got the scoop on which brands combine a long-lasting battery with exceptional service.
Bay Alarm Medical tops the list for best in-home medical alert battery life, caregiver alerts, and free pendant replacement. Our other picks focus on mobile alert batteries. These last longer if the device doesn’t include automatic fall detection or GPS technology, so options run the gamut from 5 to 30 days.
Best medical alert systems with a long battery life
- : Best in-home battery
- : Best mobile medical alerts
- : Best for budgets
- : Best GPS battery
- : Best low-battery alerts
Compare the battery life of medical alert devices
Product | Best for | Lowest subscription price | Equipment price | Caregiver app | Battery life | Learn more | Read Review |
| Best in-home battery | $24.95/mo. | $0 | Free | 32 hr. backup | View Packages | Read Review | |
| Best mobile medical alerts | $29.95/mo. | $149.95 | Free | 120 hr. backup | View Packages | Read Review | |
| Best for budgets | $24.99/mo. | $49.99 | Requires upgrade | 120 days | View on Amazon | Read Review | |
| Best GPS battery | $400/yr. | $0 | Free | 14 days | View Packages | Read Review | |
| Best low battery alerts | $45.95/mo. | $0 | $8/mo. | 16 days | View Packages | Read Review |
Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
1. Bay Alarm Medical: Best in-home battery
Best in-home battery
A 32-hour base station backup battery is as good as it gets in the medical alert industry, and most of the top brands offer it. But Bay Alarm Medical elbows out the competition thanks to its affordable price and a caregiver app that lets loved ones monitor battery levels.
Pros
32-hour base unit backup battery
Free replacement pendant
Caregiver app shows battery level
Fall detection and GPS in same device
Affordable 
Cons
3-day mobile device battery life Bay Alarm Medical also monitors the battery inside its wearable help button and sends a new one when needed. This usually takes a few years. Since you don’t have to take the button off to charge, you’ll stay protected no matter what.
Image: Cathy Habas, SafeWise
Bay Alarm Medical’s Mobile GPS Button lasts up to three days on a full charge. While that doesn’t sound like much, it’s about average in the industry, especially for a device that includes battery-sapping tech like GPS and fall detection. It’s still a good idea to put the mobile button in its charging cradle every night.
Visit Bay Alarm Medical, or read our full Bay Alarm Medical review.
2. Medical Guardian: Best mobile devices
Best fall detection battery
Medical Guardian's base station backup battery lasts 32 hours, just like Bay Alarm Medical’s, and they’ll send a replacement pendant once its battery runs out. We used price as a tiebreaker; Bay Alarm is more affordable.
However, Medical Guardian has the best mobile devices. We like the Mini Guardian because it uses GPS tracking technology, cellular data, and Wi-Fi to pinpoint your location in an emergency—making it a perfect on-the-go option with a five-day battery life.
The Active Guardian battery lasts for just three days with the automatic fall detection option, and the Mobile 2.0 lasts also for five days. Caregivers can monitor battery life through the MyGuardian app.
Read our full Medical Guardian review.
Pros
Five Diamond Certified monitoring center
Fall detection for $10/mo.
3 location tracking technologies
Free caregiver portal Cons
Equipment fee
Short warranty (1 year) 3. Lively Wearable 2: Best for budgets
Best for budgets
You won’t have to replace the Lively Wearable 2’s battery for 120 days (or four months). But there’s a catch: This medical alert device is basically useless without your smartphone nearby. So it’s more accurate to say that this wearable device’s battery life equals your smartphone’s battery life.
Pros
Battery lasts up to 120 days
Affordable monthly price
Caregiver app shows battery level
Fall detection and GPS
Speak to a doctor without an appointment Cons
Only works near your smartphone
No in-home equipment This medical alert watch costs about $50 up front and around $25 to $40 per month. We recommend the all-inclusive Ultimate Package, which includes fall detection, app access, and a 24/7 telehealth service called Urgent Care for around $40/month.
The Lively Wearable 2 is best for active people who aren’t interested in an at-home medical alert system, since Lively doesn’t sell any of those.
Read our full Lively review to learn more
4. QMedic Mobile GPS: Best GPS battery
Best GPS battery
QMedic offers a mobile help button/GPS tracker with a 14-day battery life, but it doesn’t detect falls. It’s also one of the few systems that offers a web-based portal rather than just a smartphone app.
Pros
Mobile battery lasts up to 14 days
Free replacement pendant
Caregiver portal
Free equipment lease Cons
No fall detection option
24-hour base unit backup battery
Must pay annually QMedic’s in-home base station runs for just 24 hours on a backup battery. But, as we mentioned with Aloe Care, QMedic’s long-lasting mobile device can be used to get help instead, regardless of whether the base unit is up and running.
The main catch with QMedic is that you have to pay annually. And if you end up wanting fall detection later, you’ll need to switch to a different company because QMedic doesn’t offer that technology.
Visit QMedic to learn more.
5. LifeFone VIPx: Best low battery alerts
Best low battery alerts
When the incredible 16-day battery finally runs low on the LifeFone VIPx mobile system, it sends you and your caregivers an email, text, and app notification. These far-reaching and persistent low battery alerts are perfect for anyone who has trouble remembering their to-do list.
Pros
16-day battery life
Caregiver app shows battery level
Fall detection and GPS in same device
Text and email battery alerts Cons
Expensive
Caregiver app costs extra
Fall detection costs extra Although LifeFone’s prices seem reasonable at first glance, it’s easy to get nickeled-and-dimed before you know it. For example, app access costs an extra $8 per month, and fall detection costs another $5. The LifeFone VIPx could end up costing nearly $60 per month, but at least there’s no up-front equipment fee.
LifeFone offers a slightly more affordable device called the VIP, a medical alert with the longest battery life of 30 days. But you can’t add fall detection or app access to the VIP, so it’s just an alert button with GPS tracking for emergency responders.
Visit LifeFone or read our full LifeFone review.
More medical care alerts we considered
Aloe Care Health
The Aloe Care Health Mobile Companion boasts the longest-lasting battery of any three-in-one mobile medical alert system on the market. It stays on for up to five days from a full charge, and it reminds you to place it in the charging cradle when its battery gets low.
Image: Cathy Habas, SafeWise
Even if you plan to charge this medical alert device every night, that extra-long battery comes in handy. Your loved ones can check on your location through Aloe Care’s mobile app, but note that every check-in uses some of the Mobile Companion’s battery.
Despite its impressive mobile battery, Aloe Care’s in-home base station has the lowest backup battery life on the market. It lasts just six hours during a power outage.
To compromise, we recommend getting a Mobile Companion even if you aren’t very active. It doesn’t rely on the base station at all, so it can be your emergency backup when the power’s out.
Visit Aloe Care or read our full Aloe Care Health review.
LifeStation
We like LifeStation’s proactive approach when it comes to backup battery alerts. Caregivers receive a call and an email whenever the base station’s backup battery gets low. This is a great fail-safe just in case someone accidentally unplugs the unit. The backup battery lasts up to 32 hours, and the mobile unit lasts up to five days.
We think LifeStation is a little behind the times in terms of caregiver technology since they don’t send text alerts or have an app. But if you don’t give a hoot about smartphones, LifeStation offers an affordable medical alert system with an average battery life.
Read our full LifeStation review.
Lifeline
The battery life for Lifeline products falls into the average range: 30 hours for the base unit backup and 3 days for the mobile device. Philips Lifeline monitors pendant batteries and automatically sends a new pendant. Caregivers can view device statuses through the Lifeline Cares app.
Bay Alarm had a slightly longer battery backup and a more affordable price point.
Read our full Lifeline review.
Save money and stay connected with an AARP membership
With an AARP membership, you can get a 15% discount on a Lifeline medical alert system, in addition to discounts on hotels, restaurants, prescriptions and more. You also get the AARP magazine, access to virtual learning programs, and can connect with other AARP members in your community.
MobileHelp
MobileHelp's base station backup battery lasts 30 hours, and the mobile device shuts down after one day. MobileHelp will send a replacement pendant when its battery runs out, but it’s up to you to contact the company and request the new pendant.
Read our full MobileHelp review.
Medical Care Alert
Medical Care Alert's mobile device has a three-day battery life. While that's sufficient for many people, it's certainly not the best battery in the medical alert industry.
Life Alert
Life Alert’s help button lasts up to 10 years, and they’ll send a new one when its battery gets low. But Life Alert is incredibly expensive and offers very little equipment or tech. We like other brands’ updated equipment much better.
Read our full Life Alert review.
ADT Medical
ADT Medical's base station battery lasts just 12 to 20 hours, and its mobile device works for up to three days. ADT Medical monitors in-home pendant batteries and sends customers a new one when needed. There’s no caregiver app.
Read our full ADT Medical review.
Final word
We think Bay Alarm Medical has the best in-home medical alert system with a long-lasting backup battery, fuss-free pendant battery replacement, and easy-to-use caregiver app.
For a go-anywhere device, we love Medical Guardian’s Mobile Companion because it includes automatic fall detection and has a five-day battery life. The QMedic Mobile GPS and LifeFone VIPx have longer battery lives because they don’t include fall detection.
The Lively Wearable 2 is a bit of a strange bird since the device battery lasts a long time, but its functional life depends on your smartphone battery. Lively’s strength is its price: it’s one of the most affordable mobile medical alert systems on the market.
Ready for more comparisons? Read our take on the best medical alert systems.
How we reviewed medical alerts with a long battery life
We compiled battery data for over 75 medical alert products to write this medical alert review. We considered devices with the longest-lasting batteries and companies with customer-friendly battery policies. Here are the main criteria we considered:
- How can caregivers keep track of device batteries?
- How long does the battery last on mobile devices?
- How long does the backup battery last on in-home systems?
- Are there any extra features that help users charge devices correctly?
- Does the company monitor and replace the in-home help pendant when its battery gets low?
- How long does the battery last on mobile devices with extra features like GPS and fall detection?
We’ve tested Bay Alarm and Aloe Care products hands-on. To learn more, check out the SafeWise methodology page.
Related articles on SafeWise
Disclaimer
*Product prices and availability are accurate as of post date and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.
Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.
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