LifeFone Medical Alert System Review

If you’re trying to choose a medical alert system, LifeFone is a great starting point. It’s among the most affordable medical alert systems we’ve found and has one of the best GPS units in the industry.

We like that LifeFone offers support for older adults and their caregivers with an array of medical alert systems, emergency response devices, and extra care services.

From at-home systems to a full kit for smoke, fire, and carbon monoxide detection, you can expect competitive pricing, friendly customer service, and a whole buffet of product options from LifeFone.

LifeFone provides the option for flexible payments. You can choose to pay monthly, quarterly, or annually. And while monthly fees are divided out into smaller chunks, you’ll pay less total when you choose the annual option.

In our book, it’s one of the most affordable medical alert systems out there since there's no up-front equipment cost. But LifeFone offers extra services that can quickly add up, such as medication reminders, daily check-ins, and activity assurance.

On the plus side, LifeFone will provide an additional pendant and monitoring service for your spouse for no additional charge. Automatic fall detection for spouses is an additional $5 a month, one of the many reasons it earned a top spot for medical alerts with the best automatic fall detection.

Our favorite things about LifeFone’s pricing are no installation fees, no activation fees, no contracts, and no complicated cancellation policies.

Pricing is listed right on the website (which means no pesky sales calls). And if you decide you don’t want the system anymore, you can cancel anytime by mail, email, or phone. 

If you’ve already paid for a year up front and you cancel halfway through, all you have to do is return the equipment, and LifeFone will refund the money for the unused months.

If you do become a long-time customer, though, you can rest assured that LifeFone’s price-lock guarantee will keep your monthly fees the same from year to year, unless you choose to upgrade your system.

Just be careful not to lose or break the system. You'll have to pay for it, which could cost several hundred dollars.

LifeFone blends in when it comes to starting prices, but its price range is much tighter than the others. Companies like Bay Alarm Medical and Philips Lifeline start just under $30 but can cost up to $50 to $60 per month with higher-tiered packages.

Once you zoom out on LifeFone, its 1,300-foot base station range is a little less impressive. This is about standard for other at-home systems in the industry, but this isn’t a bad thing. If your loved one prefers to stay cozy at home, they have plenty of options.

Where LifeFone really comes on top is with add-on features and fair prices. It charges half the price for fall detection per month, offers caregiver services and emergency packages the others don’t.

The LifeFone’s at-home Medical Alert systems use a base station that plugs into the wall. 

Once installed and ready to go, the base station provides a direct line to the monitoring center. When you press the emergency button on your pendant, wristband, or the base station itself, you’ll get a helpful monitoring pro to assist you with your emergency.

You can choose a cellular connection or one through your home’s landline. Either way, the system has a 32-hour backup battery to get you through power outages or electrical problems

All systems also come with your choice of a waterproof emergency button pendant or watch that you can use up to 1,300 feet away from the base unit. If you choose a fall detection pendant, you’ll have a range of only up to 600 feet. When you press the help button on the medical alert device, it sends a signal to the base unit, and the base unit will call the LifeFone monitoring center for you. 

The VIP and VIPx units from LifeFone give you the freedom to leave the house, city, and state without being far away from help. They're like a tiny wearable base station you can tuck under your shirt or into your pocket.

Just like the LifeFone base station, you can call for help directly from these devices using two-way talk. They also have vibration feedback for those with hearing or vision impairments.

Difference between LifeFone VIP and VIPx

The LifeFone VIPx can be paired with a couple of extra features that aren't available with the VIP medical alert device:

• Optional fall detection ($5 per month)
• A caregiver app ($8 per month)
• Two extra colors (white and bronze)

The VIP device has a longer battery life, lasting up to 30 days versus the VIPx's limit of 16 days. The fall detection system and caregiver tool place extra strain on the VIPx, so its functional battery life is around just five days with these features.

Add-on devices include fall detection, a vanity pendant, lock boxes, a wall-mounted help button. Add-on services include caregiver tools like check-in calls by LifeFone agents or medication reminders.

LifeFone’s Mobile Alert app turns your mobile device into a medical alert system with a simple download and a monthly subscription.

This add-on feature is available for LifeFone users or caregivers. It includes three buttons so you can get specific help:

• Panic mode connects you with a call center operator. They'll dispatch emergency responders to your location even if you can't speak.
• Concern mode keeps a LifeFone agent on the line with you until you feel safe. 
• Medical mode summons EMTs to your location.

The Mobile Alert app costs $8.95 for new LifeFone customers and $5.95 for current customers. 

LifeFone's Family Guard app is the same as the Mobile Alert app but includes GPS tracking for up to three family members. You can also do the following:

• Set up geofencing alerts to know when a family member has arrived at their destination.
• Get "lead foot" alerts to know if teen drivers are going too fast. 
• Choose whether you want to receive alerts through email or text (or both). 

The Family Guard app starts at $9.95 per month for individuals. Each additional user increases the price by approximately $5.95 per month. Call LifeFone for a custom quote if you want to add more than three people to your account.

The VIPx Caregiver Mobile App pairs with the VIPx device to keep caregivers in the loop. 

Here's what caregivers can see on the VIPx app:

• Device location
• Device battery level
• Button press history
• Step goals and step history
• First motion of the day

There's also a "find my device" feature that prompts the VIPx to ring until located.

The LifeFone VIPx caregiver app costs $8 per month.

Setting up your LifeFone is as simple as plugging it into a wall outlet. All units come preprogrammed and ready to go.

Once you have your unit plugged in, you press the help button and an agent will walk you through the rest of the setup and testing process. Agents will make sure your medical alert button pendant or watch works in all areas of your home.

When we started researching other LifeFone reviews, we kept expecting to dig up some dirt, but LifeFone came up surprisingly clean.

It gets rave reviews from the majority of users, and the few who give it lower reviews are usually still pretty satisfied, with no major problems.

Like any product, there are a handful of decidedly unsatisfied customers, but we didn't notice any recurring trends or major red flags with this medical alert company.¹ It gets an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

LifeFone's customer service is 24/7, and we like that you can pay your bills and update your customer care profile online or by snail mail.

Another LifeFone feature we like is the Emergency Care Plan.

Rather than an automatic call to emergency services, or a standard list of people to call in an emergency, you can create your own customized plans of action for various potential emergency situations.

For example, if you've just gotten into a tricky spot and need a hand getting up, LifeFone can call a neighbor or nearby family member to come assist you rather than calling emergency responders.

You can make changes to your Emergency Care Plan by phone, email, web portal, or through the mail. LifeFone never charges for false alarms.

If we were to create our own medical alert system, LifeFone would be it. It's simple to install, it has quick response times, and it's easy to cancel at any time. We like the straightforward pricing and wide variety of add-on options and devices for helping seniors and their families have more peace of mind, like fall detection, smoke detection, and the mobile app.

Like any consumer, we always love a better deal, so we wouldn't mind an even lower monthly price. Still, as it is you get a lot for your money, and LifeFone outperforms competitors on enough fronts to make the moderately higher fees worth it.

For our LifeFone review, we combed through the LifeFone website, watched every video, and read every FAQ to better understand the ins and outs. We read what LifeFone customers had to say about using the service, and we checked its Better Business Bureau profile for red flags.

Read our full methodology to better understand how we rate and review products.

• The Best Medical Alert Systems
• Bay Alarm Medical Alert System Review
• Types of Medical Alert Systems and How They Work
• Best Safety Devices for Seniors
• Best Safety Wearables for Seniors

1. Consumer Affairs, "Top 734 Reviews and Complaints about LifeFone," August 2021. Accessed November 23, 2021. 
2. National Institute on Aging, "Prevent Falls and Fractures," March 2017. Accessed November 23, 2021.