LifeFone Medical Alerts │ Hands-On Expert Review

LifeFone is a popular medical alert system company, earning an average of 4.8 out of 5 stars from customer reviews. We were excited to test LifeFone’s extensive product line ourselves and see if the brand lived up to such glowing reviews. With both landline and cellular at-home options and four mobile systems, there seems to be a device to fit most lifestyles and needs. But how do they actually stack up against one another? Did one system stand above the rest? 

Overall, we were impressed with LifeFone’s fall detection performance, battery life, GPS location accuracy, and simple setup and usage. While each system had multiple helpful and intuitive features, we wish the devices had more crossover features. For example, only one mobile device has an excellent caregiver app, while two mobile systems have a handy (and accurate) text-to-locate feature, but it isn’t available for the other two mobile systems.

We’ll dive deeper into each LifeFone device's performance, features, and a few surprises we uncovered thanks to extensive hands-on testing. 

LifeFone sells professionally monitored medical alert systems. You can choose between a traditional at-home system or four on-the-go systems. Each is equipped with an emergency button that connects you to a live agent any time you need help from a neighbord, family member, caregiver, firefighter, police officer, or emergency medical technician. 

LifeFone offers much more than that, though. Here's a quick look at the company's main features and services:

• Automatic fall detection
• Landline, cellular, and on-the-go options
• GPS tracking for caregivers
• Geofencing
• Room temperature sensor
• Daily check-in calls and activity assurance
• Phone, email, and text notifications for caregivers
• Necklace, wristband, smart watch, and belt clip options 

Note that some of these features may cost an additional monthly fee, and some may only be available in specific products. We'll share more details below to help you choose the best one for you.

In general, LifeFone offers reliable, high-quality medical alert systems, but some devices definitely outperform others. We were most impressed with the VIPx2 and Safe Watch Active. Both devices demonstrated excellent performance in our hands-on tests, and we think their additional features elevate the experience for the user and caregiver. 

While the At-Home Cellular had impressive fall detection, it performed poorly in all other tests. We could only connect to the base station up to 65 feet away (the advertised range is 1,300 feet), the speaker was garbled, and the backup battery was unreliable. 

We wore and used each LifeFone device over the course of multiple days and tested monitoring center response, fall detection, GPS location accuracy, battery life, and ease of use.

The table below highlights our performance results and biggest takeaways from testing LifeFone. We'll then break down each testing category and our results in more detail. 

We conducted six total test falls for each LifeFone medical alert system. No device successfully detected all six falls and connected to the monitoring center afterward, but they each detected more than half. This is especially impressive since LifeFone's fall detection is half the industry average price at $5 per month.

The Safe Watch Active technically detected all six test falls, but our call dropped before reaching the monitoring center. We appreciated that after each successful test, the device announced “fall detected” and confirmed it was contacting the monitoring center. In a test environment, this may seem like a small detail, but during a true emergency, such quick confirmation is a relief.  

All LifeFone mobile devices allow you to cancel fall alerts, but you can’t cancel a fall alert if using an at-home system. If it's a fall alarm, stay on the call until you reach the monitoring center and tell the agent it was a false alarm — no harm done.  

We quickly noticed how sensitive the VIPx2’s sensor is — there were so many false fall alarms that we lost count over the course of testing. The VIPx2 even detected a “fall” when it was laying stationary on a table! Fortunately, you can quickly cancel a false alarm by holding down the center button, but so many false alarms may frustrate users and deter them from actually wearing the device. 

GPS tracking allows active users with more independent lifestyles to access help anywhere with cell service. If you're out and about and call for help but don't know your exact location or you're unresponsive, the monitoring center agent can view your device’s location (either the exact location or a radius) and dispatch first responders or caregivers to that location.

We called the monitoring center at three different locations: a shaded, tree-lined neighborhood, an open lot, and a parking garage. At each location, we requested our current location from the monitoring center agent. Overall, the results were impressive. The agent reported our accurate location, sometimes down to specifics like “near the roundabout” or “in the front yard.” 

The VIP Flex made an egregious error during one of the tests: the location showed up on an entirely different street, more than 500 feet away from our actual location. Although the other two location tests were accurate, an inaccurate location (especially an entirely different street) is unacceptable during an emergency. 

Location tracking can also be used as a check-in tool for caregivers. LifeFone offers two location tracking features: 

• Real-time location tracking: Only available with the VIPx2’s caregiver app. Caregivers can view the device’s current location at all times via the app. They can also set up location boundaries (geofencing). Caregivers will receive a notification when the user enters or exits the boundary, which is typically a 500- to 700-foot radius around the location. 
• Text-to-locate: Included with the VIP Active and Smart Watch Active. Caregivers can text a designated phone number and receive the device’s current location. We like that you can open the location address in your phone’s map app. 

We like the simple text-to-locate feature and think some caregivers may prefer this low-tech option, but we wish this feature was available for all mobile devices. The VIP Flex doesn’t have an active tracking tool, and its location can only be viewed when contacting the monitoring center.  

While most medical alert systems offer extra caregiver features and other bells and whistles, the most important feature is its ability to connect to the 24/7 monitoring center successfully and quickly. On average, it took LifeFone 60 seconds to connect to a monitoring center agent. We think a minute is a solid response time, and some individual test results were even quicker.  

LifeFone mobile systems let you cancel your call within the first 10 seconds. If you don’t cancel the call, an automated voice will ask if you need help. If you confirm that you do need help or don’t answer, the device calls the monitoring center. We like that there are two opportunities to cancel or disconnect your call before reaching the monitoring center. This clears the call queue for people who truly need help or want to speak to a live agent. Each mobile device verbally confirmed it was “calling the support center,” and had a dial tone or ringing before reaching a live agent. We like these constant verbal cues; we never second guessed if we were still connected, especially if the response time was a bit longer. 

The At-Home Cellular had the slowest response times, with multiple calls exceeding two minutes before we spoke with an agent. The base station verbally confirms and beeps after you press the help button or trigger fall detection, but it’s silent the rest of the call. We seriously thought we disconnected during multiple calls until we suddenly heard an agent through the base station. These 2+ minutes of silence could feel like an eternity during an emergency, and we suspect some users would become even more anxious thinking they weren’t going to reach the monitoring center. 

We observed each device’s audio quality whenever calling the monitoring center and speaking with an agent through the two-way speaker. The results were definitely mixed. The Safe Watch Active had the best speaker quality. Audio was loud and clear in every call, and we never had to reposition the watch to listen to or speak with an agent. We could speak with the agent right from our wrist. The VIP Active and VIPx2 had strong speakers overall, but we did find ourselves holding up the devices to our ear at times. 

The At-Home Cellular base station speaker was loud (we could basically hear it beeping throughout the house when testing), but the audio quality was poor. Agents' voices were garbled and cut off frequently. We found ourselves assuming what agents were saying most of the time. This is fine in a testing environment, but not during an actual emergency. 

The VIP Flex had the poorest speaker and audio quality of the mobile systems. We often had to repeat ourselves when speaking with an agent and frequently positioned the device closer to our ear to hear what the agent was saying when wearing the Flex on our wrist. 

LifeFone medical alert systems have the following advertised battery life: 

• At-Home Cellular and Landline (32-hour backup battery) 
• VIP Active (up to 5 days) 
• VIP Flex (up to 5 days) 
• VIPx2 (up to 18 days) 
• Safe Watch Active (up to 24 hours)

LifeFone warns that fall detection devices may have a shorter battery life than advertised. Even with fall detection activated and robust testing, we were impressed with the mobile devices’ battery performance. The VIP Active, Flex, and Safe Watch Active lasted longer than the advertised battery life. And while it didn’t make it to the full 18 days, the VIPx2 lasted over two weeks without a charge.

It’s important to know when your medical alert system battery is running low, and LifeFone has multiple verbal cues and reminders so you aren't unknowingly stuck with a dead battery. Each mobile system loudly announced when the battery was low (below 20%) and reminded us to place it in the charger. 

Want an additional low battery reminder or to keep caregivers in the loop? You can set up free text message reminders that notify users and/or caregivers when the battery is low and needs to be charged. Text reminders are especially handy for the VIP Active and Flex since you can’t check the battery on the device itself (Safe Watch Active) or on the caregiver app (VIPx2).

Since the At-Home Cellular’s wearable pendants have a multi-year battery life, we could only test the base station's backup battery designed to kick in when disconnected from power. We unplugged the base station and didn’t receive any verbal or visual notification that it wasn’t connected to power. The base station backup battery didn’t last the full 32 hours, and we weren’t notified when the battery was low. 

We were impressed with LifeFone’s robust yet easy-to-use caregiver app, but it’s only available with the VIPx2 and costs an additional $8 per month. Most medical alert brands include a free app that’s compatible with all mobile devices. We think the app incudes helpful features without being overwhelming (see the VIPx2 section for a full list of app features). The app is easy to navigate, and most tracking features are on the home screen and can be viewed at a glance. 

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to test the app's location boundaries feature. When setting a location boundary, caregivers receive alerts if the user enters or leaves a certain area. We called customer service to activate this feature, but it never worked for us. We set multiple location boundaries and moved with the device in and out of these boundaries, but we never received an app notification.

LifeFone's core equipment is loaned to you for free, and accessories cost a one-time fee. The monthly service fee varies considerably depending on the product, payment schedule, and optional features you select.

• Device cost: Free lease
• Monitoring fees paid monthly: $29.95/mo. to $47.95/mo. without add-ons
• Monitoring fees paid quarterly: $27.95/mo. to $45.95/mo. without add-ons
• Monitoring fees paid annually: $22.87/mo. to $40.29/mo. without add-ons
• Shipping: $0 to $93.62

You could spend about $275 to $576 on a LifeFone subscription without paying for any additional features, services, or accessories.

But if you do add optional features, the cost of a LifeFone system could reach up to $81 per month, or $972 per year.

We'll break down the cost of LifeFone to help you decide what's worth paying for and what you can do without. 

LifeFone stands out as the only medical alert company to offer daily check-in calls and activity assurance. It's also hard to find systems that offer safe zones, medication reminders, and temperature sensors like LifeFone's.

The majority of customers report feeling highly satisfied with LifeFone, and it's the highest-rated medical alert system on the market. 

Although its monthly fees can get expensive depending on which add-ons you choose, LifeFone is an affordable system overall. There are no equipment fees or activation fees, and you can save about $7 per month by paying for a year's worth of service in advance. That's a better annual discount than what you can get with most competitors. 

Your investment is protected by a prorated refund policy for unused full months (not partial months) should you decide to cancel. At $5 per month, fall detection costs 50% less with LifeFone than with other brands. And you don't have to pay recurring fees to use accessories like wall buttons. 

LifeFone is one of the oldest medical alert companies out there, which allows it to offer a certain level of stability that can be difficult to find with newer brands. 

• MobileHelp's prices tend to be lower than LifeFone's, but LifeFone offers more diverse products.
• Medical Guardian gives LifeFone a run for its money in terms of product diversity, but LifeFone offers lower prices and a 30-day money-back guarantee. 
• Bay Alarm Medical also offers similar products for a similar price as LifeFone, and its free app works with all mobile devices. 
• Compared to Medical Alert, LifeFone is a better option for budget-conscious shoppers.

All in all, LifeFone holds its own against the competition.

With six quality products to choose from, how do you pick the best LifeFone system for you? Let's take a closer look at each.

🏠 = At-home device, 🌞= On-the-go device

Yes, LifeFone has excellent customer service. LifeFone has earned an average rating of 4.75 out of 5 stars from more than 1,700 customer reviews on sites like Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau. That makes it the highest-rated medical alert system company on the market.

Happy customers praise LifeFone's customer service representatives for friendly and fast service. They also tend to be happy with the quality of the devices, and dozens of people have shared how a LifeFone device did exactly what it was meant to do — called for help during an emergency. 

Unhappy customers are few and far between. On Trustpilot, LifeFone hasn't received anything less than a four-star review for more than a year. 

LifeFone has a 50-year history of helping people live safely. We appreciate the company's pricing transparency and that the service Terms and Conditions are readily available online. You can also choose to pay your bill online or through the mail.

And LifeFone's lifetime price guarantee protects you from future cost increases. Many medical alert companies don't offer any price guarantee, or they offer a one-year guarantee. We've seen service prices slowly increase every couple of years across the medical alert industry, so a lifetime price guarantee is a big deal. 

LifeFone offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. This is the only time you can return accessories for a refund, and the 30-day period starts once the equipment ships.

After the first 30 days, you can cancel at any time and get a refund for any full months of unused, prepaid service. LifeFone does not provide prorated refunds for partial months of service.

All leased equipment must be returned before the service is officially canceled and your refund is processed. You have to pay for return shipping. There may be an extra fee if the equipment is damaged and you weren't subscribed to the monthly Protection Plan. 

We tested the LifeFone At-Home Cellular, VIP Active, VIP Flex, VIPx2, and Smart Watch Active to provide an honest, thorough review based on our true hands-on experience. Although LifeFone loaned us all systems, they weren't pre-activated. This allowed us to walk through the activation and setup experience with a customer service representative for each device.

Here’s how we tested each device: 

• Wore devices for extended periods to evaluate comfort, convenience, and ease of adjusting.  
• Tested the at-home base station range by conducting test calls from the advertised 1,300-foot range and from various ranges from the base station. 
• Simulated fast, hard falls by dropping devices from shoulder height to test fall detection. 
• Simulated slow, gradual falls by dropping devices in a rolling motion to test fall detection.  
• Practiced cancelling calls.
• Placed test calls to the monitoring center, timed how long until we reached an agent, and asked the agent to confirm our GPS location. 
• Placed test calls in varied locations and asked the agent to confirm our GPS location. 
• Downloaded and used the caregiver app.
• Used the text-to-located feature. 
• Charged devices and observed battery life with normal use. 
• Called customer service multiple times to troubleshoot or ask questions. 

We also 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. We compared its prices, features, and policies to other companies on our list of best medical alert systems to determine LifeFone's relative value. We tested the LifeFone Safe Watch Active hands-on.

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

Overall, we think LifeFone deserves its excellent reputation. We were impressed with its customer service, device variety, response times, fall detection, GPS tracking, and caregiver features.

With so many different devices, some were bound to perform better than others. We were most impressed with the Safe Watch Active and the VIPx2, especially the latter’s caregiver app. Both mobile devices have handy extra features for both caregivers and users, on top of being reliable, high-quality medical alert systems. 

We were most disappointed with the At-Home Cellular. The at-home system’s speaker quality was poor, it didn’t place a test call anywhere near the advertised 1,300-foot range, and its backup battery wasn’t reliable. 

• We recommend LifeFone if you’re interested in a mobile medical alert system with extra features, especially location tracking. 
• We don’t recommend LifeFone if you’re strictly looking for an at-home system.