GetSafe vs. Bay Alarm Medical

We tested GetSafe and Bay Alarm Medical equipment to determine that Bay Alarm’s best for most people.
Winner
Bay Alarm
Bay Alarm Medical
4 out of 5 stars
4
Starts at
$24.95
/mo
  • pro
    Loud, clear audio
  • con
    Limited to 4 wall buttons
Runner up
Get Safe
GetSafe
3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5
Starts at
$27.95
/mo
  • con
    Muddy audio
  • pro
    Add up to 16 wall buttons

Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

SafeWise experts have years of firsthand experience testing the products we recommend. Learn how we test and review. We may earn money when you buy through our links.

Bay Alarm Medical owns the GetSafe brand, so perhaps it’s no surprise that they share some policies and even sell the same mobile GPS device. Other than that, these medical alert systems are very different: Bay Alarm Medical offers a traditional medical alert experience with a pendant and base unit, whereas GetSafe’s voice-activated equipment caters to people who don’t want to wear a help button.

After testing both medical alert systems, we think Bay Alarm Medical is the best choice overall, even though GetSafe is better for couples and large homes. Both are among the most affordable medical alert systems on the market, but Bay Alarm Medical is cheaper if you want only a mobile alert.



Bay Alarm Medical pros and cons

pro
Bay Alarm Medical pros
pro Free lease option
pro Standalone mobile device
pro 30-day free trial
pro Free spouse coverage
pro In-home fall detection
con
Bay Alarm Medical cons
con No voice activation
con Limited to 4 buttons

Bay Alarm Medical is best overall

Of these two medical alert companies, only Bay Alarm Medical offers an in-home fall detection pendant. If there’s a chance you could pass out and fall, this is an important device to wear because it calls for help automatically. GetSafe doesn’t sell this accessory.

Read our Bay Alarm Medical review to learn more.

GetSafe pros and cons

pro
GetSafe pros
pro Affordable in-home monitoring
pro Voice activation
pro Free spouse coverage
pro 30-day free trial
pro 16-button maximum
con
GetSafe cons
con Up-front equipment fees
con Mobile device add-on only
con No in-home fall detection
con No landline option

GetSafe is best for larger homes and couples

With GetSafe, you can add as many extra wall buttons (both standard and voice-activated) as you want without increasing the monthly monitoring rate. This makes it affordable to put a help button in every room of your home and for anyone—such as your spouse—to get help when needed.

Read our GetSafe review to learn more.

How Bay Alarm Medical and GetSafe compare

Company
Best for
Lowest monthly price
Landline option
Voice activation
In-home fall detection
Jewelry pendant
Learn more
Bay Alarm
Best overall
bulletYes
bulletNo
bulletYes
bulletYes
Get Safe
Best for larger homes
bulletNo
bulletYes
bulletNo
bulletNo

Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Bay Alarm Medical vs. GetSafe similarities

Bay Alarm Medical owns the GetSafe brand, so it’s no surprise that some of their policies and attributes are identical:

  • 30-day free trial
  • No contract
  • Free spouse coverage
  • Paid lifetime warranty
  • No activation or installation fees
  • No free pendant battery replacements
  • TMA Five Diamond-certified monitoring center

GetSafe and Bay Alarm Medical sell identical mobile GPS devices and use the same caregiver app. Here are more equipment similarities:

  • Cellular connection via AT&T 4G network
  • 32-hour backup battery
  • Wearable pendant button
  • Standard wall buttons
  • Vial of Life
  • Lockbox

Bay Alarm Medical vs. GetSafe differences

Compare Bay Alarm Medical vs. GetSafe packages

Plan
Starting price
Equipment price
Specifications
Fall detection
Learn more
Free leaseLandline
1 pendant
Extra $10/mo.
Free leaseCellular
1 pendant
Extra $10/mo.
Free leaseCellular
1 pendant
4 wall buttons
Extra $10/mo.
$79.00Cellular
1 pendant
1 voice button
None
$179.00Cellular
1 pendant
2 voice buttons
1 wall button
None
$279.00Cellular
1 pendant
3 voice buttons
2 wall buttons
None

Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

GetSafe’s flat-rate monthly monitoring fee is completely unique among medical alert companies. As long as you can afford to pay for the equipment up front, you’ll enjoy affordable monitoring for less than $28 per month. Best of all, that price stays the same no matter how much extra in-home equipment you pile onto your order.

On the other hand, if you’d prefer to lease your medical alert system for free and pay a higher monthly price, go with Bay Alarm Medical.

Best mobile-only price: Bay Alarm Medical

Image: Cathy Habas, SafeWise

 You have to buy a GetSafe in-home system before you can buy its GPS help button, whereas Bay Alarm Medical offers the mobile device as a standalone option.

The mobile alert’s up-front cost is $99 from either company. Bay Alarm Medical’s monthly monitoring price starts at around $30 and gets you the caregiver app but no fall detection. Adding automatic fall detection brings the cost up to about $40 per month.

On the other hand, the starting monthly price for a GetSafe mobile alert system is about $48 per month—$28 for in-home monitoring plus $20 for mobile monitoring. Adding fall detection and a caregiver app raises the price to about $58 per month.

If you want to bundle an in-home medical alert system with a mobile GPS device, Bay Alarm Medical is more affordable.

Best testing performance: Bay Alarm Medical

We tested Bay Alarm Medical’s In-Home Premium package and GetSafe’s Starter package to find out which one is easiest to use. Bay Alarm Medical gets our vote for this category thanks to better audio quality and easier range tests.

GetSafe’s poor audio quality made it difficult to hear the monitor during our test calls. We had trouble canceling calls, even though it should be as simple as pressing the “Reset” button on the base station. We also accidentally set off a call when conducting a signal range test with the GetSafe accessories.

Setting up and testing Bay Alarm Medical’s system was a breeze in comparison.

That said, GetSafe did have the fastest answer times during our test calls, averaging less than 30 seconds. In comparison, Bay Alarm Medical averaged a little less than 90 seconds.  It may be worth struggling a bit with installation—or reviewing GetSafe’s instructional videos—in order to get help a full minute faster during an emergency.

Best home coverage: GetSafe

GetSafe’s equipment works up to 1,300 feet from the base unit, whereas Bay Alarm’s has a smaller range of 800–1,000 feet. You really only need to worry about a long signal range if you live in a multi-level home or enjoy sitting out in the yard.

bullet
Always do a range test

Keep in mind that walls and other obstructions between the base unit and the pendant will narrow the signal range even further. Always conduct a range test when you first get your equipment to make sure it covers your entire home.

We also like GetSafe for larger homes because you can add up to 16 wall buttons to the system. Bay Alarm Medical lets you buy up to four.

Plus, if you say, “Call 911, call 911” to get help through GetSafe’s voice-activated buttons, you’ll talk to the monitoring center through that button’s speaker. Otherwise, you’d have to shout to be heard through the base unit if it’s far away.

Best fall detection: Bay Alarm Medical

Bay Alarm wins this category by default since GetSafe doesn’t offer an in-home fall detection option. The only way to get automatic fall detection through GetSafe is to purchase the mobile help button and pay for the fall detection upgrade.

bullet
Who needs fall detection?

Talk to your doctor to determine your fall risk before choosing a medical alert system. Although no device detects every single fall, don’t skimp on this feature if you have a high fall risk and spend time alone.

A quick look at aesthetic differences

It’s important to find a medical alert system that gives you confidence whenever you wear the pendant or see the buttons around your home, so don’t forget to consider how a system looks.

Note that Bay Alarm Medical updated its equipment line after we had a chance to test it and take photos. Visit Bay Alarm Medical's website to see the new designs.

We like Bay Alarm Medical’s Bella Charms, which snap over the help button and turn it into a chic fashion statement. The GetSafe pendant doesn’t look too bad on its own, but you might find yourself hiding it under your shirt, making it harder to reach during an emergency.

The GetSafe pendant (left) is a little larger than the Bay Alarm Medical Pendant (right). Images: Cathy Habas, SafeWise

The standard wall buttons also have a different appearance. Both are about the size of a bar of soap, but the GetSafe button is bulkier. It’s mostly white with an inch-long red button, which is recessed to prevent false alarms if you accidentally bump into it.

In contrast, the entire surface of the red Bay Alarm Medical wall button can be pressed, and it’s not recessed. Bay Alarm’s button is also thinner and features the word HELP written in large letters. It’s the better choice if you have vision impairments since the red area is so much larger, providing good contrast against any background.

Bay Alarm’s wall button also has two nail slots on the back, whereas GetSafe’s button is installed with sticky tape.

The GetSafe wall button (left) is larger than the Bay Alarm Medical wall button (right). Images: Cathy Habas, SafeWise

Winner: Bay Alarm Medical beats GetSafe

Bay Alarm Medical triumphs over GetSafe thanks to more options like its landline system, in-home fall detection pendant, jewelry covers, and standalone mobile GPS device. Although you’re limited to four wall buttons, that’s plenty for the average-size home—especially if you commit to wearing the pendant.

That said, choose GetSafe if you need to prioritize long-term affordability, have a large home, or don’t want to wear a help button.

Still undecided? Read our full Bay Alarm Medical and GetSafe reviews to learn more.

How we decided: Bay Alarm Medical vs. GetSafe

The GetSafe medical alert system setup in tester Cathy Habas's home.

Image: Cathy Habas, SafeWise

To prep for our review of GetSafe versus Bay Alarm Medical, we tested systems from each company. We evaluated how easy it was to set up and use each piece of equipment and timed how long it took the monitoring center to answer. We also compared both medical alert companies across 36 objective criteria.

Learn more on the SafeWise methodology page.

Cathy Habas
Written by
Cathy Habas
With over eight years of experience as a content writer, Cathy has a knack for untangling complex information. Her natural curiosity and ability to empathize help Cathy offer insightful, friendly advice. She believes in empowering readers who may not feel confident about a purchase, project, or topic. Cathy earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Indiana University Southeast and began her professional writing career immediately after graduation. She is a certified Safe Sleep Ambassador and has contributed to sites like Safety.com, Reviews.com, Hunker, and Thumbtack. Cathy’s pride and joy is her Appaloosa “Chacos.” She also likes to crochet while watching stand-up comedy specials on Netflix.

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