Philips Lifeline vs. Medical Guardian

Philips Lifeline and Medical Guardian don’t have much in common. We prefer Medical Guardian thanks to its larger selection of medical alert systems and accessories, but people at high-risk for falls might want Philips Lifeline for its superior fall detection technology.

We like how easy it is to customize a medical alert system through Medical Guardian. It has five starter packages and multiple accessories, including a rare voice-activated button that allows you to get help when you aren’t wearing a button.

Compared to Philips Lifeline, Medical Guardian also has more customer-friendly policies and fewer up-front fees.

Read our Medical Guardian review to learn more.

Philips Lifeline uses better fall detection technology than Medical Guardian, so it gets our vote if you’re at high risk of falling or passing out. The AutoAlert device calls the monitoring center for you, so you can get help even if you’re feeling confused after your fall.

Other than that, Philips Lifeline doesn’t have any outstanding products, policies, or prices compared to Medical Guardian.

Read our Philips Lifeline review to learn more.

Medical Guardian and Philips Lifeline don’t share many features or policies. Here’s where they do overlap:

• No contract
• Landline option
• Free lease options
• Free caregiver app
• Free button battery replacements
• Cellular connections via AT&T’s 4G network

• Best in-home equipment: Medical Guardian
• Best location tracking: Medical Guardian
• Best price: Medical Guardian
• Best fall detection: Philips Lifeline

Philips Lifeline’s product line is limited to a base unit, wearable button, and optional second speaker for larger homes.

The wearable button—available as a pendant or wristband—works within 400 feet of the base unit. That’s one of the shortest ranges in the industry and 1,000 feet shorter than Medical Guardian’s maximum range. While 400 feet is sufficient for many homes, it may not do the trick if you like to spend time in the yard.

In contrast, Medical Guardian sells wall buttons, voice-activated equipment, and jewelry pendants. These accessories are important if you’re not sold on the idea of wearing a help button or there’s a chance you’ll forget to put it on:

• The wall buttons keep help within reach when you aren’t wearing a button.
• The voice-activated buttons allow you to get help if you fall, aren’t wearing a button, and can’t reach a wall button.
• The gorgeous jewelry pendants can give you the confidence to wear the help button more often.

Just take note of the price when adding these accessories to your cart: Medical Guardian charges a monthly fee for each one. It adds up fast. Learn more in our Medical Guardian product guide.

Philips Lifeline’s GoSafe 2 and Medical Guardian’s Mini Guardian combine GPS, Wi-Fi, and 4G LTE data for accurate location tracking. But each company shares your location differently:

• Medical Guardian’s app shows your location to loved ones and caregivers. The monitoring center can also see your location.
• Philips Lifeline’s GPS tracking data isn’t shared with caregivers. Only the monitoring center gets your coordinates.

We think app-based GPS tracking (like Medical Guardian’s) is more user-friendly since it allows loved ones to check on your location at any time.

As long as you don’t go overboard with accessories, you’ll get a better monthly price from Medical Guardian versus Philips Lifeline. Medical Guardian’s equipment costs more, but we think it’s worth paying a little more up front to save money on your monthly bill.

We don’t like that Philips Lifeline hits customers with extraneous fees like $50 for activation and $20 for self-installation. However, we found Philips Lifeline’s customer service representatives were willing to waive the activation fee to make a sale. Consider ordering your system over the phone and negotiating a better price.

If you’re an AARP member, you can get a 15% discount on a Philips Lifeline system. You might be eligible to get one for free if you have a certain Medicare Advantage plan. Read our Philips Lifeline review for more information. We aren’t aware of any member- or insurance-based discounts for Medical Guardian systems.

Philips Lifeline’s saving grace is its automatic fall detection technology. If you have a high risk of falling, Philips Lifeline is worth the extra money.

Philips Lifeline’s AutoAlert fall detection pendant is one of the few in the industry with two fall sensors, which reduces false alarms and the likelihood of an undetected fall. Medical Guardian’s devices contain just one automatic fall detection sensor.

That’s not to say that Medical Guardian’s fall detection pendants don’t work. You just might experience more false alarms or undetected falls compared to the Philips Lifeline pendant.

We think Medical Guardian offers better protection than Philips Lifeline thanks to a more diverse product line. With so many options available, you can outfit your home with equipment that you’re comfortable using. Medical Guardian’s also the better choice for keeping loved ones in the loop, especially in terms of location tracking.

But if you need serious fall detection, consider Philips Lifeline instead.

Still undecided? Read our full Medical Guardian and Philips Lifeline reviews to learn more.

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