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Our Verdict
Medical Guardian offers an array of user-friendly medical alert systems, and expansions to its product line reflect adjustments based on user feedback, such as the addition of a small device that can be carried discreetly. Our Forbes Health testers found that although the devices don’t function well in every situation—some don’t work without cell service, for instance, and the fall detection accuracy was inconsistent—Medical Guardian products are easy to set up and use. Response time after pressing a help button was up to a minute. Consumer complaints mainly lament the process of canceling service.
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- No equipment costs, service starts at $44.95 a month
- Uses GPS technology
- Automatic fall detection available for an additional $10 per month
- The MGMini is the smallest and lightest mobile device on the market
- Powerful device with step counting, activity tracking, GPS, fall detection (optional)
- Water-resistant and shower-proof with up to 5 days of battery life
- Can be worn in two ways: Around the neck or attached to a belt clip
- The MGClassic provides 1,300 feet of in-home protection
- Ideal for places without broadband or weak mobile connectivity
- 32-hour backup battery that will protect you in unexpected power outages
Key Features
- Devices come in a variety of forms and sizes, including a watch, wearable pendant, pocket clip-on and complete home system that works in and near the home.
- All Medical Guardian products have a clean, contemporary look.
- There are no activation fees or long-term contracts; but there are upfront equipment fees.
Established in 2005 in Philadelphia, Medical Guardian serves over 325,000 active members nationwide today, according to Matt Guerrieri, the company’s chief marketing officer. Medical Guardian medical alert systems are designed to enable older adults to lead active lives while aging safely in the comfort of their homes. What’s more, Medical Guardian adapts its products based on feedback from consumers. In September 2023, the company added two devices to its lineup: the MGMini, a very small wearable device, and the MGMiniLite, which is worn like a watch yet works as an emergency alert device.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Sleek, stylish and discreet designs | Easy to misplace or forget |
| Easy to use | Mobile devices need to be charged |
| Quick response time, based on personal test | Most devices rely on cell service in order to work |
Medical Guardian Medical Alert Systems at a Glance
- Plan options: Plans include a one-time upfront cost for the equipment, and payments for the service can be made annually, quarterly or monthly.
- Installation: Home systems are installed by connecting devices to a telephone landline and plugging them into a wall outlet for power. Once plugged in and the on-off switch is turned to “on,” the power and communication indicators light up, signaling that the device is ready for use.
Mobile devices come with a charging holder that must be plugged in. The mobile devices are then placed in the charging holder to be charged. When a device is fully charged, a voice announces that it is ready.
Wearable wristband devices, meanwhile, are set up in the same way as the mobile devices—except that a red light on the devices comes on when they are fully charged and ready to use.
- Coverage: Medical Guardian mobile devices are equipped with GPS capability so that dispatchers can pinpoint the location of a device wearer who needs assistance. Medical Guardian partners with AT&T for cellular service connection.
How Does Medical Guardian Work?
Medical Guardian medical alert devices are designed for older adults who want to remain active and independent yet quickly access help if they need it. Having a medical alert system can provide a sense of freedom for users, especially people who are apprehensive about leaving their homes because of health problems or fears of falling.
Medical alert systems can also give family members and caregivers reassurance that their loved ones can access immediate help if it’s needed.
“In an emergency, quick response times can make all the difference,” says Guerrieri. “Our systems connect users to trained professionals who can dispatch medical help, contact family members or provide guidance as needed. This immediacy ensures that users and their families can rest easier, knowing that help is readily available.”
Regardless of whether a person uses an at-home device or one that can be worn or carried out of the house, all they need to do is press a button on the device to reach a trained dispatcher at a Medical Guardian monitoring center via cellular network connection. The dispatcher speaks through a small-but-powerful two-way speaker on the device, asking if the person needs help. The dispatcher responds accordingly, calling 911 and directing emergency responders to the person’s exact location. They also also contact a friend, neighbor or family member designated as an emergency contact for such a situation.
To sign up for a Medical Guardian device and plan, users typically pay an upfront fee for the cost of the equipment and then a monthly monitoring fee for whichever device they select.
75% Off MGMini Using Code MEGASAVINGS- Stay active in and around your home with 1,300 feet of coverage
- Connects to your landline telephone
- 32 hours of backup battery power for protection during power outages
- Translation services for emergency response available in 70 languages
- Automatic fall detection available for additional $10 per month
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How Much Does Medical Guardian Cost?
Medical Guardian doesn’t charge activation fees for its devices, though some plans do require an upfront fee for equipment. The company also doesn’t lock customers into long-term contracts.
“Our members have the flexibility to cancel their contracts at any time, with the added benefit of a prorated refund for any remaining unused months,” says Guerrieri. All prices listed below are current as of publication.
Related: Life Alert vs. Medical Guardian: Which Is Better?
| HOME DEVICES | |
|---|---|
| Classic Guardian (a landline-based home device) | Home Cellular |
| Upfront equipment fee: $149.95
| Upfront equipment fee: $149.95 |
| $335.40 for an annual plan (average $27.95 per month) | $419.40 for an annual plan (average $34.95 per month) |
| $89.85 for a quarterly plan (average $29.95 per month) | $110.85 for a quarterly plan (average $36.95 per month) |
| $31.95 per month for monthly plan | $38.95 per month for monthly plan |
| $12.50 for shipping (shipping fee waived for annual plan) | $12.50 for shipping (shipping fee waived for annual plan) |
| MOBILE-FRIENDLY DEVICES | ||
|---|---|---|
| MGMove (a smartwatch that can also count steps, give reminders, share weather information and make calls and call for emergency help) | MGMiniLite (a wristband device with capability for instant two-way communication with emergency operators, plus step counting) | MGMini (small device that can be worn around the neck or clipped to pocket) |
| Upfront equipment fee: $199.95 | Upfront equipment fee: $149.95 | Upfront equipment fee: $149.95 |
| $467.40 for an annual plan (average $38.95 per month) | $515.40 for an annual plan (average $42.95 per month) | $479.40 for an annual plan (average $39.95 per month) |
| $122.85 for a quarterly plan (average $40.95 per month) | $134.85 for a quarterly plan (average $44.95 per month) | $125.85 for a quarterly plan (average $41.95 per month) |
| $42.95 per month for monthly plan | $46.95 per month for monthly plan | $43.95 per month for monthly plan |
| $12.50 for shipping (shipping fee waived for annual plan) | $12.50 for shipping (shipping fee waived for annual plan) | $12.50 for shipping (shipping fee waived for annual plan) |
For the Classic Guardian, Home 2.0 and Mobile 2.0 systems, users can add a wall button, voice activation and fall detection capabilities to their service for the following extra fees:
- Wall buttons cost an additional $2.99 per month.
- Voice activation functionality costs an additional $5 per month.
- Fall detection technology costs an additional $10 per month.
The following add-on products and services are available for all Medical Guardian devices.
- Protection: $6.99 per month for tech support, battery replacement and equipment replacement if devices are lost, stolen or damaged
- Lockboxes: $2.99 per month (or free with an annual plan purchase) to enable emergency responders to enter the user’s home quickly without breaking it down
- Onguard alerts: $2.99 per month for text and email messages to designated family members or friends
What Experts Say About Medical Guardian
Personal emergency devices like those offered by Medical Guardian are ideal for many older adults, says Lisa Caruso, M.D., a geriatric care specialist at Boston Medical Center and a clinical associate professor of medicine at Boston University’s Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. “They’re wonderful for people who live alone and don’t have any other way to contact someone for help,” she says, adding that they’re especially beneficial for people at high risk of falling.
One difficulty, however, is remembering to always keep a device nearby. If a person leaves it on the bedpost and gets up at night and falls in the bathroom, it’s not very helpful, says Dr. Caruso.
Our Experience With Medical Guardian
Our Forbes Health tester installed the MG Home Cellular system and found it was easy to pair the base unit with the accessory button, however, a test call took a full 40 seconds to connect. Later, help calls took up to 32 seconds to 60 seconds to connect. The device got stuck in a reset loop, and the tester had to do a hard reset on the base station by pulling the power and restarting.
Fall detection did not work well with the MG Home Cellular. The device detected just one out of three test falls.
When testing the MGMini, the small rectangular wearable device that attaches to an accompanying lanyard with a magnet, our tester found it easy to set up. The large emergency button in the center was obvious, but the small info button on the side blended in with the rest of the device. After pressing the help button, it took 50 seconds to connect to an AI message to establish that a call was an emergency and an additional 15 seconds to connect to a dispatcher. Fall detection did not work well; the device did not detect three out of three test falls.
Online, customers express satisfaction with Medical Guardian devices. “My mother used her Medical Guardian system 26 times in seven years. It never let us down,” reports one commenter on the Better Business Bureau website.
“The device worked very well for my mother—the choice of a necklace or a wristband was very nice to have. It allowed her to stay independent much longer because if she fell, help would be on the way immediately. They always called me at home to notify me that her device had been activated. Peace of mind… priceless,” writes another customer on the Consumer Affairs website.
Other customers report problems with canceling the service and share frustration with having to charge the device for so long. “I’m disappointed I have to charge it every three or four days for at least four hours. That’s time I should be wearing it. If I fall, or something else happens during the charge time, this unit isn’t available,” writes one customer on the Consumer Affairs website.
