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Fast emergency response, extensive equipment coverage, and comfortable designs make Bay Alarm Medical our top pick.
Updated August 21, 2025
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Bay Alarm Medical’s GPS alert system gives you enhanced safety on the go. Its battery lasts for up to 72 hours on a single charge. The device is also water resistant and offers two-way communication with a 24/7 emergency monitoring center.
Medical Guardian’s GPS-capable medical alert systems come in belt pouch, neck pendant, and wristband form. You can even carry them in your purse. The MGMini features a five day battery life, multilingual support, and around-the-clock coverage in all 50 states.
Lively Mobile is a portable alert system that provides several service-level features, including fall detection and 24-hour response. Lively also offers plans featuring a Care Advocate to help with health and fitness goals, plus nurses on-call for prescription and medical advice.
Bay Alarm Medical offers 24/7 monitoring with trained professionals on standby. We also appreciate that the team tests the devices to make sure they’re working and we’re protected. Whether it’s the SOS Home or SOS Smartwatch, we know we’ll get help fast when we need it.
Bay Alarm has GPS medical alert systems for people who love to do a five-mile walk and those who only go as far as the mailbox. The SOS Home is ideal for homebodies. It comes with a wearable button that works within a 1,000-foot range of the base console.
If you’re on the go, there are the SOS All-In-One, SOS Micro, and SOS Smartwatch. Each one serves a different need.
FYI: The SOS Smartwatch is a standalone device. You don’t need to connect it to a smartphone. It uses the AT&T or Verizon network to stay online, with the cost included in your monitoring fees.
No matter what device you choose, pushing the SOS button gets help on the line within 10 to 20 seconds. During our testing, we spoke to a monitoring agent who had our file pulled up and could see our real-time location thanks to the GPS feature.
Fall detection costs an extra $10 per month, with prices varying depending on the device. The SOS Smartwatch uses AI to check if you’ve taken a tumble. We had to press the Help button on the screen to connect to the monitoring center. This can help reduce false alarms if you trip on a step or are exercising on the ground.
You can press the SOS button the smartwatch to instantly connect to the monitoring center.
Some equipment also requires an extra fee ranging from $90 to $160, which is cheaper than other companies like Medical Guardian and Life Alert. Bay Alarm also offers lower monthly monitoring fees than competitors, although the difference is usually just a few dollars. For example, Bay Alarm’s monitoring for the SOS Smartwatch costs $39.95. With Medical Guardian, it costs $42.95.
>> Read More: Bay Alarm Medical Review 2025
| Connectivity | Landline and cellular |
|---|---|
| Fall Detection | $10/month |
| In-home Range | Up to 1,000 feet |
| Battery Backup | Up to 32 hours |
| GPS Option | Yes |
| Money-back Guarantee | 16-day |
If you’re like us and forget to charge your devices regularly, Medical Guardian might be the GPS medical alert system for you. Our MGMini lasted up to five days on a single charge. During that time, it continued to send hourly GPS location updates and count our steps toward our 10K goal.
Medical Guardian offers three on-the-go GPS medical alert systems. The designs are noticeably similar to Bay Alarm Medical. However, they’re more expensive.
Our pick is the MGMini because it’s built for anyone who wants a hands-off medical alert system. The battery lasts up to five days on a single charge, and the device sends hourly GPS locations via the cellular network (same as the SOS Smartwatch).
Expert Tip: Set a reminder to test your MGMini. We didn’t need to do this with Bay Alarm. But with Medical Guardian, you’re responsible for checking that your device is working and online. Fortunately, you can use the MyMedicalGuardian app to see device statuses.
While Medial Guardian’s prices are higher than Bay Alarm Medical’s, they’re not as expensive as Life Alert’s rates. However, you still need to pay an extra $10 per month for fall protection. There are also equipment fees that range from $150 to $200 depending on your device of choice. The MGMove smartwatch costs $199 upfront.
We didn’t sign up for messages and reminders, so here’s the alert we received.
There are several other add-ons you can enable and disable as needed. For example, OnGuard Alerts are $2.99 per month and send messages to emergency contacts during emergencies. Medical Guardian also sells voice-activated wall buttons and entry lockboxes for keys, but compatibility depends on your device. We suggest reading our full Medical Guardian review to learn about everything the company has to offer.
| Connectivity | Landline, cellular, and Wi-fi |
|---|---|
| Fall Detection | $10/month |
| In-home Range | Up to 1,300 feet |
| Battery Backup | Up to 76 hours |
| GPS Option | Yes |
| Money-back Guarantee | None |
Lively only offers two GPS medical alert systems and they’re both reliable. However, during our Lively testing, we were more interested in the features included in their plans. The Basic option comes with the essentials such as 24/7 emergency response. But the Premium plan adds tools to support your health and wellbeing.
Lively mobile devices are some of our favorite medical alert systems. The flip phone model is great for anyone not interested in a smartphone. If you want a screen filled with apps, Lively offers the Smart4. Plus, they both include a GPS.
We recommend Lively’s flip phone for anyone who struggles with smart devices.
We’ve also tested the Lively Mobile2, which is a lightweight pendant you can wear around your neck or clip to a belt. It’s slightly larger than Bay Alarm Medical and Medical Guardian’s devices. However, we found it to be just as reliable.
Expert Tip: If you’re paying the extra $10 per month for fall detection, you’ll need to use the lanyard instead of the belt clip. The lanyard is fitted with magnets to detect sudden downward movement. If you’re not a fan of wearing pendants around your neck, we suggest choosing a different device.
We recommend checking out our guide for all of Lively’s pricing, as it can differ according to device. For example, the Smart4 requires a data package if you plan on using more than 1 GB a month. We’ll break down the Basic and Premium plans.
| Basic | Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| 24/7 emergency response | Yes | Yes |
| Ask questions to the support team | Yes | Yes |
| Friend and family notifications | Yes | Yes |
| Care advocate | No | Yes |
| On-call nurses | No | Yes |
| Starting from | $14.99 per month | $34.99 per month |
The Basic plan is what you would expect from a medical alert system. But the Premium plan offers a lot of extra support. You can work with a Care Advocate to create health, wellness, and financial goals. They can even recommend food delivery and cleaning services.
The devices are also affordable. Unlike Bay Alarm Medical and Medical Guardian, there are no ongoing monthly costs for equipment. The pendant and flip phone are $79.99, and the smartphone is $119.99. However, there is a one-time activation fee and extra fall detection costs to keep in mind.
| Connectivity | Cellular and Wi-Fi |
|---|---|
| Fall Detection | $9.99 per month |
| In-home Range | N/A |
| Battery Backup | Up to 40 hours |
| GPS Option | Yes |
| Money-back Guarantee | 30-day |
LifeStation’s Sidekick range specializes in giving caregivers peace of mind. During our testing, we integrated our account with Alexa. All we had to do was ask where the person wearing the device was. Alexa responded with the exact location courtesy of the GPS. If you don’t have Alexa, you can send a text message to LifeStation and get a pin on a map.
We had to call LifeStation to get a quote for their equipment. There are no upfront fees unlike Medical Guardian and Bay Alarm, but you pay a monthly fee for the devices in addition to monitoring. We chose the pendant, which starts at $39.95 per month, and the smartwatch, starting from $47.90 per month.
We like that the pendant has a dedicated test button. Sometimes we feel weird buzzing the monitoring center to see if the device is working. The smartwatch doesn’t have that feature. But it offers weather forecasts, it counts your steps, and it’s waterproof. Most importantly, both devices can pinpoint your location with the GPS.
Did You Know? About 63 percent of seniors plan on traveling domestically in 2025, with many of them willing to take trips “off-the-beaten-path.”1 The good news is that pendants and smartwatches work all over the U.S. So if someone steers too far off course, the monitoring centers can use GPS to help get them back on track.
LifeStation’s Alexa integration is where we saw the most value. We used it to track our tester and set medication reminders. Texting is also handy if your Echo isn’t nearby. We simply typed “Find Steve,” and LifeStation responded with a pinned map link.
We wish LifeStation’s website offered more pricing transparency. You won’t find product or monitoring plan costs. There’s also no mention of equipment fees until you speak to someone. The consultant told us about a $100 activation fee for the smartwatch.
LifeStation also offers protection plans for some devices and fall detection add-ons for both the pendant and in-home equipment. Thankfully, there is no extra charge for location tracking.
| Connectivity | Cellular and Wi-Fi |
|---|---|
| Fall Detection | Yes |
| In-home Range | Up to 600 feet |
| Battery Backup | Up to 76 hours |
| GPS Option | Yes |
| Money-back Guarantee | 30-day |
We believe the best way to give you trustworthy recommendations is by trying GPS medical alert systems ourselves. Our team tested over 35 models for weeks or months at a time. Some of the criteria we assessed included the device range, monitoring center response time, and portability.
Our team assessed several other factors when choosing and ranking the best GPS medical alert systems. Additional criteria included:
We focus on rigorously reviewing and testing medical alert systems. All tests were conducted by senior care experts with over 50 years of combined experience in the industry. We also consulted experts in the field and interviewed real customers to gather their insights about how they use their products.
Global Positioning Systems (GPS) use a satellite-based sensor to detect the exact location of any device that has one. When you push a GPS-enabled medical alert button, it connects to the monitoring center, which can then locate the device and send help if needed.
Did You Know? About 90 percent of seniors are choosing to age at home rather than in facilities.2 They’re using care technology like remote monitoring and mobile health services to help manage their health at home. GPS medical alerts are also part of the care plan for those who want to stay active.
Our tester preparing to head out and use the MGMove’s GPS features
Having a GPS medical alert device can mean the difference between life and death. If someone falls ill or becomes unconscious, the monitoring center can find their location and send help. These are some of the other benefits:
GPS-enabled medical alert devices are satellite-based, meaning the wearer's location can be detected even if they’re lost, disoriented, or incapacitated. The GPS feature communicates with the monitoring center using a cellular signal. Once the help button is pressed, the medical alert device can pinpoint the wearer's exact location, so the monitoring center knows their exact GPS coordinates.
Did You Know? If an older adult has experienced a fall, there is a 60-percent chance they will fall again within a year.3 If that person is outside the home, incapacitated and not wearing a GPS medical alert device, finding them and getting help can be challenging.
All medical alert systems come with 24/7 monitoring. When a wearer pushes the help button on their GPS-enabled medical alert device, they are connected to an emergency response operator within seconds. They can assess the situation and either request immediate medical assistance or contact a caregiver.
>> Read More: Family and Caregiver Guide to Home Safety
As we covered in our list of the best medical alert systems with fall detection, most brands require you to pay an additional monthly fee to access this feature. Check out our top medical alert systems across the entire industry for an even deeper look.
The fall detection feature is pretty much priceless and necessary. It is designed to detect a change in motion, such as a fall. When detected, the sensor initiates a call to the monitoring center and sends medical help.
A GPS feature allows the wearer to stay active and independent. Additionally, because it’s satellite-based, they aren't limited by range. Most GPS medical alert systems work all over the country.
GPS medical alert devices come in different shapes and sizes to suit all needs. Here are four of the most popular and easiest-to-use options we’ve tested.
There are no one-size-fits-all GPS medical alert systems. You can choose between pendants, bracelets, and smartwatches. There are even smartphone options if you prefer.
Choosing the right one goes beyond the type of device. Pay close attention to the features and coverage options. Also, consider response time to avoid delays when you need help.
Many devices work nationwide, but it depends on cellular coverage. The devices we tested worked on AT&T, Verizon, or both networks. We recommend confirming with the provider to make sure it works in your area.
The medical alert systems we tested are standalone devices. They don’t require a connection to a home base or smartphone. But you can use apps or portals to track information like steps and physical activity.
Most centers respond to an SOS within 30 seconds. The providers we tested have 24/7 monitoring, which we think is non-negotiable when choosing a medical alert device.
Not all medical alert devices are water resistant. Check the model to see if it’s safe to use while swimming or in the shower.
We recommend GPS medical alert systems for anyone with a health condition, disability, or history of falling. It doesn’t matter how old you are. These devices can be lifesavers.
AARP. (2024). 2024 Travel Trends: Despite High Costs and Travel Challenges, Older Travelers' Plans Hold Steady.
https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/social-leisure/travel/2024-travel-trends/
NCHstats. (2025). 10 Must-Know U.S. Home Care Industry Stats for 2025.
https://nchstats.com/us-home-care-industry-stats/
LightSpring Home Care. (2023). Elderly Fall Statistics.
https://lightspringcare.com/blog/elderly-fall-statistics/
