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Bay Alarm Medical’s alert necklace took our top spot with its 1,000-foot range, five-year battery life and waterproof design.
Updated February 12, 2026
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Bay Alarm Medical alert necklaces let you move freely through your home thanks to their generous 1,000-foot range. They’re also durable, waterproof, and backed by a five-year warranty with no upfront costs. Married? Add an extra necklace and get free spousal monitoring.
With Medical Guardian, medical alert necklace monitoring costs less than $1 per day. Their alert necklace features a lightweight design with optional cellular monitoring and/or GPS tracking for reliable use while jogging, traveling, or doing everyday activities.
If you’re on a budget, you’ll appreciate ADT Medical Alert System’s affordable prices. Required equipment for all packages, which includes a medical alert necklace, is free and monitoring starts at $26.99 per month. Adding more necklaces only cost $14.99 a piece.
Wearing a necklace with a medical alert button attached as a pendant is both comfortable and convenient. It’s always right around your neck with a clear button to press. You can easily hide it by sliding it under your shirt or adding designs to the pendant to make it look like a hip necklace from Etsy.
Any old medical alert system with a necklace, however, will not do. There are plenty out there with low quality monitoring services and restrictive ranges. That’s why we tested dozens of medical alert devices to find the best medical alert systems with necklaces.
After spending at least two weeks with each system, we found that Bay Alarm Medical provides the top medical alert system with a necklace. However, it won't be the perfect fit for everyone, so we're also going to highlight Medical Guardian, ADT Medical Alert System and MobileHelp, our runners up. Let's dig in.
| System | Bay Alarm Medical | Medical Guardian | ADT Medical Alert System | MobileHelp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| SecureScore™ | 9.3/10 Best for Couples | 9.1/10 Best Battery Life | 8.9/10 Most Affordable | 8.7/10 Best GPS Necklace |
| Monthly Cost | Starts at $27.95 | Starts at $27.95 | Starts at $26.99 | Starts at $24.95 |
| Necklace Cost | One free, then $39 for each extra | One included then each adds $2.99 per month | One free, then $14.99 for each extra | One free, then each adds $2.99 per month |
| Upfront Cost | Only for add-on equipment and premium systems | Starts at $149.95 | Only for add-on equipment | No upfront costs |
| Read Review | Bay Alarm Medical Review | Medical Guardian Review | MobileHelp Review |
Bay Alarm Medical offers at-home cellular and landline systems with necklace-style help buttons as well as on-the-go wearable devices. Their wearable devices work as standalone devices or as part of an at-home cellular or landline system.
That said, we recommend the SOS All-In-One 2 for necklace use. You can attach it to the included lanyard and wear it around your neck wherever you go. This gave us the flexibility to stay protected 24/7 without juggling multiple devices. The necklace was already on when we headed out the door since it's what we used at home, too.
We tested the pendant that comes with the SOS Home module. The pendant was lightweight so it never strained our neck while wearing it. When we went out, though, we had to remember to put on the SOS Smart Watch as the pendant only works when in proximity to the SOS Home base station.
Pro Tip: If you or your loved one struggles with memory, you should consider the SOS All-In-One 2. It works inside and outside the home, so you can wear it as a necklace 24/7 using the included lanyard and never need to remember to switch devices when you leave your home.
With four different medical alert systems and several options that change the pricing for each system, Bay Alarm Medical’s packages can get confusing. We’re here to simplify it for you, though. Here’s an overview of Bay Alarm Medical’s pricing:
| System | SOS Home | SOS All-In-One 2 | SOS Micro | SOS SmartWatch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront Costs | None | $149 | $149 | $199 |
| 360° Bundle | Not Available | +$20 per Month | +$25 per Month | +$25 per Month |
| Fall Detection | +$10 per Month | +$10 per Month | +$10 per Month | +$10 per Month |
| Cellular Support | +$7 per Month | Included in Base Price | Included in Base Price | Included in Base Price |
| Base Price Per Month | $27.95 | $34.95 | $34.95 | $39.95 |
If you get the SOS Home, we recommend an SOS Micro or SOS SmartWatch as well in case you or your loved one needs to leave the house and stay protected.
>> Read About: Best Long Range Medical Alert Systems in 2026
Here’s our Bay Alarm Medical alert button that attaches to a necklace cord or watch strap.
All Bay Alarm Medical systems include 24/7 U.S.-based monitoring in their monthly fee. That ensures you or your loved one can speak with a specialist using the emergency device’s two-way talk any time help is needed.
Generally, we also recommend opting for the extra Fall Detection feature since it’s our favorite medical alert system with fall detection. We know it adds to your $10 to your monthly bill, but falls can lead to loss of consciousness. Those are the times a medical device is needed most, and Fall Detection automatically alerts the monitoring service during those instances.
On Bay Alarm Medical’s mobile app, they also offer a caregiver tracking feature. That lets you or your loved one set individuals as a caregiver and then that caregiver can check in on your location, device battery level, and location history.
| 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 | 15-day |
Medical Guardian offers some of the longest lasting batteries for medical alert devices that we’ve tested. For instance, the MGMini — a standalone, on-the-go device — lasts up to five days. Check out our MGMini review for an in-depth look at this innovative device.Similarly, the pendant alert button we tested with the MGHome Cellular system lasted a full week between charges. So, if you or your loved one forgets to charge batteries often, Medical Guardian minimizes that risk.
Medical Guardian offers a few options for a medical alert necklace. Both the MGHome Landline and MGHome Cellular come with a pendant that can be worn as a watch or necklace. The MGMini can also be worn as a necklace with the included lanyard.
These are really easy-to-use devices with a simple button to press for help. The pendant we used with our MGHome Cellular system was very reliable with its long battery life. It also features a long range of up to 1,400 feet. The MGMini works anywhere.
Here we are testing our MGHome Cellular to confirm our issue with failed calls was fixed
For a medical alert necklace from Medical Guardian, you’ll need to go with the MGHome Landline, MGHome Cellular, or MGMini. Here’s an overview of the Medical Guardian’s pricing for their medical alert systems:
| Medical Alert System | MGHome Landline | MGHome Cellular | MGMini | MGMini Lite | MGMove |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront Price | $149.95 | $149.95 | $149.95 | $149.95 | $199.95 |
| Shipping Fee | $12.50 | $12.50 | $12.50 | $12.50 | $12.50 |
| Additional Pendant | +$2.99 per month | +$2.99 per month | +$2.99 per month | Not Available | Not Available |
| Fall Detection | +$10 per month | +$10 per month | +$10 per month | +$10 per month | +$10 per month |
| Price per Month | Starts at $27.95 | Starts at $34.95 | Starts at $39.95 | Starts at $42.95 | Starts at $38.95 |
>> Learn More: Medical Guardian MGMove Review 2026
FYI: Medical Guardian’s cellular systems use the AT&T network. Before signing up for one of the cellular options, make sure your area has AT&T service using the FTC’s mobile coverage map.1 They do not offer a full money-back guarantee, so this is a crucial step.
Just like Bay Alarm Medical, Medical Guardian also offer U.S.-based medical alert monitoring and fall detection for an additional $10 per month. We preferred Bay Alarm Medical’s caregiver features, though. Medical Guardian still offers a location history, but Bay Alarm’s interface was easier to navigate as it was all set up in the app. With Medical Guardian, we had to navigate to a specific customer portal and then find the caregiver section to set it up.
That said, we like the way Medical Guardian keeps caregivers in the loop during an event. After helping you or your loved one get the help they need, Medical Guardian’s monitoring agents go through the preset call list to notify all caregivers of the event and your current status. This is one of the reasons they ended up on our list of the best medical alert watches too.
>> Read More: Bay Alarm Medical vs. Medical Guardian 2026
| Connectivity | Landline, cellular, and Wi-fi |
|---|---|
| Fall Detection | $10/month |
| In-home Range | Up to 1,400 feet |
| Battery Backup | Up to 36 hours |
| GPS Option | Yes |
| Money-back Guarantee | None |
ADT Health offers budget-friendly medical alert systems with no equipment fees — just a one-time activation charge. Monthly plans start at $26.99, making it more affordable than Medical Guardian and Bay Alarm Medical. The straightforward pricing structure also keeps costs predictable while still allowing for add-ons like fall detection.
You don’t need to pick a specific system to get an alert necklace with ADT. All three of their systems include a necklace in the base package. That said, we mostly recommend ADT’s On-The-Go Medical Alert System. The other two systems offer at most a 600-foot range which we found restrictive. If you spend any time outdoors, you’ll likely surpass that 600-foot range.
Did You Know? The advertised range of a medical alert system refers to the theoretical range without obstructions. In the real world, the signal needs to pass through walls and furniture at a minimum. Those obstructions reduce the theoretical range. We expect 850 to 900 feet out of a 1,000-foot range device.
Aside from the flat $99 activation fee, all costs associated with an ADT medical alert system come in the form of a monthly fee. There are three systems to choose from, with a few optional add-ons for each. Here’s the price of ADT’s medical alert systems:
| Medical Alert System | Basic | Plus | On-The-Go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activation Fee | $99 | $99 | $99 |
| Additional Pendant | $14.99 upfront + $5 per month | $14.99 upfront + $5 per month | Not Available |
| Fall Detection | +$11 per month | +$11 per month | +$11 per month |
| Monitoring Fee | Starts at $26.99 per month | Starts at $34.99 per month | Starts at $ 36.99 per month |
We’re used to paying an extra $10 per month for fall detection, but ADT charges $11. It’s only $1 more, but hey, money is money. They also don’t have an app for caregivers like Bay Alarm Medical. We cover all the details between these systems in our ADT vs Bay Alarm comparison.
ADT offers an extra layer of protection, though. Their Basic and Plus system base stations monitor a home’s temperature. That might seem unnecessary, but seniors face significant health risks when air conditioning fails and indoor temperatures rise to dangerous levels. Temperature monitoring ensures caregivers are alerted so they can move their loved one to a safer location with appropriate climate control.
| Connectivity | Landline or Cellular |
|---|---|
| Fall Detection | $11/month |
| In-home Range | 300 feet or 600 feet, depending on system |
| Battery Backup | Up to 20 hours |
| GPS Option | Yes |
| Money-back Guarantee | 30-day |
Every medical alert system we’ve mentioned thus far offers GPS capabilities for their on-the-go devices. What makes MobileHelp’s GPS features stand out is the way they integrate the data into their mobile app for users and caregivers. The interface is easy to use which we value for a medical alert system.
Heads Up: MobileHelp limits the number of GPS requests you can make from the mobile app. Once you hit the 30 request limit per month, you’ll need to buy additional requests at a rate of $6 per 30 requests. The included requests are enough for one per day, though, plenty for keeping tabs on a loved one.
Like ADT, every MobileHelp system comes with an alert necklace. Except, we actually like the design of the MobileHelp pendant more than the ADT one. It’s a bit sleeker making it easy to tuck inside our shirt so nobody could tell we were wearing a medical alert device.
The standard pendant is lightweight and compact, making it comfortable for all-day wear. It features a large enough button to easily press during emergencies, yet the overall design remains discreet and jewelry-like.
The only exception was the MobileHelp Micro. Its name makes it sound like it’s a small device, but the Micro is bigger than MobileHelp’s standard pendant. With the Micro, though, all you need to carry is the device itself instead of requiring an at-home or on-the-go base station along with the pendant.
MobileHelp offers four primary systems plus bundle options, giving you six total configurations to choose from. Here’s a breakdown of MobileHelp’s prices:
| Medical Alert System | Classic Landline | Classic Cellular | Solo | Micro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront Fee | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Shipping Cost | Free with annual plan or $12.50 | Free with annual plan or $12.50 | Free with annual plan or $12.50 | Free with annual plan or $12.50 |
| Extra Pendant | +$2.99 per month | +$2.99 per month | +$2.99 per month | Not Available |
| Add a MobileHelp Micro | Not Available | +$20 per month | Not Available | +$15 per month |
| Fall Detection | Not Available | +$5.50 per month | +$5.50 per month | +$5.50 per month |
| Base Monthly Rate | $24.95 | $24.95 | $34.95 | $34.95 |
FYI: While many providers discount annual subscriptions, MobileHelp charges identical rates for monthly and annual plans. The only annual plan benefit is free shipping. We don’t consider this worth the long-term commitment.
Just like every provider on this list, MobileHelp providesall essential safety features including automatic fall detection and a caregiver mobile app. However, the app’s outdated interface can be difficult to navigate, even for tech-savvy users.
Where MobileHelp excels is GPS tracking technology. They pioneered the first standalone GPS-enabled medical alert device — the MobileHelp Micro. This patented design remains exclusive to MobileHelp, offering unmatched portability and location accuracy.
>> Check Out: Medical Guardian vs MobileHelp Comparison
| Connectivity | Landline or Cellular |
|---|---|
| Fall Detection | $5.50/month |
| In-home Range | Up to 1,400 feet |
| Battery Backup | Up to 30 hours |
| GPS Option | Yes |
| Money-back Guarantee | None |
To ensure reliable recommendations, we identified the most popular medical alert systems with necklaces, then purchased and tested each one ourselves. We assessed systems using these key criteria:
Our senior care experts conducted all tests, then consulted additional experts and current customers for comprehensive insights into each system's pros and cons.
While both assist during medical emergencies, they serve different purposes.
Medical alert necklaces connect you to help. Press the button and you're immediately connected to your provider's monitoring center, where agents contact emergency personnel or caregivers based on your needs.
Medical ID tags provide emergency responders with your medical history—like diabetes or allergies. This information helps responders quickly determine the best treatment, regardless of the situation.
Did You Know? During enrollment, medical alert providers collect your medical history, current medications, and emergency contacts. This information is immediately available to monitoring agents, who relay it to first responders when dispatching help during an emergency.
Most medical alert necklaces look basic. However, we believe you shouldn't have to choose between style and safety, so we tested different ways to make a medical alert necklace more stylish. Here are a few of our favorites:
While safety matters most, we've found that users who like how their necklace looks wear it more consistently—which ultimately improves their safety.
Wearing your medical alert device as a necklace is convenient and easy. Simply put it on and enjoy your day knowing medical assistance is always available.
Though medical alert necklaces look similar, they differ significantly in capabilities and services. We recommend Bay Alarm Medical for their premium monitoring, high-quality app, and user-friendly necklace. Medical Guardian, ADT's Medical Alert System, and MobileHelp also delivered excellent necklaces and services.
Yes, fall detection works with medical alert necklaces. Even though they are not strapped to your body, they can still detect a sudden drop and send an alert to your monitoring team.
Most medical alert systems include a necklace at no additional charge. They typically include a pendant that can be attached to a lanyard and worn as a necklace. For extra pendants, expect to pay anywhere from $15 to $50.
We do not recommend wearing a medical alert necklace to sleep. It's too easy to accidentally press the button in your sleep or get tangled up in the cord of the necklace. Instead, keep the pendant on your bedside table within arm's reach in case you need help in the middle of the night.
Unfortunately, nearly every medical alert necklace requires a monthly fee. It pays for monitoring, so that when you press the medical emergency button, you can connect to a real person for assistance.
As long as your medical alert necklace is water resistant, which most of them are, we recommend wearing your medical alert necklace in the shower. Every medical alert necklace in this list is water resistant.
Federal Communications Commission. (Accessed 2025). Mobile LTE Coverage Map. https://fcc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=6c1b2e73d9d749cdb7bc88a0d1bdd25b
Center for American Progress. (2024). Protecting Older Adults From the Growing Threats of Extreme Heat. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/protecting-older-adults-from-the-growing-threats-of-extreme-heat/
