Medical Alerts with the Best Battery Life

We compared the battery life of over 75 medical alerts. Here are our top picks for long-lasting batteries.
Best in-home battery
Bay Alarm Medical
4.8 out of 5 stars
4.75
  • pro
    32-hour backup battery
  • pro
    Free caregiver app
Best mobile medical alerts
Medical Guardian Mini Guardian
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
  • pro
    120-hour backup battery
  • pro
    Free caregiver app
Best for budgets
Lively wearable 2 medical alert watch
Lively Wearable 2
3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5
  • pro
    120-day battery
  • con
    Caregiver app costs extra
Best GPS battery
Qmedic mobile
QMedic Mobile GPS
3.3 out of 5 stars
3.25
  • pro
    14-day battery
  • pro
    Free caregiver app
Best low battery alerts
lifefone-vipx
LifeFone VIPx
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
  • pro
    16-day battery
  • con
    Caregiver app costs extra

SafeWise experts have years of firsthand experience testing the products we recommend. Learn how we test and review

A long-lasting medical alert battery can save the day if there’s a power outage or a charger snafu. We’ve got the scoop on which brands combine a long-lasting battery with exceptional service.

Bay Alarm Medical tops the list for best in-home medical alert battery life, caregiver alerts, and free pendant replacement. Our other picks focus on mobile alert batteries. These last longer if the device doesn’t include automatic fall detection or GPS technology, so options run the gamut from 5 to 30 days.



Compare the battery life of medical alert devices

Product
Best for
Lowest subscription price
Equipment price
Caregiver app
Battery life
Learn more
Read Review
Best in-home battery $0Free32 hr. backup
Best mobile medical alerts $149.95 Free120 hr. backup
Best for budgets $49.99Requires upgrade120 days
Best GPS battery $0Free14 days
Best low battery alerts $0$8/mo.16 days

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

Review of the best medical alerts with long-lasting batteries

1. Bay Alarm Medical: Best in-home battery

Best in-home battery
Bay Alarm Medical
4.8 out of 5 stars
4.75
Starting from
$24.95
/mo

A 32-hour base station backup battery is as good as it gets in the medical alert industry, and most of the top brands offer it. But Bay Alarm Medical elbows out the competition thanks to its affordable price and a caregiver app that lets loved ones monitor battery levels.

pro
Pros
pro 32-hour base unit backup battery
pro Free replacement pendant
pro Caregiver app shows battery level
pro Fall detection and GPS in same device
pro Affordable
con
Cons
con 3-day mobile device battery life

Bay Alarm Medical also monitors the battery inside its wearable help button and sends a new one when needed. This usually takes a few years. Since you don’t have to take the button off to charge, you’ll stay protected no matter what.

The Bay Alarm Medical Mobile GPS Help Button sitting on its charging cradle at our tester's home.

Image: Cathy Habas, SafeWise

Bay Alarm Medical’s Mobile GPS Button lasts up to three days on a full charge. While that doesn’t sound like much, it’s about average in the industry, especially for a device that includes battery-sapping tech like GPS and fall detection. It’s still a good idea to put the mobile button in its charging cradle every night.

2. Medical Guardian: Best mobile devices

Best fall detection battery
Medical Guardian Mini Guardian
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
Starting from
$149.95 + $39.95
/mo

Medical Guardian's base station backup battery lasts 32 hours, just like Bay Alarm Medical’s, and they’ll send a replacement pendant once its battery runs out. We used price as a tiebreaker; Bay Alarm is more affordable.

However, Medical Guardian has the best mobile devices. We like the Mini Guardian because it uses GPS tracking technology, cellular data, and Wi-Fi to pinpoint your location in an emergency—making it a perfect on-the-go option with a five-day battery life.

The Active Guardian battery lasts for just three days with the automatic fall detection option, and the Mobile 2.0 lasts also for five days. Caregivers can monitor battery life through the MyGuardian app.

Read our full Medical Guardian review.

pro
Pros
pro
pro Five Diamond Certified monitoring center
pro Fall detection for $10/mo.
pro 3 location tracking technologies
pro Free caregiver portal
con
Cons
con Equipment fee
con Short warranty (1 year)

3. Lively Wearable 2: Best for budgets

Best for budgets
Lively wearable 2 medical alert watch
Lively Wearable 2
3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5
Starting from
$49.99 + $24.99
/mo

*Amazon.com price accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

You won’t have to replace the Lively Wearable 2’s battery for 120 days (or four months). But there’s a catch: This medical alert device is basically useless without your smartphone nearby. So it’s more accurate to say that this wearable device’s battery life equals your smartphone’s battery life.

pro
Pros
pro Battery lasts up to 120 days
pro Affordable monthly price
pro Caregiver app shows battery level
pro Fall detection and GPS
pro Speak to a doctor without an appointment
con
Cons
con Only works near your smartphone
con No in-home equipment

This medical alert watch costs about $50 up front and around $25 to $40 per month. We recommend the all-inclusive Ultimate Package, which includes fall detection, app access, and a 24/7 telehealth service called Urgent Care for around $40/month.

The Lively Wearable 2 is best for active people who aren’t interested in an at-home medical alert system, since Lively doesn’t sell any of those.

Read our full Lively review to learn more

4. QMedic Mobile GPS: Best GPS battery

Best GPS battery

QMedic offers a mobile help button/GPS tracker with a 14-day battery life, but it doesn’t detect falls. It’s also one of the few systems that offers a web-based portal rather than just a smartphone app.

pro
Pros
pro Mobile battery lasts up to 14 days
pro Free replacement pendant
pro Caregiver portal
pro Free equipment lease
con
Cons
con No fall detection option
con 24-hour base unit backup battery
con Must pay annually

QMedic’s in-home base station runs for just 24 hours on a backup battery. But, as we mentioned with Aloe Care, QMedic’s long-lasting mobile device can be used to get help instead, regardless of whether the base unit is up and running.

The main catch with QMedic is that you have to pay annually. And if you end up wanting fall detection later, you’ll need to switch to a different company because QMedic doesn’t offer that technology.

Visit QMedic to learn more.

5. LifeFone VIPx: Best low battery alerts

Best low battery alerts
lifefone-vipx
LifeFone VIPx
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
Starting from
$45.95
/mo

When the incredible 16-day battery finally runs low on the LifeFone VIPx mobile system, it sends you and your caregivers an email, text, and app notification. These far-reaching and persistent low battery alerts are perfect for anyone who has trouble remembering their to-do list.  

pro
Pros
pro 16-day battery life
pro Caregiver app shows battery level
pro Fall detection and GPS in same device
pro Text and email battery alerts
con
Cons
con Expensive
con Caregiver app costs extra
con Fall detection costs extra

Although LifeFone’s prices seem reasonable at first glance, it’s easy to get nickeled-and-dimed before you know it. For example, app access costs an extra $8 per month, and fall detection costs another $5. The LifeFone VIPx could end up costing nearly $60 per month, but at least there’s no up-front equipment fee.

LifeFone offers a slightly more affordable device called the VIP, a medical alert with the longest battery life of 30 days. But you can’t add fall detection or app access to the VIP, so it’s just an alert button with GPS tracking for emergency responders.

Visit LifeFone or read our full LifeFone review.

More medical care alerts we considered

Aloe Care Health

The Aloe Care Health Mobile Companion boasts the longest-lasting battery of any three-in-one mobile medical alert system on the market. It stays on for up to five days from a full charge, and it reminds you to place it in the charging cradle when its battery gets low.

Image: Cathy Habas, SafeWise

Even if you plan to charge this medical alert device every night, that extra-long battery comes in handy. Your loved ones can check on your location through Aloe Care’s mobile app, but note that every check-in uses some of the Mobile Companion’s battery.

Despite its impressive mobile battery, Aloe Care’s in-home base station has the lowest backup battery life on the market. It lasts just six hours during a power outage.

To compromise, we recommend getting a Mobile Companion even if you aren’t very active. It doesn’t rely on the base station at all, so it can be your emergency backup when the power’s out. 

Visit Aloe Care or read our full Aloe Care Health review.

LifeStation

We like LifeStation’s proactive approach when it comes to backup battery alerts. Caregivers receive a call and an email whenever the base station’s backup battery gets low. This is a great fail-safe just in case someone accidentally unplugs the unit. The backup battery lasts up to 32 hours, and the mobile unit lasts up to five days.

We think LifeStation is a little behind the times in terms of caregiver technology since they don’t send text alerts or have an app. But if you don’t give a hoot about smartphones, LifeStation offers an affordable medical alert system with an average battery life.

Read our full LifeStation review.

Lifeline

The battery life for Lifeline products falls into the average range: 30 hours for the base unit backup and 3 days for the mobile device. Philips Lifeline monitors pendant batteries and automatically sends a new pendant. Caregivers can view device statuses through the Lifeline Cares app.

Bay Alarm had a slightly longer battery backup and a more affordable price point.

Read our full Lifeline review.

Light Bulb
Save money and stay connected with an AARP membership

With an AARP membership, you can get a 15% discount on a Lifeline medical alert system, in addition to discounts on hotels, restaurants, prescriptions and more. You also get the AARP magazine, access to virtual learning programs, and can connect with other AARP members in your community.

MobileHelp

MobileHelp's base station backup battery lasts 30 hours, and the mobile device shuts down after one day. MobileHelp will send a replacement pendant when its battery runs out, but it’s up to you to contact the company and request the new pendant.

Read our full MobileHelp review.

Medical Care Alert

Medical Care Alert's mobile device has a three-day battery life. While that's sufficient for many people, it's certainly not the best battery in the medical alert industry. 

Life Alert

Life Alert’s help button lasts up to 10 years, and they’ll send a new one when its battery gets low. But Life Alert is incredibly expensive and offers very little equipment or tech. We like other brands’ updated equipment much better.

Read our full Life Alert review.

ADT Medical

ADT Medical's base station battery lasts just 12 to 20 hours, and its mobile device works for up to three days. ADT Medical monitors in-home pendant batteries and sends customers a new one when needed. There’s no caregiver app.

Read our full ADT Medical review.

Final word

We think Bay Alarm Medical has the best in-home medical alert system with a long-lasting backup battery, fuss-free pendant battery replacement, and easy-to-use caregiver app.

For a go-anywhere device, we love Medical Guardian’s Mobile Companion because it includes automatic fall detection and has a five-day battery life. The QMedic Mobile GPS and LifeFone VIPx have longer battery lives because they don’t include fall detection.

The Lively Wearable 2 is a bit of a strange bird since the device battery lasts a long time, but its functional life depends on your smartphone battery. Lively’s strength is its price: it’s one of the most affordable mobile medical alert systems on the market.

Ready for more comparisons? Read our take on the best medical alert systems.

FAQ

Life Alert’s pendants and wall buttons use batteries that last up to 10 years. Life Alert sends replacements after 10 years.

How we reviewed medical alerts with a long battery life

We compiled battery data for over 75 medical alert products to write this medical alert review. We considered devices with the longest-lasting batteries and companies with customer-friendly battery policies. Here are the main criteria we considered:

  • How can caregivers keep track of device batteries?
  • How long does the battery last on mobile devices?
  • How long does the backup battery last on in-home systems?
  • Are there any extra features that help users charge devices correctly?
  • Does the company monitor and replace the in-home help pendant when its battery gets low?
  • How long does the battery last on mobile devices with extra features like GPS and fall detection?

We’ve tested Bay Alarm and Aloe Care products hands-on. To learn more, check out the SafeWise methodology page.

Related articles on SafeWise


Disclaimer

*Product prices and availability are accurate as of post date and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.

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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