11 Best Fall Detection Services of 2023

Fall detection is a potentially lifesaving feature that many medical alert system companies offer.

Choosing the best fall detection service comes down to key factors such as reliability, cost, range of use, warranty, customer service, and ease of use. You’ll also need to consider whether you’d like an on-the-go mobile device, a wearable button or pendant for an in-home system, or both.

With that in mind, we put together a list of the best fall detection services, including pros and cons of each brand and its offerings.

General price ranges with dollar signs ($–$$$) are indicated below. One dollar sign means the service is more affordable, whereas four dollar signs indicate a higher cost.

We indicate the monthly prices below, but some companies offer annual plans, which may lower the costs. Additionally, some brands require setup, equipment, or activation fees on top of a monthly or annual rate.

• $ = under $30 per month
• $$ = $30–$40 per month
• $$$ = over $40 per month

Medical Guardian

• Cost: $–$$$
• Range for in-home use: up to 1,400 feet (ft)

Medical Guardian is a popular medical alert company that offers many ways to customize your package. Fall detection is available on all its devices, though it’s an optional feature that requires an additional fee.

The brand also offers a long list of compatible phone service providers, including Verizon and AT&T.

According to the company, its average response time for fall detection is between 1 and 15 seconds. The brand seems to have one of the largest ranges for its in-home systems — up to 1,400 ft.

Medical Guardian features a wide range of devices to choose from — both on-the-go and at-home products that are water-resistant and safe for shower use.

One thing to note about the MGMove watch: This device comes at a one-time cost of $199.95 and automatically features fall detection. It contacts the monitoring center when it detects a fall, whether you’ve pressed the button or not.

If you’re unsure which of the brand’s devices is best for your needs, you can take a quick quiz and get the company’s recommendation.

ADT

• Cost: $–$$
• Range for in-home use: up to 600 ft

Since medical alert systems require ongoing costs (monthly payment, battery replacements, etc.), knowing that the prices won’t increase over time can offer peace of mind.

ADT guarantees that it won’t increase pricing and offers a simple selection of products to choose from, making your shopping process easier.

You can select from three options:

• On-the-Go: mobile option that includes a premium protection plan
• Medical Alert Plus: extended range but still limited compared to competitors; includes pendant or wristband and temperature monitoring; no landline required
• Medical Alert Basic: at-home use only; fall detection not available; limited range of 300 ft

The company doesn’t charge for equipment, and it offers free battery replacements. Many other companies don’t have these cost-saving features.

Plus, you can feel at ease knowing you can cancel any time, since the company doesn’t require contracts.

Bay Alarm Medical

• Cost: $–$$$
• Range for in-home use: up to 1,000 ft

Offering communication in 170 languages, Bay Alarm Medical is a good choice for people who speak languages other than English.

The highly rated company says its response time is between 1 and 15 seconds, and fall detection is automatic (but also optional) on all its products, excluding the SOS Smartwatch.

Right now, the brand offers four products, three of which are designed for on-the-go lifestyles.

A couple of drawbacks to this service are that it does not offer international coverage or warranties.

LifeFone

• Cost: $–$$$
• Range for in-home use: up to 1,300 ft

Most medical alert companies offer fall detection as an optional add-on. The average price for this feature is an additional $10 monthly.

LifeFone offers fall detection at half that price — an extra $5 per month. On top of that, it has a competitive in-home range of up to 1,300 ft.

LifeFone offers six products, all of which are available with an optional fall detection add-on. While the company offers beneficial extras such as medication reminders and daily check-in phone calls, these come at additional monthly costs, so your total bill can quickly add up.

UnaliWear

• Cost: $$$
• Range for in-home use: N/A

You may prefer to wear a medical alert product on your wrist instead of around your neck.

Though it’s important to remember that those worn around your neck are considered the most reliable for fall detection, UnaliWear is one option to consider if you’re set on a watch.

Along with providing automatic fall detection, the company promises that this smartwatch comes out of the box ready to use — no setup required.

The major drawback of this product is its pricing. If you want to pay annually, you’ll pay $918.40 up front, which includes a $199 setup fee. From there, you’ll pay $719.40 per year. If you’d rather pay monthly, the up-front charge is $368.95, with a $69.95 monthly renewal fee.

Though this option is among the highest-priced on our list, you can wear it all day, including in the shower, and it provides other features, such as medication reminders and a calendar (and, of course, a clock).

If you’re unsure whether the watch is a good fit, you can take the company’s quiz to learn more and see if it’s the right choice for your needs.

Medical Alert

• Cost: $–$$
• Range for in-home use: up to 800 ft

Though most medical alert systems are relatively simple to use, a company named Medical Alert offers what many consider the most straightforward, easy-to-use system.

The company offers just two options: an at-home system and a mobile system.

As with most of the other companies on our list, fall detection is optional and costs an additional $10 per month

Lifeline

• Cost: $–$$$
• Range for in-home use: not listed

Lifeline, which was formerly known as Phillips Lifeline, has been around since 1974 and has a strong reputation among users.

The brand offers two medical alert systems with fall detection:

• HomeSafe Standard (or with AutoAlert): a two-way communication home system with a choice of a wristband or pendant
• On the Go: a GPS locator worn as a lanyard

If you’d prefer to have the brand’s team set up your system, that option is available for an additional fee of $99.

GetSafe

• Cost: $
• Range for in-home use: up to 1,000 ft

GetSafe organizes its plans and products according to home size. You can select a plan for sizes ranging from 0–1 bedrooms to 4–5 bedrooms.

The monthly service price is the same for all plans at $29.99 monthly, and fall detection comes at the industry standard price of an additional $10 monthly.

The drawback is that each plan requires you to pay equipment fees. The equipment fee gets higher for each plan with additional bedrooms since these kits include more equipment, such as extra wall buttons (some of which are voice-activated).

The fall detection product available with these plans is one large button that you wear around your neck.

One Call Alert

• Cost: $–$$$
• Range for in-home use: up to 1,400 ft

One Call Alert is a medical alert system that is available for purchase through pharmaceutical retailers such as:

One Call Alert has offers six systems, including in-home and mobile options.

It’s important to note that fall detection is not available through the company’s In-Home landline system. And, as with most other brands on our list, fall detection requires an extra charge. For some products, this fee is $10 extra per month, while for others, it’s $11 per month.

MobileHelp

• Cost: $–$$$
• Range for in-home use: up to 1,400 ft

MobileHelp has a large variety of products available, including one in the form of a tablet.

The MobileHelp Touch Classic works like a traditional medical alert system base, but it looks like a tablet and offers similar features, such as video chat, messaging, photo gallery, and games.

You can add fall detection to this product plan along with other helpful add-ons, such as medication reminders and activity tracking.

Aloe Care Health

• Cost: $$–$$$
• Range for in-home use: 200 ft

One company with a collection of modern products and high tech features is Aloe Care Health.

The brand offers four packages, from Essential to Total Care. Total Care features the company’s most comprehensive plan and products.

The Essential package is the only one without fall detection — all others feature wearable fall detection. The Total Care package offers automatic fall detection and motion sensors that send notifications when unusual activity occurs.

All the packages require one-time hardware costs, and Total Care has the highest hardware price tag at $349.99.

One major perk of this brand is that fall detection is included in the pricing rather than requiring an additional monthly fee. One major drawback is the limited in-home range of up to 200 ft.

While searching for the best fall detection services, we kept these important factors in mind:

• Reliability: We chose only products with high reliability rates, though it’s important to remember that no service should be considered 100% accurate for detecting falls.
• Customer feedback: We carefully examined what customers say about the company, products, customer service, monitoring team, and more.
• Usability: We considered only products that are relatively simple to set up and use.
• Price range: Though services with fall detection tend to charge a monthly fee and some charge equipment or activation fees, we considered brands with more accessible overall price points. We also make a note of which brands charge higher prices.
• Expert vetting: Healthline’s medical review team has vetted each of these service providers.

Most devices are sensor-based and wearable. As you’ve seen from our list, some devices are mobile, designed to be worn out and about, while others rely on an in-home base system that connects to a wearable device such as a necklace, pendant, or bracelet.

These devices usually use accelerometer sensors to detect falls, and some use multiple types of sensors. If the sensors work properly, the device delivers a signal to the company’s monitoring team when a fall occurs, and the device asks you in some way whether you’ve fallen, which you can either confirm or dismiss.

When you confirm, the system will notify an emergency contact or service, and help will be on the way.

You may notice that some options include the use of movement-tracking sensors or video cameras. The fall-to-help process with these systems works similarly: When the system detects a fall, it asks you to confirm or dismiss it. Usually, if you give no feedback, the system assumes it’s an emergency situation and sends help automatically.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 36 million falls involving older adults are reported annually.

Fall detection can offer users and their loved ones peace of mind and increased independence.

Though we tend to think of older adults when we think of personal medical alert systems, plenty of other people can benefit from these devices. For example, those who take certain medications can be prone to falls, as well as those with:

It’s best to consider the lifestyle of the person using fall detection. Are they usually alone and on the go, or do they spend most of their alone time at home?

Once you decide between a mobile device that features fall detection and an at-home system that uses wearable sensors via a necklace or pendant, you can decide which add-on features you’d like. These vary quite a bit depending on the company you choose, and they usually come with additional costs, though some packages include certain features in the pricing.

While shopping, you can compare pricing, equipment costs, warranty, range of use for home products, customer service and monitoring center response time, and more.

Will insurance always cover costs?

One drawback to these services is that they are not covered by Medicare Part A or Part B. Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) may provide some coverage.

If you’re a part of certain associations, such as the American Association of Retired Persons, the Association of Mature American Citizens, or the Government Employees Health Association, it’s a good idea to get information about any possible discounts on medical alert systems. However, available discounts may apply to only specific brands or devices.

Is it best to have a fall detection mobile device or wearable tech?

Wearable tech is thought to be the better way to go for fall detection. Specifically, devices worn at the center of your body (such as around your neck) have been found to be more accurate than devices worn elsewhere on your body, such as a smartwatch with fall detection worn on your wrist.

How reliable is fall detection?

Reliability rates vary across the many brands that offer fall detection. Research shows that wearing a device around your neck is the most accurate method for detecting falls. Plus, studies show that merging signals of different sensors could mean higher accuracy — and some brands do use multiple sensor types.

What are the disadvantages of fall detection?

Though fall detection is an excellent feature to consider while shopping for medical alert systems, you should not think of it as a perfect system.

Many devices boast impressive response times and accuracy rates. But ultimately, no system can claim to be 100% accurate, nor can it prevent falls from happening in the first place.

It’s also important to keep in mind the ongoing costs of these services.

Medical alert systems with fall detection typically involve a monthly cost (unless you select an annual plan, if one is available through your preferred company). Some require up-front fees for equipment or activation. Battery-operated devices will need battery replacements. Some brands include one or more free battery replacements, while others do not.

Additionally, it’s possible for your device to activate a false fall alert. Charges for false fall alerts vary depending on the brand (though some do not charge for this), so it’s a good idea to look into those costs before purchasing. Also keep in mind that your local emergency services may charge for these alerts.

Are there any phone apps that detect falls?

Phone apps advertising fall detection are available for both Apple and Android devices. But remember that the most reliable devices are those you wear around your neck.

Many of the available apps are compatible with a smartwatch, but smartwatches with fall detection are not thought to be as reliable as necklace-style devices. Some apps may instead use the phone’s camera to detect falls.

Fall detection is beneficial and potentially lifesaving, and several high quality options are available. However, fall detection devices can’t prevent falls, nor can they promise 100% accuracy. Regular telephone check-ins with trusted friends and family members are always a good idea if you have concerns or are prone to falling.

In addition to choosing the right service, it’s a good idea to work with a healthcare professional to identify any risk factors you may have, such as medications that may make you prone to falls.

With a green light from your healthcare professional, you can consider trying exercises to help improve your balance. Keeping your home clutter-free and easily accessible may also help prevent some falls.