Philips Lifeline Vs. Life Alert: Which Is Best For You?
Philips Lifeline Vs. Life Alert: Which Is Be...
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Medical alert systems can get you or your loved one the help you need, fast. Life Alert and Philips Lifeline are two well-established medical alert system companies that produce at-home and on-the-go systems. If you’re considering Life Alert or Philips Lifeline, make sure you read this article as cost isn’t the only difference between the two.
Key Takeaways
- Once you tally up all the costs, Philips Lifeline is less expensive than Life Alert.
- Life Alert doesn’t offer automatic fall detection, while Philips Lifeline does.
- Philips Lifeline’s at-home systems connect to an app and caregiver tools; Life Alert does not have these features.
- Life Alert requires a three-year contract; Philips Lifeline does not.
What to Know About Philips Lifeline vs. Life Alert
If you’ve decided that you or your loved one needs a medical alert system to remain safely at home, you may be comparing the product offerings of Philips Lifeline and Life Alert.
Both U.S.-based companies have been in business for decades. Life Alert is best known for its iconic “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up” television commercials. The company was one of the first to offer medical alert systems. However, its current offerings aren’t as technologically advanced as those of other medical alert system providers, including Philips Lifeline. Even so, the Life Alert system has some really great features that Philips Lifeline doesn’t, such as wall-mounted help buttons. Read on to learn everything you need to know about both companies and their systems.
Philips Lifeline and Life Alert Comparison
| COST, FEATURES AND FALL DETECTION | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Upfront Equipment Fee | LIFE ALERT | $0 | PHILIPS LIFELINE | $50-$99.95 |
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| Monthly Cost | LIFE ALERT | $89.95 | PHILIPS LIFELINE | $29.95-$58.95 |
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| Activation Fee | LIFE ALERT | $198 | PHILIPS LIFELINE | $0 |
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| Contract | LIFE ALERT | 3-year contract | PHILIPS LIFELINE | None required |
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| Add-On Services/Cost | LIFE ALERT | None | PHILIPS LIFELINE | None |
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| Connection | LIFE ALERT | Landline, Cellular, GPS | PHILIPS LIFELINE | Landline, Cellular, GPS |
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| Wall-Mounted Buttons? | LIFE ALERT | Yes | PHILIPS LIFELINE | No |
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| Two-Way Communication? | LIFE ALERT | Yes | PHILIPS LIFELINE | Yes |
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| Battery Life | LIFE ALERT | 7-10 years for wearable buttons, 72-hour backup base battery | PHILIPS LIFELINE | 5 days for the on-the-go button; at home unit has a long-lasting battery |
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| Water Resistance | LIFE ALERT | 100 percent waterproof | PHILIPS LIFELINE | 100 percent waterproo |
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| Automatic Fall Detection? | LIFE ALERT | None offered | PHILIPS LIFELINE | Yes |
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| GPS Locator? | LIFE ALERT | Yes | PHILIPS LIFELINE | Yes |
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| Call Center Hours | LIFE ALERT | 24/7 | PHILIPS LIFELINE | 24/7 |
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Philips Lifeline Overview
Philips Lifeline is an established medical alert company that has been manufacturing personal emergency response systems since 1974. The Philips Lifeline Response Center operates 24/7, 365 days a year, and supports 140 languages via an interpreter service. Many call operators are bilingual and speak both Spanish and English. Their average answer time is 12 seconds, which is fast for the industry. Also providing peace of mind is the fact that Philips Lifeline’s call operators receive extensive training in gerontology and stress management, ensuring that they have the tools to stay calm and also provide excellent help in any emergency.
Philips Lifeline offers several emergency response packages. The company´s On The Go mobile package is a great choice for active older adults. If you or your loved one are homebound, the at-home packages are excellent choices (monthly costs and equipment fees vary for each).
Every Philips Lifeline at-home system includes access to Philips Cares, an online and mobile hub that connects a care circle of family and friends. This hub can be used to manage your account, share information, and track the status (including battery life) of your system.
Pros
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Automatic fall detection is available at home and on the go.
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You don’t need to sign a long-term contract.
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Packages come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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Emergency call center operators are highly trained.
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Calls are answered within 12 seconds.
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Many call center operators are bilingual.
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Translation services are available for over 100 languages in real time.
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At-home packages include caregiver tools.
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Company is transparent about its costs and services.
Cons
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Mobile option doesn’t include caregiver tools or app access.
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In-home package doesn’t include wall-mounted help buttons.
Philips Lifeline has two at-home and one on-the-go package for you to choose from:
The HomeSafe Standard system features a base station and a waterproof help button that can be worn on the wrist or around the neck. The help button has a long-lasting battery that will be replaced, free of charge, when needed. This system is available for both landline and cellular connections. Setup is easy, but you can request professional installation if you desire. The system also comes with a 30-day money-back return policy. Other costs worth noting include:
- Equipment fee: $50
- Landline system monthly fee: $29.95
- Cellular system monthly fee: $43.95
The HomeSafe with AutoAlert system includes all the features of the HomeSafe Standard system, but it is also enhanced with automatic fall detection. If you or your loved one falls and cannot push the help button, AutoAlert will detect the fall and contact the help center.
Falls become more commonplace as people age. In fact, according to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries in older adults. Not every fall results in a loss of consciousness, but even if you stay alert after falling, you may have trouble getting to your help button. AutoAlert can get help to you quickly, alleviating pain and calming fears. It can also stop falls from becoming deadly events. Noteworthy costs include:
- Equipment fee: $50
- Landline system monthly fee: $44.95
- Cellular system monthly fee: $58.95
Philips Lifeline´s on-the-go help button is a personal mobile emergency response device that will connect you to help anywhere in the U.S. It provides indoor and outdoor connectivity, provided your location has adequate wireless network coverage.
The small, lightweight device is waterproof and meant to be worn around the neck on a lanyard. The lanyard is designed to break apart in certain situations to prevent strangulation.
The On the Go help button has automatic fall detection, but it’s important to note that no device with auto fall detection will detect 100 percent of falls.
This device comes with a charging station, and each charge lasts around five days. It also comes with a 30-day money-back warranty. Other costs to note include:
- Equipment fee: $99.95
- Monthly fee: $49.95
Life Alert Overview
Life Alert is one of the oldest, most established medical alert companies operating in the U.S. According to the company, its call center is 911-certified. It operates 24/7, 365 days a year. A Life Alert representative quoted their approximate answer time as being 30 seconds.
Life Alert sells one bundled medical alert system for home and on-the-go use. This system may be a good choice for more active seniors who travel.
The system’s in-home component is plug-in-and-play. It does not require professional installation like it used to in years past. You can run the system through a landline or cellular network, and it has a 72-hour backup battery. It also glows in the dark–an added safety feature.
A wearable help button for indoor use can be worn on a wristband or around the neck. It is waterproof, lightweight, and has a seven-year battery. However, automatic fall detection is not available with the button.
The mobile help GPS button can be worn on a necklace, belt clip, or key chain. It has a 10-year battery life and provides outdoor protection throughout the U.S. Automatic fall detection is not available for the button.
As mentioned, the Life Alert package does not include automatic fall detection on any wearable device. It does, however, include a wireless, wall-mounted button with two-way speaker for bathroom use. The button is large and battery-operated. According to the company, the battery never needs changing. It is 100 percent waterproof, so you can install it directly in a shower stall.
Since Life Alert doesn’t sync its system to an app, caregiver tools are lacking. However, when you set up your system, you can provide contact information for family members and neighbors who should be contacted in an emergency or non-emergency situation.
Life Alert requires you to sign a three-year contract. According to the company, the contract can be easily terminated if the person using the system passes away. In that event, the company will refund advance payments for any unused months. There are online user reviews that indicate issues with contract termination and refunds, although it is hard to know how challenging this process is on a broad-based level.
One troubling aspect about Life Alert is its lack of transparency about costs. System costs are not published online or in the company brochure. Also troubling, the costs we were given by a sales rep on the phone differed from prior costs given to us by a different sales rep just a few months ago.
Pros
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Wall-mounted bathroom button has two-way communication.
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Buttons are 100 percent waterproof.
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Professional installation is no longer required.
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System includes indoor and on-the-go protection.
Cons
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System doesn’t sync to an app.
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Caregiver tools are lacking.
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No automatic fall detection
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Lack of transparency around costs
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Requires a three-year contract and a non-refundable activation fee
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Doesn’t include a money-back trial period
Costs:
- Activation fee: $198
- Monthly cost: $89.95
Similarities and Differences Between Life Alert and Philips Lifeline
When considering Philips Lifeline and Life Alert, these similarities and differences are important to note:
- Both companies are well-established and have U.S.-based call centers.
- Both companies have call centers that operate 24/7, 365 days a year.
- Life Alert has an estimated answer time of 30 seconds. Philips Lifeline has an estimated answer time of 12 seconds.
- Philips Lifeline has automatic fall detection, while Life Alert does not.
- Philips is less expensive than Life Alert.
- Life Alert features wall-mounted buttons with two-way communication; Philips Lifeline does not.
- Life Alert requires a three-year contact. Philips Lifeline doesn’t require a contract.
- Philips Lifeline systems come with a 30-day money-back warranty. The Life Alert system has no money-back warranty.
- Philips Lifeline connects its home-based systems to an app and offers caregiver tools. Life Alert does not have this technology.
What Are Customers Saying About Both Brands?
Philips Lifeline has an A+ Better Business Bureau rating but earned only a 1.86 out of 5 stars on the site. The company’s star rating, however, is based on a very small number of reviews and complaints. Specifically, the company had 23 complaints closed during the last three years. (Philips Lifeline doesn’t have a Trustpilot rating).
It should be noted that other customers are happy with the Philips Lifeline service. For example, Beverly of Leesville, South Carolina said, “There are other companies out there that say they’re cheaper but their service is not as reliable as Philips. And you have to have three different devices for the shower, for the home and then another one if you went to some place. It’s not worth it. I’ve got one device with Philips Lifeline and it takes care of everything. Plus, a lot of them don’t have that extra feature where if you fall, it alerts them and that is very much needed. That has saved me several times.”
Life Alert has an A+ Better Business Bureau rating and earned a 3.67 out of 5 stars. The company had more than 150 complaints closed during the last three years. Life Alert has a Trustpilot rating of 1.8 out of 5 stars and a history of 81 percent bad reviews on the site. Most of the complaints center on issues such as users having difficulty getting out of their contract and poor customer service. It’s important to note, however, that many Life Alert customers are happy with the service itself. For example, M. of Canton, Missouri, said, “I’m 78 years old. I fell in my bathroom and I pushed my Life Alert button and they came (the local emergency) and my daughter was notified. I didn’t have to go to the ER. I was happy with the help I received.”
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a medical alert system for yourself or a loved one, you may be considering Philips Lifeline or Life Alert. Both companies are well-established and have good track records for responding quickly to emergencies. However, the Philips Lifeline call center has a shorter response time of 12 seconds, as opposed to Life Alert’s 30 seconds.
Other differences between the two companies include the option of automatic fall detection and long-term contracts. Philips Lifeline has at-home and on-the-go systems with automatic fall detection, while Life Alert does not. Philips doesn’t require a contract, but Life Alert requires you to sign a three-year contract.
If you want wall-mounted help buttons, Life Alert is a better choice for you. Philips Lifeline doesn’t include this feature with its systems.
Why You Can Trust Our Expert Review
To compare Life Alert to Philips Lifeline, we spent several hours in communication with multiple employees of both companies. We also did extensive research on consumer reviews in order to get the real scoop on safety features and customer service.
Frequently Asked Questions
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It depends on the package. Philips Lifeline has three packages. The monthly cost of its at-home systems ranges from $29.95-$58.95. Their mobile system costs $49.95 a month.
WRITTEN BY
Corey Whelan is a writer, health care professional, and Brooklyn, New York native. She is a reproductive health advocate who has helped countless patients through the trials and triumphs of infertility and adoption over the past 25 years. Corey's passion is sharing her knowledge of health and wellness through her writing, and no topic is off limits. She's mom to two grown children and two rescue dogs who captured her heart.
View AuthorMEDICALLY REVIEWED BY
Jenny is an Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner in NYC with a passion for working with aging adults and their family members. Prior to her clinical training at Vanderbilt School of Nursing, she worked in business and medical research at Harvard Business School and Massachusetts General Hospital. As a Caregiving Coach at Givers, Jenny helps family members manage the financial, emotional, and educational stresses of caring for their loved ones who are aging in place.
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