Best Medical Alert Smart Watches
Disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links. If you buy an item via links on our site, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
As a vulnerable adult, it is vital that you are able to make quick contact with friends, family, or the emergency services when you require immediate help.
In the USA, more than 30 million adults fall each year, some of these are fatalities. However, with a simple medical alert system, a lot of these may have been avoided. Traditional medical alert systems are great but when you combine them with the features of the smart watch, you have something much more sophisticated.
Medical Alert Smart Watches Comparison Chart
MobileHelp Smart Watch | Medical Guardian Freedom Guardian Smart Watch | Apple Smart Watch 6 | GreatCall Lively Wearable 2 Smart Watch | Bay Alarm SOS Smart Watch | |
 |  |   |  |  | |
Battery Life | 48 hrs | 48 hrs | 18 hrs | 4 months | 24 hrs |
Requires Monthly Subscription? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
SOS Service? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
GPS Tracking? | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Heart Rate Monitor | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
Fall Detection? | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Water Resistant? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Price |
What are the Benefits of Medical Alert Smart Watches?
If you ask any older adult what they like least about their current medical alert system, it would likely be that the devices are anything but discreet. As we get older, our bodies may begin to fail us, but we often still feel 21 in our minds, and the idea of having to wear a medical alert device could be rather embarrassing.
However, with a smart watch, much of that embarrassment is taken away thanks to the discreet and often stylish design. What’s more, they are easy to wear and secure so for seniors who lead an active life, they are much more practical.
In addition to this, they offer a range of features that can monitor various aspects of your health. This might include heart rate, sleep patterns, and calories burned while exercising. There is usually also an option to store information regarding any existing health conditions which makes your health easier to track.
But one of the main benefits is that your friends and family will have a much greater sense of comfort knowing that, in the event of an emergency, you will be able to call for help. In far too many cases, elderly people have medical emergencies and have no way of accessing assistance, waiting for hours, sometimes even days before someone discovers them. Nobody wants their loved one to go through this and with the simple addition of a medical alert watch, your family and caregivers will have peace of mind.
A lot of older adults end up requiring alternative accommodation, for example, a residential care home as they are not considered to be safe while remaining at home. This can be devastating, especially if you have lived in your home for many years. Using a smartwatch medical alert system may allow you to remain in your own home for many more years, which has incredible benefits for your mental health.
If there is an emergency, a lot of these products have two-way communication and this allows you to have a proper conversation with the responder. You can give them details of what has happened and any potential injuries or ailments you may have. What’s more, if you are feeling panicked, it is comforting to have a friendly voice on the line until help arrives.
Typically, you would connect to a call center, where a trained responder will deal with your emergency and dispatch the appropriate help. This may be contacting a loved one or alerting 911, if the situation demands it. This gives you the confidence that no matter where you are, you will always have fast access to help. Many older adults avoid going out of the home in fear of having an emergency, but your smartwatch medical alert system will aid you in living a more active and full life in your later years.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Wearable Medical Alert System
There is a plethora of smart watches on the market but not all of them are designed for seniors who need medical emergency aid.
What works well for one person may not serve the next, so it is important to weigh up the features of each potential product to decide what will work best in your situation. Let’s take a look at what we should consider:
Price
There are two types of medical alert system; monitored and unmonitored. The former involves a monthly fee which awards you the benefit of being able to contact an emergency call centre which is staffed 24/7 and gives you the confidence that you will never be without help. The latter allows you to set predetermined contacts such as 911 or a friend or family member and comes without a monthly fee.
The type of device you go for will be determined by your situation. If you do not have a strong support network, an unmonitored system may not be right for you. When choosing a monitored system, you should think about the monthly cost and whether there are any hidden costs or add-ons. A lot of companies will ask you to pay an additional fee for things like fall detection.
Your medical alert system may also incur a start-up fee although this should be made clear, it isn’t always, so don’t be afraid to ask about this type of charge. Furthermore, it is important to look at the contract length. There are many companies who offer systems without a contract. You simply pay the monthly fee and can cancel at any time. However, there may be a cancellation charge so you should be clear on this first.
Automatic Fall Detection
Fall detection is an important feature for people who may be at higher risk of tripping or slipping due to decreased mobility, balance problems, or other issues. When equipped with this feature, your smartwatch will detect a fall and alert the appropriate people. Thanks to the GPS function, if the watch has it, responders will also be able to locate you and get help to you much sooner.
However, it is important to keep in mind that fall detection often comes with an additional monthly fee. There are some systems that offer this in with the main plan but this isn’t very common.
GPS Tracking
For some older people, memory and getting lost are serious problems. However, thanks to a GPS tracking function available on many smart watch medical alert systems, your loved ones and caregivers will always know where you are.
This can feel a little invasive at first, but when you consider the benefits where your safety is concerned, it isn’t difficult to see why this is an important feature. The system uses satellites to accurately pinpoint your location. If there is an emergency, responders will be able to find you even if you aren’t sure where you are.
What’s more, with the help of apps, your family and friends can check in with your location whenever they please. If they notice that you are in an unusual location, they can come to your assistance.
Water Resistant
Most modern technology now comes with a water resistant seal which means that they can be used in the bathroom, in bad weather, and while swimming or taking part in other water-based activities. However, not all of them will have this design feature.
Many trips occur in the bathroom or other wet environments, and if you are at higher risk of falling, it is essential that you are able to wear your smart watch in these places.
Battery Life
Your medical alert system smartwatch will run on a battery and its life will depend on the model. There are some systems that have batteries that have incredibly long lives but there are others that may need to be charged on a daily basis.
If regular charging is needed, it can be useful to know how long charging takes. Many people find it helpful to charge their device while they sleep so that they can always use it during their waking hours.
Ease of Use
For a lot of older adults, all this new technology is a little mind boggling; who would have thought that we could have such complex systems around our wrists? But while it is incredible, it can also feel a little intimidating if you are unsure how the system works. For this reason, we would always advise finding a watch that is easy to understand and has clear on-screen instructions.
Many systems have a one-button control for use in an emergency and some even have voice control so you only need to tell the watch how to act. However, despite this feature, the screen should still be easy to see and this is even more important for those who may have visual impairments.
You could have the most easy to use system in the world, but if it is not comfortable to wear, it is rendered somewhat useless. Most watches come with a fully adjustable strap and feature soft materials that don’t irritate the skin. But do be mindful that not all of them will be as comfortable.
Health & Fitness Tracking
While seniors may find that their mobility is now slightly limited, this doesn’t mean that we don’t want to live an active life. Exercise is just as important as it was when you were younger, only now it may take a different form.
Still, when you are working out, you may wish to monitor your progress and keep track of your health goals. For this reason, fitness tracking is essential. There may be features such as a heart rate monitor, step counter, and calories counter, among other things.
On top of this, some of the best medical alert smart watch systems will have other health features such as an ECG, activity monitor, and an ability to track your sleep quality. These can all provide useful information for you to maintain excellent health.
Reminder Alerts
If you have to take a lot of medication, it can become easy to forget what to take and when. For this reason, a reminder alert is a useful feature. But this can also serve you in other ways. For example, you can set reminders for appointments and even social events.
SOS Contacts
We would like to think that your smartwatch medical alert system is there only as a precaution and that you never have to send out an SOS. However, there may be times when you need emergency help and having the ability to set SOS contacts is vital.
In this situation, you will use either touch or voice control to tell your medical alert system to notify your SOS contacts who can then make their way to you or call you to determine what to do next. It is possible to set 911 as your SOS in some cases and this is imperative if you are at significant risk of an emergency.
Two Way Communication
When an emergency does occur, it can be useful to have two-way communication. Rather than a call centre simply receiving an alert that you need help, you have the opportunity to speak with the operator and explain the situation. This will allow them to determine the most appropriate course of action as well as provide you with comfort and support until help arrives.
Best Wearable Smart Watch Medical Alert Systems
After you have considered all of the points we have discussed, it can still be helpful to take a close look at several choices before making a final decision.
We have taken the time to explore many smart watch medical alert systems and we believe that the following are some of the best.
1. MobileHelp Smart Watch
Best Overall Medical Alert Smart Watch – MobileHelp Smart Watch
If you are looking for a smartwatch that boasts an incredible amount of features and a premium design, then the MobileHelp watch may be right for you. This is a top of the range medical alert watch that combines the knowledge of MobileHelp with the technological innovation of Samsung in a stylish wrist watch.
The system features a heart rate monitor along with the Samsung health app that gives you access to a wide range of health information. You can check out the local weather forecast and you’ll find that the device is incredibly easy to set up and understand. It is water resistant and so ideal for all conditions.
With a battery life of up to two days, you won’t need to worry about losing charge and thanks to its operation on a reliable 4G network, you’ll rarely be without coverage. While the device does have a high price tag, the monthly fee is very affordable and with so many features, we would say this is a worthy investment.
The only downside to this model is that there is no fall detection so if you are at risk, this may not be a suitable choice for you.
Key Specs:
- Monthly subscription: yes
- SOS service: yes
- GPS tracking: yes
- Heart rate monitor: yes
- Fall detection: no
- Water resistant: yes
- Battery life: 48 hrs
Pros
Cons
2. Medical Guardian Freedom Guardian Smart Watch
Best for Active Seniors – Medical Guardian Freedom Guardian Smart Watch
If you are on the go, old age shouldn’t prevent you from loving your best life. The Medical Guardian watch is a great option for active seniors thanks to the generous GPS and Wi-Fi tracking systems. This is a lightweight watch that is incredibly easy and comfortable to wear.
It has a handy side button that, when held down for 3 seconds alerts an emergency responder. No matter where you are, you can feel confident that you can access help. There is a reminder alert option and a weather display as well as a screen that boasts large icons and is easy to read.
With a 48 hour battery, you don’t need to worry about it draining while you are out and about. However, since there is no fall detection, this might not be suitable for those who are unsteady on their feet.
Key Specs:
- Monthly subscription: yes
- SOS service: yes
- GPS tracking: yes
- Heart rate monitor: no
- Fall detection: no
- Water resistant: yes
- Battery life: 48 hrs
Pros
Cons
3. Apple Smart Watch 6
Best for Health Monitoring – Apple Smart Watch 6
We couldn’t help but get excited about the Apple Smartwatch 6 and the wealth of amazing features that make this a great medical alert system that is also brilliant for tracking your health. The watch allows you to track a wide range of health aspects including your heart rate both while resting and while working out. There is the option to run an ECG as well as check your blood oxygen levels. You can track your sleep and see how many calories you have burned.
The cost of the device is a little high but it comes without the need for a monthly subscription. You have the advantage of an easy to use system and in the case of an emergency, holding the side button will alert for assistance.
This is a stylish watch with a clear and easy to read display. However, some of the features may take a little while to understand if you have never used this type of technology before.
Key Specs:
- Monthly subscription: no
- SOS service: yes
- GPS tracking: yes
- Heart rate monitor: yes
- Fall detection: yes
- Water resistant: yes
- Battery life: 18 hrs
Pros
Cons
4. GreatCall Lively Wearable 2 Smart Watch
Best Budget Smart Watch – GreatCall Lively Wearable 2 Smart Watch
For those who are looking for something that won’t break the bank, the GreatCall is a good option since it costs just $49.99 up front. There is a monthly fee but it is pretty affordable at just $24.99 a month.
With this, you get many excellent features, but you should keep in mind that if you would like to add fall detection, this will come at an additional cost. This will push the monthly fee up to $39.99. There is also an SOS feature in the event of an emergency and with 1-button control, calling for help is quick and easy.
The system works with a compatible app but it is worth keeping in mind that you must have a compatible smartphone to use this. Furthermore, this device does not offer GPS tracking so it may not be suitable for people who are at risk of becoming lost.
Key Specs:
- Monthly subscription: yes
- SOS service: yes
- GPS tracking: no
- Heart rate monitor: no
- Fall detection: yes
- Water resistant: yes
- Battery life: 4 months
Pros
Cons
5. Bay Alarm SOS Smart Watch
Best for Seniors New to Tech – Bay Alarm SOS Smart Watch
One of the greatest things about the medical alert watch is that the display is extremely clear and easy to read making it perfect for people who are visually impaired, or those who may not be used to this kind of technology.
The watch has a stylish design that allows the wearer to be discreet. It boasts two-way communication and an easy to use SOS button which, when pushed connects you to a control center. The operator is able to contact both 911 and your selected family and friends and provide you with information and reassurance.
While the system does offer GPS tracking, it does not have the option to add fall detection. It has a 24-hour battery and a handy charging station. Thanks to the reliable 4G-LTE network, coverage is almost always guaranteed. Although, it does pay to remember that there are some areas where coverage is limited.
Key Specs:
- Monthly subscription: yes
- SOS service: yes
- GPS tracking: yes
- Heart rate monitor: no
- Fall detection: no
- Water resistant: yes
- Battery life: 24 hrs
