MobileHelp review

One of the main manufacturers of medical alert hardware, MobileHelp has its own, well-priced service complete with some of the best choices of hardware.

MobileHelp review
(Image: © MobileHelp)

Top Ten Reviews Verdict

One of the top manufacturers of medical alert hardware, MobileHelp’s own system has a great range of options, including a smartwatch, dual GPS system and one of the best base stations. Well priced, for the most part, MobileHelp’s monitoring center is excellent although it’s not the fastest to respond that we’ve tested.

Pros

  • +

    Excellent choice of systems

  • +

    Dual GPS mobile plan

  • +

    Well priced

Cons

  • -

    Fall Detection requires additional hardware in all plans

  • -

    Smartwatch is a little complicated

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MobileHelp produce some of the best medical alert systems, manufacturing many of the in-home and on-the-go alert devices that other companies use in their products. As well as providing hardware to other people, MobileHelp also sells its own products complete with a monitoring service.

With options for mobile and in-home protection, MobileHelp has a range of services to rival its best competition, and often at a lower price. Call center response times weren’t quite up there with the best and there’s little in the way of extras, which may mean that an alternative choice would be better for you.

Packages: How much does MobileHelp cost? 

As you’d expect from a company known for making its own hardware, MobileHelp has a wide range of products available, covering you both in-home and on-the-go. There are some neat touches in there, too, ranging from a smartwatch to a touchscreen tablet. Here, we’re looking at all of the options.

MobileHelp review: MobileHelp Classic 

MobileHelp

The Classic package comes with a cellular-enabled base unit (Image credit: MobileHelp)

The MobileHelp Classic is the entry-level system from the company, starting at just $19.95 a month, with the system currently getting free activation (normally $99). Pricing is a little odd, as this plan has a one-time fee of $49.95 to subscribe, although this is waived if you pay annually. However, annual pricing costs $359.40 a year, which is more than the standard monthly fee and one-time fee combined. The support line told us that the $19.95 a month fee is available for annual subscribers but that you have to call to get this price.

Impressively, this plan includes a cellular base station via the AT&T network, so no landline is required to use the system. Only GreatCall has a cheaper cellular system.

You get a help pendant with the system, which has a button to trigger an alert call. Fall detection can be added with the Fall Detect Pendant, which costs an industry-standard $10 a month. Range of the system is 600 feet, which should be enough to cover most properties.

If there’s a power failure, the base station has an integrated battery that should last for around 30 hours. 

MobileHelp review MobileHelp Wired Home 

If you don’t have good mobile reception at home, MobileHelp Wired Home could be the product for you, connecting to a landline. This package costs $24.95 a month, although you can save a bit of money if you pay annually ($275.40 a year). 

Options are far more limited on checkout, with the system getting you a single Neck or Wrist Pendant, and a free Lockbox. There was no option to add a second help button. The Fall Detect button costs an additional $10 a month. 

Range is excellent from this system, rated at 1,300-feet: the joint top of any system that we’ve seen. That’s enough to cover a large house or even one with unusually thick walls. According to Mobile Help, battery backup is around 30 hours in the event of a power failure. The MobileHelp Connect Premium package is available as for the Classic system.

MobileHelp review: MobileHelp Touch 

MobileHelp

It’s expensive, but this touch-screen enabled device is at the forefront of medical care  (Image credit: MobileHelp)

If you need proof that MobileHelp was at the forefront of medical alert technology, the MobileHelp Touch is it. A pricey $599.40 a year (you can pay every six months for $299.70 but you can’t pay monthly), this is a system with a touchscreen tablet.

The tablet not only lets you call for help, but it can be used to play memory-enhancing games, show medication reminders, and be used for messaging. For an additional fee, the tablet can be used to have a live video chat with a doctor via the Amwell service.

In addition, you get one on-the-go Mobile Device GPS button with a built-in cellular connection, which ships with a charging dock. This device can be taken with you when you go out to provide help when you’re outside, although it can be worn around the house, with a battery that lasts for 24 hours.

With this system, an extra wearable button can be added for free with a choice of Neck Pendant or Wrist Button. Fall Detection can be added for $10 a month, too. 

MobileHelp review: MobileHelp Duo

MobileHelp

(Image credit: MobileHelp)

If you want protection inside and outside the home, the MobileHelp Duo is the starting system. This consists of a cellular base station and a GPS-enabled Mobile Device for help outside the home. This package costs a reasonable $41.95 a month, although you can save a little by paying the annual fee of $443.40 a year.

The system ships with one help button that can be used at home with the Base Station, although you can add a second Neck Pendant or Wrist Button for free to cover the spouse. This means that if someone goes out with the Mobile Device (one-day battery life), the person at home still has cover. Fall Detection is available through the addition of the Fall Detect Pendant ($10 a month).

MobileHelp review: MobileHelp Solo 

The lightweight MobileHelp Solo is a cellular wearable device, with a battery life of around 24 hours. Inside the home, the MobileHelp Solo connects to a charging station, where it can be activated by the provided wearable button. At $37.95 a month ($395.40 a year), the MobileHelp Solo isn’t the cheapest cellular device, and the GreatCall Lively Mobile is better value. Button range from the MobileHelp Solo is around 350-feet.

With this system, you get a free second wearable button, which could cover a spouse. However, if the Solo is removed from the house to cover a senior going out, then help buttons left at home will not work. Coverage for multiple people is, therefore, better with one of the in-home systems or the Mobile Duo.

There’s the option of fall detection with the $10 a month Fall Detect Pendant. It’s a shame that fall detection isn’t built into the mobile device, as it means that two devices may need to be carried.

MobileHelp review: MobileHelp Smart 

MobileHelp

The Smart is a smartwatch that has the medical alert service built-in  (Image credit: MobileHelp)

One of the main issues with medical alert systems is getting a senior to wear a device, as they don’t want to stick out. The MobileHelp Smart helps with this, as it’s a Samsung-built smartwatch that doesn’t look like a medical alert device. Unlike the other devices in the line-up, the MobileHelp Smart has to be bought outright for $349.95, with monitoring then costing $24.95 on top. 

With built-in GPS and a cellular connection, the smartwatch is everything you need to protect a senior on the move. There’s a button to call for help, although the Smart doesn’t have fall detection as an option.

The Smart is a little more complicated to use than the Medical Guardian Freedom watch, so may not be suitable for all seniors, but you do get more features, including health tracking. The Smart also looks much neater and doesn’t look or feel like an alert system, which may be the main reason to buy it.

MobileHelp review: Extras 

MobileHelp Connect is a suite of online tools and apps that are designed for caregivers to manage an alert system. Using the tools, you can get system status alerts, non-emergency alerts, and emergency alerts. For GPS-enabled devices, there are 30 free location requests per month, with additional ones charged at $5 per additional 30 requests.

Medication Reminders can be added for $5 a month, with reminders sent to cellular base stations. All reminders are managed through the online portal. If you’ve bought the Fall Button, Activity Tracking can be added for $5 a month, letting a caregiver track a loved one’s activity levels.

The system can also be used to track Vitals, such as weight, heart rate, and blood pressure, with reminders to take new measurements with equipment of your choice.

For an additional $5 a month, you can get MobileHelp Connect Premium, which includes better warranty cover, 30 additional location pings per month, a 25% discount on the Fall Button, and 50% off Medication Reminders and Activity Tracking. It also gives you a Lifetime Price Guarantee to fix the price of your service and gets you a second help button for free (Neck Pendant or Wrist Button), which means that you can cover a spouse cheaply.

Optional Wall Buttons ($2 a month) are available for base stations to give fixed assist points in a home, such as in a kitchen or bathroom. Currently, all systems come with a free Lockbox ($29.95 value), which can be used to house a key so that emergency services can get into a home without having to break in.

Mobile devices work nationwide, but if you’re travelling or you move home, you should update MobileHelp with your new details, Lockbox location and new emergency contact information. These changes can be made for free.

MobileHelp review: Warranty and Cancellation 

MobileHelp: Key specs

Free cancellation: 30 days
System price (starts at): $0
Monthly costs (starts at): £19.95
In-home monitoring: Yes
Outside monitoring: Yes

MobileHelp has a free 30-day trial period, which is one of the most generous in operation. Outside of this, there’s no contract period, so services can be cancelled at any time. When the service is cancelled, all leased hardware has to be returned at your own expense, and refunds are then made on a pro-rated basis. 

With the warranty, you’re responsible for lost or damaged products. With Connect Premium, replacements are either free or available with a low-cost deductible that differs by-product (talk to MobileHelp to clarify your costs at the point of purchase).

How does MobileHelp deal with an alert?

An alert is generated by pressing a help button or via the Fall Pendant. When an alert comes in, a call is placed to MobileHelp monitoring center. Calls are placed via either the base station or mobile device, depending on which you have.

When answering the call the MobileHelp staff will ask you what help you need, and can then act appropriately, either calling for medical assistance or one of your emergency contacts, depending on the nature of your problem. In the event that you don’t answer, medical emergency teams will be sent to your home (or current location if you’re using a GPS device).

Medical teams will be told how to get into your home, and where the Lockbox is, if you have one. MobileHelp also sends out medical forms that should be filled in with your details (medication taken, health details, and so on), and stuck to your fridge, although a copy for a wallet or purse is also a good idea. 

MobileHelp review: What the users say

To find out how well MobileHelp performs, we combined our own firsthand experience of the service along with user reviews from trusted platforms. It’s worth pointing out that most users are more likely to post a review after a negative experience, which can skew scores.

When we tested the Classic system, we found that the speaker was extremely clear and one of the loudest that we’d tested, making it easy to hear throughout a home. We also put the Solo to the test and found that it sounded OK, but not perfect. However, as it can be carried around, it can be held closer to the ear.

Response times in our tests were a little below average, although nothing to be concerned about. We were impressed with the quality of the calls and how the help staff dealt with our emergencies in a friendly manner.

User reviews back up our opinions, with MobileHelp scoring 4.5 on Google and 4.6 on Consumer Affairs. Those that loved the system talked about the quality of the help staff and the excellent customer service. There are few complaints about the company, beyond the occasional payment issue and system fault.

Should I use MobileHelp?

One of the biggest manufacturers of medical alert systems, you see MobileHelp’s products available from lots of other manufacturers. It’s no wonder then, that MobileHelp is such a quality medical alert provider of its own, then.

There’s a lot of choice with product range, although not all of them are particularly well-priced. For example, the GreatCall Lively Mobile is a better value mobile alert device than the MobileHelp Solo.

Choosing the right products is key. MobileHelp Classic is a brilliant choice for in-home protection, particularly where there’s no landline. For covering a couple, MobileHelp Mobile Duo is a great choice, providing in-home and out-of-home GPS protection for two people at a great price.

MobileHelp’s call center is very good, too. While not the fastest to respond, it’s not that slow and the staff are very helpful. If you want a bit more peace of mind, then Medical Guardian could be better for you, with its motion tracking helping you see if a loved one is up and about.

David has been working in technology journalism since 1998 and has been editor of Computer Shopper and Expert Reviews in the past, before he started writing for the Top Ten Reviews brand. He is also an expert on home appliances, kitchen gadgets, home security and smart home products, which he reviews for Top Ten Reviews.