Alert1 has two in-home medical alert systems, a landline and cellular system. It also has three mobile GPS medical alert packages. We ordered and tested the landline in-home system and the premium mobile system featuring the Numera Libris device.
Alert1's pricing structure is competitive, especially with the in-home systems. The mobile system packages start at $36.95 per month, though the premium mobile package is about $59 per month. The in-home landline system costs $25 per month and can cost as low as $19.95 per month if you make annual payments. However, similar to Medical Guardian, you can't make month-to-month payments. Your options are limited to quarterly, semi-annual and annual payments. You get greater long-term savings, but it requires larger upfront commitments.
Alert1 received a B grade for call response time. The average response time was consistently under 40 seconds, but was still several times slower than GreatCall, the fastest call response time. Compared to other services, it's still very fast.
The best part of Alert1 is the quality of the emergency responders, as they earned an A+ for emergency response quality. Every responder I talked to had an excellent tone. They didn't talk too fast or too slow. They spoke with an empathetic and concerned tone, and never sounded annoyed when I told them I was just testing the device or had accidently hit the button. In fact, they thanked me for testing the device. Even though the responders read from the same script, they didn't sound like they were reading from a script. Nearly every responder asked at least twice if I was okay. They all reminded me not to hesitate to press the help button if I needed help and they all signaled they were disconnecting the call.
The speaker quality of the mobile system was terrible, receiving a C- grade for overall quality. LifeFone also uses the Numera Libris mobile alert device, and both devices sounded like fast-food kiosks – very distorted and difficult to understand. If someone in his mid-30's struggles to hold a conversation on such a device, you can't expect a senior with age-related hearing loss to fare any better.
On a positive note, however, the in-home system sounded much clearer, though it wasn't perfect either. It was among the lowest graded speakers on an in-home system, but it was far better than the mobile system's speaker. The maximum volume, however, was just okay. It averaged 85-dB. Alert1 says, on its website, the speaker is loud enough to hear from far away, but I couldn't hear it very well in the next room. And two rooms away, I couldn't hear it at all. That said, the loudest in-home system averaged 91-dB, and I could barely hear it from several rooms away.
Summary
Alert1 is a middling medical alert service. Most of the packages are priced below the market average, but only by a few dollars, and every package requires larger upfront payments with no month payment options. The call response speed is respectable and the emergency responders are excellent, but the mobile system's speaker quality is poor.
The Alert1 Medical Alert Systems delivers round-the-clock medical monitoring with additional safety features – all at a fair price with great terms. You don't have to worry about the stress of fees or contracts. Its medical alert devices work at an industry-average range. Its estimated battery life for the base station is one of the lowest of comparable products. The company also offers great features like free monitoring for a spouse. From the impressive monitoring features to the high quality responders, the Alert1 Medical Alert System is a great medical monitoring service to consider.
