ADT Medical Alert System Review

Pros and Cons of ADT Medical Alert Systems

Here are my main takeaways from using ADT’s medical alert systems.

Packages Available

When it comes to choosing a package, ADT makes it pretty simple, offering three different systems:

• On-The-Go: This system can be used anywhere, as it comes with a wearable wrist button in addition to a cellular medical alert. Relying on AT&T’s cellular network, the cellular medical device has GPS, so the monitoring center can easily tell where I was. Plus, I added on fall detection to make sure I’m always protected, even in the event of a fall.
• Medical Alert Plus: This system is designed for use in the home. Its help buttons, worn as either a pendant or wristband, have a range of 600 feet, and they connect to help via a cellular connection. You can also add fall detection to this system.
• Medical Alert Basic: Finally, the Basic option is ideal for a user who mostly stays inside their home, as the range from the base station is only 300 feet. This is a good option for seniors with a landline in their home, and it comes with the same home temperature monitoring as the Plus system. Unlike the Plus system, Medical Alert Basic doesn’t have the option of adding fall detection.

Unboxing ADT’s Medical Alert Plus

Upon receiving my ADT Medical Alert Plus in the mail, I opened the box and found the following:

• 1 Base station
• 1 Pendant help button
• 1 Wristband help button
• 1 Fall detection pendant
• 1 System user guide
• 1 Installation guide
• 1 Fall detection user guide

Setting up my system was a pretty easy job. First, I had to select a central location for my base station. After deciding to place it in my kitchen, I simply plugged in the base, turned it on, then called ADT to activate it. In no time, my system was up and running.

Testing ADT’s Medical Alert Plus

With my Medical Alert Plus system, I could place emergency calls in three ways by pressing my help button, triggering the fall detection pendant, or pressing the emergency button on my base station.

When I placed distress calls, I was quickly connected to ADT’s emergency response center. It’s important to note, however, that the base station serves as your speakerphone, meaning if you need to place a call from a different floor of your home, then you likely won’t be able to communicate through the base station. Regardless, if you place a call and the operator cannot communicate with you, they will dispatch help to your address, nevertheless.

Luckily, I found that with my base station placed in a central location, I was able to use my help button and use the loud speakerphone from every room in my house, even from out on my patio. I especially appreciated that my waterproof help buttons could be worn in the shower without fear of damaging them.

The fall detection pendant also worked well in my tests. While wearing this device, it accurately detected when I fell and triggered an emergency call. An aspect of this pendant that I really appreciated was how a fall doesn’t immediately trigger a call. For example, in one instance, I sat down quickly in a chair, which the pendant misinterpreted as a fall. Luckily, before my system called the monitoring center, my base station said, “Fall detected; press and hold button to cancel.”

Since no fall detection system is 100 percent accurate, regardless of the brand, I appreciated that ADT included this mechanism to prevent false alarms.

Overall, I was very pleased with the performance of ADT’s Medical Alert Plus. The system performed perfectly as advertised, and each of my emergency calls was promptly fielded by a compassionate professional. I would definitely feel comfortable recommending this system to anyone looking for an in-home medical alert.

Using ADT’s On-The-Go System

For the user looking for greater protection outside the home, ADT’s On-The-Go might be just what you’re looking for. Inside my package for this system, I received the following:

• 1 Mobile device
• 1 Charging dock for mobile device
• 1 Wristband help button
• 1 Pendant help button
• 1 Fall detection pendant
• 1 Belt case for the mobile device
• 1 Lanyard for the mobile device

Setting up my On-The-Go system was even easier than the in-home system. All I had to do was plug the charging cradle into an outlet, place my mobile device on the charger, and wait a few hours for it to charge fully. Once the battery light stopped blinking, I knew my system was ready to use.

Testing ADT On-The-Go

What I appreciate most about ADT’s mobile device is that it has a speakerphone built into it. This is what allowed me to take the device anywhere, both in and outside my home. To contact ADT’s monitoring center, I simply had to press the large gray button on the device’s front, and I was quickly connected to help.

Unlike the ADT help buttons, their mobile device is not fully waterproof, meaning you should not submerge it in water. However, it is water-resistant, meaning I could take it into the shower with me. Even while wet, it still transmitted calls without a hitch. In terms of battery life, I got over a day’s worth of use on a single charge with my mobile device. With that said, I’d recommend charging it each night when you go to sleep, just to be sure.

As with the in-home system, fall detection requires an additional pendant, and this pendant worked just as well with my mobile device. The mobile device also comes with an additional help button (either a wristband or pendant). These might not seem all that necessary, considering the mobile device can call for help on its own; however, they could certainly come in handy if you’re taking a bath or charging your mobile device. In these cases, the mobile device can serve as the base station.

In terms of battery life, response time, and ease of use, I was very impressed with ADT’s On-The-Go System. No matter where I went, inside or outside, my distress calls went through. For active users, I would certainly recommend this system as a way to keep them safe on the go.

ADT Medical Alert Pricing

As opposed to companies that offer multiple plans for each product, ADT streamlines its monthly costs, offering only one plan for each system. For my On-the-Go system, I paid a total of $49.99 a month, which included the $11 fee for fall detection. For my in-home Medical Alert Plus, I paid $45.99 per month, including $11 per month for fall detection.

At a minimum, you’ll pay $29.95 a month for the Basic package. But keep in mind that you won’t pay anything upfront for ADT; rather, the monthly costs cover the rental of the equipment. As far as comparing ADT’s cost to competitors, they come in right in the middle of the road.

Sure, I’ve tested out more affordable medical alert systems, but only by a few dollars a month, and some have separate upfront costs, unlike ADT. Plus, about $50 a month for total peace of mind seems like a pretty good deal to me. And great news for your wallet, ADT locks in their prices forever, so you’ll never be surprised by a larger-than-usual bill.

Now, although I decided to pay monthly for ADT, they also offer quarterly and annual options. However, these prices aren’t available online, so you’ll need to call ADT directly to get a quote.

For more information on the costs of an ADT medical alert system, check out my overview of ADT medical alert costs.

ADT Medical Alert vs. Life Alert

While Life Alert is undoubtedly more widely known than the medical alerts from ADT, ADT medical alert systems perform better and at a much lower price point.

Life Alert’s basic in-home system starts at $49.95 per month, whereas ADT’s costs $29.99. Additionally, Life Alert requires a person to lock into a three-year contract, whereas ADT only requires you to commit on a monthly basis.

Additionally, in our tests, we found that ADT response agents answered our calls in an average of 14 seconds. This is pretty fast compared to the two-minute average we experience with Life Alert. This is far more than any wait time we experienced with our ADT systems.