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January 27, 2023
We picked out a few more recommendations worth considering:
| Time Spent Testing | 168 Hours |
|---|---|
| Starting Price | $29.95 per month |
| Contract Minimum | None |
| Average Response Time | 21 Seconds |
| Customer Service Response Time | 20 Seconds |
In my years of experience working with medical alert systems, it’s rare to see companies break the tried and true formula of help buttons, speakerphones, and some good old-fashioned fall detection. Recently, however, I came across a new company, HandsFree Health, that shakes things up with their combination of a voice assistant and a smartwatch.
In this review of HandsFree Health, I’ll take a hands-on look at their Medical Alert Plus system. Through its combination of voice commands and wellness tracking features, this system definitely caught my attention.
Online Discount: If you enter your email on HandsFree Health’s website, you’ll receive 10 percent off your purchase of their systems.
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty, here are my main takeaways from testing out HandsFree Health’s Medical Alert Plus.
FYI: Did you know that some medical alert systems don’t require buttons? To learn more, read my guide to voice-activated medical alerts.
Currently, HandsFree Health offers three different WellBe options: a smart speaker, a smartwatch, and a combination of the two known as the WellBe Medical Alert Plus.
Upon receiving my WellBe Medical Alert Plus system, I found the following in my box:
The setup process for my WellBe Medical Alert Plus was pretty simple. First, I plugged my smart speaker into a wall outlet and turned it on. From there, I downloaded the WellBe Virtual Assistant app onto my smartphone and created an account. From there, the app walked me through the rest of the setup process.
FYI: While the primary user of WellBe doesn’t have to own a smartphone, you will need a smartphone to install your devices and create a health profile.
For the WellBe Smartwatch, I set it up by plugging it into its charger. From there, I returned to the WellBe app and added a new device, and entered my watch’s unique activation code.
Before I could text my devices, though, I needed to enter my personal information into the WellBe app. This process took about 20 minutes. If you’re purchasing WellBe for a loved one, you’ll likely want to walk them through this process. You’ll enter your personal information such as name, birth date, and gender. All of this is used simply to identify who is using the WellBe system.
Additionally, this is where I entered my list of contacts, medications, and other appointments, all of which WellBe uses to set your schedule of reminders and accountability checks.
From all of WellBe’s features, I was most excited to try out the voice commands, and I was happy to find that it performed as advertised. Similar to Amazon’s Alexa, my smart speaker could be activated by saying a signal phrase. In this case, it was, OK WellBe. From there I asked it a variety of questions pertaining to insurance, health, and general knowledge.
Here is a sampling of queries and their responses:
Localized Advice: During your setup with the WellBe app, you’ll enter in your location information, allowing WellBe to give you updates on your weather or even provide local advice such as nearby restaurants.
My WellBe Smart Speaker could also perform some entertainment features. With built-in compatibility with iHeartRadio, I could access a variety of stations for free. For example, when I said, OK WellBe, play classical music, I was immediately serenaded by the sounds of Bach via a local channel. WellBe can also pair with your Spotify account for more specialized listening.
My speaker could also read me audiobooks. These, however, must be purchased through audiobookstore.com.
Entertainment and general knowledge aside, where my smart speaker really shined was in its health-tracking features. After I completed my health profile through the WellBe app, I was able to track various metrics, check on medical reminders, and even communicate with my contacts list. Here are some commands I made use of:
Overall, I was pleased with the way my smart speaker performed. Even from as far as 20 feet away, my WellBe was able to hear my voice and respond to commands. Additionally, I appreciated how my activity on the smart speaker was recorded in the app. This way, if I missed a medication, one of my loved ones would receive a notification about this and be able to check in on me.
My main drawback, however, is that the smart speaker couldn’t be used to set appointments or reminders on its own. To do this, you’ll have to add them through your calendar on the WellBe app, which seemed a bit more complicated than it needed to be.
The first thing I noticed about my WellBe smartwatch was how discreet it looked. For those who are a bit bashful about wearing medical alert equipment, you’ll be happy to know that WellBe’s device looks as sleek and casual as other smartwatches for seniors.
Compared to the smart speaker, WellBe’s watch doesn’t offer much in the way of reminders or entertainment. What it does offer, however, is the full-fledged protection of a medical alert watch.
With one press on its touch screen, I made calls to HandsFree Health’s professional monitoring center. I’m happy to report that not only were my calls usually answered in under 20 seconds, but the response agent’s voices were loud and clear through my smartwatch’s speakerphone.
Some other features of my WellBe watch included:
From its appearance to performance, I was very pleased with my WellBe smartwatch. Its speaker was loud, and its connectivity never failed me, even when I wore it outside of my home. While WellBe’s smart speaker doesn’t offer much in the way of safety features, their smartwatch fills in the blanks.
Both WellBe’s smartwatch and smart speaker come with initial device costs. The speaker goes for $189 while the smartwatch costs $119.95. Unlike many other systems, however, this price is to purchase the device, rather than to lease it, the latter being more traditional for medical alert systems.
The WellBe Smart Speaker comes with no subscription charge, as it connects through in-home Wi-Fi. The smartwatch, however, requires a $29.95 monthly subscription charge to function.
To save a bit of money overall, you could purchase WellBe’s Medical Alert Plus, a bundle with the speaker and watch. For this package, you’ll pay $159.95 for equipment and a monthly $34.95 subscription charge.
For more information on the pricing of these devices, take a look at my HandsFree Health pricing page.
When it came to the actual performance of my HandsFree Health devices, I was not disappointed, both their smart speaker and smartwatch worked intuitively and effectively, not to mention how they were both aesthetically attractive devices. My main issue, however, is with the smart speaker.
My WellBe Smart Speaker certainly delivered on its stated goal of providing an in-home health assistant. With that said, a majority of its features –– health tracking and reminders, in particular –– rely on an accompanying smartphone to use them, severely limiting one’s independence. It begs the question as to who would actually benefit from this device.
If medication reminders are what you’re looking for, then I’d recommend looking into the Pria medication dispenser, a device that can not only give you reminders but also dispense medications themselves. Additionally, there’s the in-home system from Aloe Care Health, a bonafide medical alert system with similar communication, voice command, and caregiver features as WellBe.
On the flip side, the WellBe smartwatch impressed me. In terms of medical alert watches, it’s definitely one of the best I’ve seen, combining voice commands, communication features, and wellness tracking into a single discreet device. While it’s hard for me to envision someone needing the WellBe speaker, I think their smartwatch is a great way for anyone to remain safe, in their home or on the go.
