Medical Guardian vs Aloe Care Health

Time in Business

While a company’s time in business isn’t necessarily an indicator of service and/or product quality, it can be insightful to know how long a company has been operating within an industry.

Founded in 2005, Medical Guardian is a trusted name in the medical alert industry. Aloe Care Health, on the other hand, was founded in 2018, but it has quickly garnered prominence within the industry with its medical alert devices.

Based on time in business alone, we would recommend Medical Guardian — the company’s products and services have been tried and tested over the past two decades with favorable responses from consumers. However, just because Aloe Care Health has been in the game for a few years in comparison, that doesn’t mean that the company’s products and services are any less reliable.

Diverse Product Options and Customization

Medical Guardian and Aloe Care Health both offer at-home and on-the-go medical alert products that can help you feel safe and secure no matter where you are.

Here is a breakdown of the products offered by Medical Guardian:

• MGMini — An on-the-go medical mobile device available in four colors. It can be worn around the neck or on a clip.
• MGMini Lite — An on-the-go wrist-wearable device meant to encourage an active lifestyle. The MGMini Lite is sleeker, lighter, and more compact than competing devices on the market. 
• MGMove — This on-the-go device is worn on the wrist. With the optional Social Circle Apps, you can chat with loved ones and get calendar reminders right from your wrist. This device counts steps and checks the weather and tracks activity levels.
• MGHome Cellular — A home-based medical alert system with 4G technology, a 32-hour backup battery, and Voice Assist technology that allows you to easily check the status of your device. The device can be paired with a pendant button that fits into a necklace or wristband, ensuring that you’re protected in and around your home and offers 1,400 ft range of protection.
• MGClassic — A home-based medical alert system that connects to your landline telephone. The device features a 1,300 ft range of protection and can be easily paired with a wearable pendant button that fits into a necklace or wristband.

Here is a breakdown of the products offered by Aloe Care Health:

• 4G Smart Hub/4G LTE Smart Hub — A secure smart speaker that can connect the user with anyone in their circle of care. The device can also detect air quality, temperature changes, as well as notable changes in user movement patterns.
• LTE Mobile Companion Go — A wearable fall detection device. The Mobile Companion Go can be worn around the neck as a pendant or on the belt with a clip.
• Care Button — A wearable medical alert device that works inside and outside the home (up to a 200 ft range). The care button comes with accessories that enable it to be worn on the wrist or around the neck as a pendant.
• Mobile Companion 2 — Comparable to the Mobile Companion Go, but includes 24/7 emergency response capabilities. This device essentially combines the Mobile Companion Go and the care button into one.

Both Medical Guardian and Aloe Care Health offer customization options, particularly with their mobile devices, allowing you to choose how to wear it so that it’s comfortable for you but also accessible. 

Based on the range of products offered, Medical Guardian would be a good choice because it offers more varied products that feature sleeker design options. It is also worth noting that Medical Guardian’s MGMove device also acts as a fitness tracker device for those who lead active lifestyles — all mobile Medical Guardian devices track steps. Overall, Medical Guardian offers more devices that can be more easily customized to varying lifestyles.

Pricing

Medical Guardian charges a monthly, quarterly, or yearly fee for your chosen device and service; you will also be responsible for a one-time equipment fee to cover the cost of your chosen device. Add-on features and/or accessories, such as a wireless wall button or a fall detection pendant are an additional fee. An example of Medical Guardian’s pricing includes the following:

• The MGMini Lite — $149.95 one-time equipment fee. Choose from three subscription plans: $44.95 per month, $134.85 per quarter, $494.45 per year. It is worth noting that an annual payment plan includes one free month, free shipping and a lockbox; this plan will save you approximately $3.75 per month.

Aloe Care Health categorizes and prices its devices into 3 different plans from which you can choose:

• Essentials Plan — $39.99 per month and a $199.99 one-time equipment cost. This plan includes a 4G Smart Hub and one care button.
• Essentials Plus Plan — $59.99 per month and a $349.99 one-time equipment cost. This plan includes all products included in the Essentials Plan (4G Smart Hub and care button) and a Mobile Companion 2 device.
• Mobile Companion 2 Plan — $44.99 per month and a $149.99 one-time equipment cost. This plan only includes the Mobile Companion 2 device.

Deciding which medical alert company is best for you based on pricing is entirely dependent on your financial situation and needs. Medical Guardian offers more subscription payment flexibility, allowing you to choose between a monthly, quarterly, or annual subscription. Aloe Care Health only offers monthly subscriptions.

Caregiver Tools

Both Medical Guardian and Aloe Care Health have mobile apps that can assist both medical alert users and caregivers. Apps for both companies are available on iOS and Android devices.

All Medical Guardian devices come with an online member Portal and the MyGuardian App that supports account management, calendar reminders, activity, GPS location, battery level, list of emergency contacts, and more. Users can elect to grant portal access to loved ones so they can be part of the safety plan. The MyGuardian app is the top-ranking Customer Care App on Safety.com.

The Aloe Care Health app functions similarly and is a great way for medical alert users and caregivers to stay connected and up to date on device functionality.

Emergency Response Support

With one click, all Medical Guardian and Aloe Care Health devices will immediately connect the user to an emergency operator. An immediate response to a medical alert is crucial and both companies are committed to providing prompt and comprehensive service.

While Medical Guardian and Aloe Care Health provide similar emergency response services, each company has its own emergency response monitoring centers, made up of trained professionals who can get you the help you need — in fact, Medical Guardian has three emergency response monitoring centers, ensuring that you will be connected with an emergency response operator whenever you need assistance. Both companies have Five Diamond monitoring centers, recognized by The Monitoring Association, and 24/7 emergency support is available with both Medical Guardian and Aloe Care Health.

Customer Reviews

On BestCompany.com, Medical Guardian currently has upwards of 16,000 reviews — the number of Aloe Care Health reviews on BestCompany.com is drastically limited in comparison. For this reason, we’re unable to provide a fair and accurate comparison of these two companies based on customer reviews.

However, the majority of Medical Guardian reviews on BestCompany.com are positive with 87 percent of verified customers awarding the company 4 or 5 stars overall. Medical Guardian reviews have been left by both medical alert device users as well as caregivers. 

Medical Guardian device users frequently highlight the following about their experience with Medical Guardian:

• Awarding-winning customer service — including response times to emergency alerts, as well as support and answers given when questions arise.
• Feeling of security — not only that they can receive medical help quickly, but that they can be connected with loved ones who may be concerned about their health and safety.

Caregivers highlight similar characteristics of their experience with Medical Guardian with, of course, emphasis placed on feeling at ease knowing that their loved one can receive medical support when needed.

Some Medical Guardian reviews indicate that the battery life of some devices isn’t as long as they expected. However, Medical Guardian does outline that devices need to be charged regularly.

Our Recommendation: Medical Guardian

The choice between Medical Guardian and Aloe Care Health really comes down to your lifestyle and the types of medical alert devices you would like to use. Medical Guardian does offer a wider range of on-the-go medical alert devices that are designed to fit a variety of lifestyles, and the company’s new MGMini Lite is a standout product that offers the same emergency support and security with a sleeker design that would pair well with an active lifestyle.

Based on customer reviews on BestCompany.com, we’re unable to provide the most accurate comparison between the two companies at this time because Aloe Care Health reviews are so limited. However, we would recommend Medical Guardian based on its current reviews from verified customers, who are quick to highlight the company’s reliable devices and excellent service.