enter value/s in increments of 1 between 66 and 599
Type
All personal alarms we tested came in either a watch (worn around the wrist) or pendant (worn around the neck) design.
Responsible supplier certification
Products that connect to mobile phone networks must be complaint with Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) requirements. The supplier must be registered. Products without this certification may not be safe to use. "Not found" means the supplier did not provide us with proof of certification when asked, or we couldn't find them in the National Equipment Registration System (NERS) database.
Ease of use score
We assess the user manual, email and telephone support and SIM insertion, where necessary. We also assess configuring, activating an SOS, recharging, using the buttons, the shape of the device and whether it's easy to grip and carry.
enter value/s in increments of i between 40 and 81
Reception and tracking score
We test their mobile network reception, GPS accessibility, and battery life to find which ones perform the best.
enter value/s in increments of i between 0 and 100
Voice call score
We call to and from the device, to test whether the voice quality is clear and loud enough to hear. "Not applicable" or "N/A" means the alarm doesn't have this feature.
enter value/s in increments of i between 55 and 80
Fall detection
Activates if the device falls rapidly which then triggers an alarm to a contact.
Non-movement alarm
Sends an alarm to a contact if the device doesn't move for a specified amount of time.
Relocation alarm
This is where you can set the device to tell you whether it has moved. Sort of the opposite of the non-movement alarm.
Speed alarm
If the device starts moving rapidly, say by the wearer getting into a car or boarding a train, it creates an alarm to send to a contact with this information.
Accept incoming call
Does the device accept incoming calls?
Charging cradle
Putting your personal alarm in a charging cradle is much easier than fiddling with a cable, especially if you have limited dexterity. That said, some models (including pendants and watches) have magnetic connectors that make it easier to plug the cable in.
Geofence
Geofencing allows you to set up a virtual fence and alarm for when it is crossed. Radial creates a virtual fence in a circle, while polygon is more flexible, and allows you to create a map that allows access to a nearby park, for example.
User-replaceable SIM
Availability
A Similar model is identical in most aspects except for a few. This means that a majority of its test results are identical so you can reasonably expect to get the same results from the model we tested, but for those aspects which aren't identical, we'll note these as "Not Tested" in the Compare tables.
A Tested model refers to a model that is still current and available in the Australian market. You should be able to order this model through your local retailer, or find it online.
These models can't be found in retailers or online or are no longer manufactured. You may still find these models on second hand websites, or in second hand dealers. Test methods may change over time, so criteria which can't be directly compared will contain an N/A.
An Identical model is exactly that. Performance characteristics will be identical and the only difference will be something trivial such as colour, which won't have an impact on performance.
These are models we haven't yet tested but that are available.
Included in this review
- Overall score
- Original overall score
- Ease of use score
- Reception and tracking score
- Voice call score
- Geofence score
- Active standby, hours
- Active standby hours measured
- Good points
- Bad points
- Price
- Brand
- Model
- Availability
- Type
- Responsible supplier certification
- Geofence
- Charging cradle
- Low battery warning
- Water resistant
- Accept incoming call
- Auto answer from call to device
- Alarm clock
- Fall detection
- Non-movement alarm
- Relocation alarm
- Speed alarm
- Dedicated emergency call button
- Dedicated emergency SMS button
- Configuration mechanism
- Maximum number of contacts
- Telco tested on
- Optus
- Telstra
- Vodafone
- User maintainable phonebook
- SIM size
- Dimensions, mm (H x W x D)
- Weight, g
- User replaceable SIM
- Name of responsible supplier
- Origin
- Contact
- SOS voice calling process
- Contact voicemail handling