Medical Guardian’s Mini Guardian Review

Last Updated on April 25, 2023

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Medical Guardian’s Mini Guardian is a mobile medical alert system that consists of a mobile help button device and access to Medical Guardian’s 24/7 emergency monitoring service.

The Mini device is a nifty lightweight 1.3 oz pendant using the smallest portable medical alert hardware design on the market. It’s small size makes wearing or carrying an on-the-go medical alert device as effortless as possible for seniors and other product users.

The Medical Guardian Mini Guardian has features that make it a top-tier mobile medical alert device for seniors. Features like a help button with an intuitive feel, fast response times, HD speakers, good battery life, and advanced location tracking. The Mini Guardian device works both in-home (test video 1) and out of the home (test video 2).

 

Medical Guardian Mini Guardian Video

Do you have 30 seconds? This is a quick video of a Medical Guardian Mini Guardian test call I made.

When I pressed the button, it had a slightly springy feel and the button lighted up blue. Both the button’s springy feel and blue light were good tactile and visual signals to me that I’ve initiated an alert.

In the video, you can hear how clear the audio announcements and beeps sounded. The Mini Guardian is advertised to have high definition speakers, and the clarity of sound certainly supports that.

 

About this Product Review

This Medical Guardian Mini review is based on my hands-on experience and test results with the product. It is not a restatement of the brand’s marketing materials, but contains original insights and conclusions based on the product’s actual performance. Thank you for stopping by. I hope you will benefit from my knowledge built from researching medical alert systems for the past 10 years (video examples of my work).

Mini Guardian Pros and Cons

Pros

• Attractive style, size, and weight (half the weight of previous version)
• Super-fast response time (average 20 seconds)
• Connected reliably at home or on-the-go
• Very clear speaker
• Accurate GPS location tracking
• Good battery life (lasted 5 days when tested)

Cons

• Device cost (at $124.95 full retail)
• Device GPS location retrieval was only available with button push (when tested in Jan 2022, may have changed since)
• The part that connects the device to the lanyard could come off when tugged, causing the device to separate from the user. It would helpful to have a connector that is more firmly fixed.

 

Unboxing the Mini Guardian

 

Medical Guardian Mini Guardian Test Results

Feature	Test Results/ Supporting Evidence	Specifications
Response Time	Tested. 20 seconds average response time after button was pushed. Video record	No official specification
Speaker	Speakers were loud and very clear. No noticeable sound distortion. Video record	HD 78-decibel speaker with noise canceling functionality
Locations Tracking	Tested. Locations tracking accurate in 10 test instances (after button push).	GPS, Wi-Fi Positioning, Cellular Triangulation
Water-Resistance	Tested. Device performed as usual after a 1 minute dip in water.	Can be used in showers (IP67 rated)
Battery Life	Tested. Device lasted 5 days after a full charge. See report.	Up to 5 days on standby
Cellular Connectivity	Device labeled as such. Connected quickly each time.	Verizon 4G LTE
Automatic Fall Detection	Tested. Activated automatic alert through fall detection mechanism. (Fall detection cannot detect 100% of falls.)	Available as add-on option
Dimensions	As specified.	2.72" x 1.38" x 0.57"
Weight	As specified.	1.3 oz

Evaluation Factors

The ideal mobile medical alert system would take into consideration the needs of senior product users, who are the majority of Medical Guardian’s customer base. In this review, we will focus on evaluating the product on main factors such as: Product Size, Weight and Style, Call Response Time, Backup Battery Life and GPS Location Tracking.

Product Size, Weight, and Style

The product’s size and weight are important considerations for a mobile medical alert. Some seniors have shunned wearing a medical alert pendant because of how they look and how heavy they are. The Mini’s design bypasses these drawbacks and offers seniors medical monitoring help in a pleasant package.

An all-in-one device like the Medical Guardian Mini works both at home and outside, unlike a traditional in-home button. However, they are also heavier than in-home transmitter buttons, since they contain a speaker and microphone.The engineering challenge is making the medical alert device as small and lightweight as possible without compromising performance.

For this, the Mini scores high. It overcomes the issues of discomfort and inconvenience associated with a bulky device while still delivering a high level of performance. When tested, the device connection speed was fast, and the sound quality was loud and clear.

The Medical Guardian Mini is based on the FreeUS BelleX, the smallest and lightest mobile GPS medical alert device hardware on the market.

As you can see from the photo above, it is a pint-sized device. Its dimensions are 2.72″ H x 1.38″ W x 0.57″ D, and it weighs just under 1.3 oz. It’s small like a tic tac box and weighs 6 1/2 quarter coins.

In comparison, the industry average is about 2 oz or 10 quarter coins in weight.

The product styling is also attractive.  The device comes in 3 colors: champagne/silver, white and black, as illustrated below.

Call Response Time

My test calls using the Medical Guardian Mini Guardian were all answered quickly. In the video below, watch how an actual test call was initiated after I pushed the button. This call was made from outside the home. You can observe how quickly one step followed another.

The Medical Guardian Mini’s tested response times ranged from 12 seconds to 26 seconds. The average response time was just under 20 seconds.

This response time range is definitely Grade A. In comparison, the average industry response times are in the range of 30 to 60 seconds. The Mini Guardian’s fast response times ensure that the product user will be quickly reassured and attended to.

Finally, Medical Guardian’s monitoring center operators were professional, courteous, and patient each time we interacted.

How The Mini Guardian Works

Once I pressed on the Mini’s button, it lighted up blue, and the device announced, “Calling the support center.” Then it sounded pleasant beeps before a Medical Guardian monitoring operator answered, reassuring me that the call connection was still in progress. See video above for the entire process in action.

The entire call process experience felt super-fast because of both the fast call connections and the intermediate prompts that played. The professional HD sound quality of the audio announcements made the experience all the more reassuring.

As a comparison, I’ve tested similar products that would lapse into silence for 10 seconds or more. When the gaps of silence are long, it leads me to wonder if the call has been disconnected. It can be unnerving, but the Medical Guardian Mini does a great job reassuring callers with its clear audio prompts throughout the process.

The fast connections were made possible through Verizon’s 4G LTE network and the use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology. All test calls connected reliably without issues each time. That’s a good thing.

Battery Life Comparison

Mini Guardian’s battery life has been rated to last up to 5 days. This length tested true in my experience. I observed that my Mini device was able to stay on for at least 5 days each time I gave it a full charge. Below is a battery status report from my test account’s MyGuardian portal login.

At times it kept going till day 6 and day 7 (good thing!). During these test periods, I put the device to use just like any product user would. I kept it on me and took it along when I was out. There were occasional test calls in between, which must have stressed the battery.

Based on these live testing results, advertising that the Mini Guardian would last “up to” 5 days is fair and not a stretch of the truth.

As part of my comparison testing, I also tested LifeStation’s Sidekick mobile unit. The Sidekick device was advertised to last “up to” 5 days on backup battery. When I tested it under similar conditions, I found that its battery life performed closer to a 3 to 5-day range. The Mini’s battery tested stronger.

Battery Life Performance Dependencies

Keep in mind that my Mini Guardian experience could differ from yours. Battery life performance can vary depending on circumstances, such as the strength of the cellular connections, whether you are constantly moving from location to location, or triggering alarms. Battery performance can also deteriorate over time with repeated recharges.

To maintain good battery performance, I would advise removing your device from the charger once it’s fully charged.

Recharging Time Frame

It took me about 3 hours to fully charge the device from empty each time. This time frame corroborated with Medical Guardian’s .

I find this time frame manageable. If I were to use this as my main medical alert system, I would probably recharge it a couple of hours every other day. Perhaps while I am reading a book or on the computer and not moving about much.

GPS Location Tracking

Each time I pushed on the button, the Medical Guardian Mini was able to locate me accurately. That is helpful as the Mini is a mobile medical alert device that works both in and out of the home. This feature lets the monitoring agent know where we are pushing the button from.

Location Retrieval by Caregivers

In addition, many mobile medical alert devices can double up as GPS location trackers. This reporting function allows us or our authorized caregivers to retrieve the device’s real-time location at will.

While this is a useful feature to have, it was only partially working when I tested the Mini Guardian device.

When I tested it, the Location History report displayed device locations that had previously registered at the time of alarm activations (over the previous week). Caregivers cannot query for a real-time location result.

Customer Support Able To Ping and Locate Device

Nevertheless, Medical Guardian’s customer support representative said Medical Guardian would still be able to ping (ie. query) and locate my Mini device if needed. She also mentioned that they were working to allow MyGuardian app users to retrieve location updates on their own.

This was back in January 2022, so things may have changed by now. If you are able to retrieve current device location through the Mini Guardian MyGuardian app, please let us know.

Why Location Retrieval

We sometimes become concerned when our parents or loved ones are not where we expect them to be. Perhaps they have gone for a routine morning walk and are not back by an unusually late time. With GPS location tracking enabled, we can find where they may be.

If this feature is a significant concern, I suggest comparing the Medical Guardian Mini with another alternative, the LifeFone VIPx. It’s based on the same BelleX device. In my testing, I successfully used the location tracking feature through the VIPx’s companion caregiver app.

Cost

The Mini Guardian retails at $124.95 upfront. By calling the company directly (toll-free 1-800-311-6142), I received a 20% discount on the device. As such, I recommend calling in and asking for their best deal currently.

In addition, I paid a base monthly service fee of $39.95 a month. That included the use of the Medical Guardian MyGuardian caregiver app at no extra cost. I was charged an additional $10 per month for adding the fall detection option.

Medical Guardian’s pricing is slightly on the high end but still competitive. As a comparison, LifeFone’s VIPx is the exact same model. With LifeFone, there is no upfront equipment fee, and the monthly cost is $45.95 before any discounts (more info).

Medical Guardian has other add-on services. You could also browse through their service and pricing options on their official website.

Comparison with Active Guardian (Previous Product Version)

The Mini Guardian is an upgrade over Medical Guardian’s previous all-in-one device version, the Active Guardian. It presents a number of improvements over the Active Guardian.

The Mini Guardian is much smaller and lighter than the Active Guardian. As you can see in the above photo comparison, the Active Guardian is bulkier. The Mini Guardian weighs just half what the Active Guardian weighs (1.3 oz vs. 2.6 oz).

In addition, Mini Guardian, being a newer product, provides product users and their care circle members with system status updates . These updates provide extra visibility and peace of mind to Mini Guardian product users and their family. Active Guardian product users lack the same visibility.

 

Comparable Products to Consider

LifeFone VIPx Comparison

Based on my testing, the Mini Guardian’s main advantage over the LifeFone VIPx is its quicker response time. Mini Guardian’s call response time tested faster, an average of 20 seconds versus 32 seconds for the VIPx.

Recommendation

If a faster response time is important to you, then I would recommend going with the Mini Guardian because its response time tested better. Otherwise, the LifeFone VIPx offers the benefit of more options, such as a longer battery life (up to 5 to 16 days) and a First Motion of the Day alert.

LifeFone will also loan out their VIPx device free of charge to subscribers (must be returned at the end). That saved me about $100 as I was not required to purchase the device.

Bay Alarm Medical On-the-Go Mobile Device Comparison

Another popular product that you may want to compare the Medical Guardian Mini with is the Bay Alarm Medical On-the-Go medical alert. Both brands are highly popular.

The Bay Alarm Medical product did not test as well as the Mini Guardian in several key decision-making metrics. It has a longer response time (average 48 seconds vs. the Mini’s 20 seconds), shorter backup battery life (2 to 3 days vs. 5 days), and is bulkier and heavier (1.8 oz vs. 1.3 oz).

Recommendation

Based on the above test results, I would recommend the Mini Guardian over the Bay Alarm Medical mobile on-the-go device.

However, Bay Alarm Medical is less expensive ($30 vs. $40 monthly), and they include free email and text alerts with every subscription. In my experience, Bay Alarm Medical’s purchase process was also clearer and more straightforward.

Overall Recommendation

All in all, I would recommend the Mini Guardian for seniors and others who appreciate a lightweight and elegant pendant design along with a super-fast response time.

This is because in first-hand testing, the device provided a super-fast response time of 20 seconds on average, and in addition, is smaller and lighter in weight than most others. The Medical Guardian Mini has the best size and looks you will likely come across, making it a most comfortable medical alert product for everyday use.

If you have questions, call Medical Guardian directly at 1-800-311-6142.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: Our reviews are based on our actual experiences and research. This information is shared as is, without any warranties. We advise all readers to do careful due diligence before purchasing. Take time to speak with the company’s representatives or visit their official websites.

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