MGMini Lite Medical Alert Review, Our Hands-On Test

Pros and Cons of MGMini Lite

The Expert Take

From Ryan Molloy

Caregiver and Tech Expert

If you live in a rural area without adequate cellular coverage, then many mobile medical alert systems won’t work properly. In these cases, I recommend a landline-based system that can connect to help through an existing landline.

What Is the MGMini Lite?

The MGMini Lite is a mobile medical alert system. Unlike other mobile medical alert systems, however, the MGMini Lite is worn as a bracelet rather than a necklace. That said, it works nearly identically to other mobile medical alert systems.

The MGMini Lite features a speakerphone and a call button. When you press the call button, the MGMini Lite calls the Medical Guardian monitoring center. A trained response agent will coordinate a response, whether it’s contacting first responders or your loved ones.

The MGMini Lite also features a built-in GPS, which allows response agents to pinpoint your exact location and send help to the right place. Through the MyGuardian app, your loved ones can also keep track of your location.

In most ways, the MGMini Lite works exactly like the Mini Guardian (another model from Medical Guardian). The main difference is how it is worn; the MGMini Lite is worn as a medical alert bracelet.

MGMini Lite Video Review

Want to see the MGMini Lite in action? Then watch our full video review.

Using My MGMini Lite Medical Alert System

Upon receiving my MGMini Lite system, I opened the box and found the following:

• One MGMini Lite device, with an attached wristband
• One charging cradle
• One instruction manual

Installation

The first step to using my MGMini Lite was to charge it by placing it in the charging cradle. Once placed in the cradle, the device said, “charging,” and glowed red. After roughly two hours, the red light turned to blue, indicating my device was fully charged.

Once it was charged, I logged in to the MyGuardian app to activate my account. I also added a list of emergency contacts. That step is important, since it allows the Medical Guardian operators — should you press your help button — to contact family members instead of EMTs in a nonemergency event.

I chose to activate my MGMini Lite online, but the entire process can also be completed over the phone.

Testing My MGMini Lite

Once the MGMini Lite was live and charged, I began running tests. My first test involved pressing the device’s help button in my home. When I pressed the button, I received an immediate response from a virtual operator who confirmed that I intended to place a call. After confirming, the virtual operator connected my call to a live operator. The whole process took roughly 15 seconds.

My next test was to leave my apartment and run a similar test. My call was again answered in a matter of seconds, but this time I asked the operator to confirm my location. She was able to do so through both coordinates and cross streets, demonstrating the accuracy of my MGMini Lite’s GPS.

There’s no need for location tracking with a home medical alert system, since you’ll likely be making the emergency call from your home. When using a medical alert system with GPS, however, it’s essential for the GPS to be accurate so first responders can pinpoint your location and provide help if you place a distress call outside your home. Because the MGMini Lite runs on Verizon’s 4G LTE network, it can go with you almost anywhere in the United States and function normally.

One part of the MGMini Lite that underwhelmed me, however, was its battery life. In my tests, the device charged completely in only two hours, but it lasted for only 36 hours on a single charge. It’s long enough to make it through the day, but other medical alert systems from Medical Guardian — such as the Mini Guardian — have much longer battery lives.

Fall Detection

Another impressive feature of the MGMini Lite is its fall detection. Many other medical alerts require additional pendants for fall detection, but the MGMini Lite has the feature built in.

In my tests of simulated falls, the MGMini Lite accurately detected 80 percent of falls and automatically placed calls to the Medical Guardian monitoring center. That’s slightly less accurate than the 90 percent accuracy of the Mini Guardian, but it’s still reliable.

If the device detects a fall and you don’t need to contact the monitoring center — which happened several times when I dropped my unit on the ground — you can prevent a call from being placed by holding down the call button.

Fall detection with the MGMini Lite costs an additional $10 per month, but I think it’s a worthwhile feature.

MyGuardian App

As with other Medical Guardian devices, the MGMini Lite comes with access to the MyGuardian portal. Accessible through either a computer or smartphone app, MyGuardian allows loved ones to keep track of an MGMini Lite device.

That includes:

• Viewing a device’s location, battery life, and step counts.
• “Ringing” the device — that is, triggering a sound that helps you find a misplaced device.
• Scheduling reminders.
• Managing payments and extra features, such as fall detection, protection plans, and mobile alerts.

The Expert Take

From Ryan Molloy

Caregiver and Tech Expert

While the MGMini Lite costs more than other mobile medical alerts, adding the free caregiver app might justify this higher price tag. When purchasing a medical alert system, you should carefully consider which add-ons you will need, as they can often increase your monthly costs.

MGMini Lite Pricing

Medical Guardian costs tend to be middle of the road compared to other medical alert devices. The company’s systems start at $29.99 per month, but the MGMini Lite comes at a higher cost. My MGMini Lite cost $54.95 per month, including fall detection. Without the extra feature, the system would have cost $44.95 per month.

Medical Guardian leases its systems as opposed to making you purchase them, so the price includes the device and monitoring. When I finished using my MGMini Lite, I canceled my service, returned my device, and stopped making the monthly payments.

Medical Guardian also offers discounts for quarterly or annual payments. A yearly MGMini Lite subscription, for example, costs $494.45, which comes out to $41.20 per month.

In addition to Medical Guardian’s website, MGMini Lite can also be purchased at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.

MGMini Lite vs. Life Alert

When it comes to mobile medical alerts, both the MGMini Lite and Life Alert are popular options. Both provide quick access to help at home or on the go, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end.

The MGMini Lite is slightly more affordable at $44.95 per month ($54.95 with fall detection) and with no long-term contract required. Life Alert’s mobile system costs $69.95 per month. You’ll also be locked into a three-year contract.

Life Alert also doesn’t offer fall detection or a caregiver portal that allows loved ones to keep track of the device. The GPS on Life Alert’s mobile unit works, but only the monitoring agents can access a device’s location.

The one advantage of Life Alert’s mobile unit is its disposable battery, which can last for years. (Thus far in my tests, it has lasted one year and seven months without needing to be changed.) The MGMini Lite battery, however, lasts for roughly 36 hours, after which you’ll need to recharge it.

To learn more about Life Alert, read our full Life Alert review.

Final Thoughts on MGMini Lite

The MGMini Lite is one of the best mobile medical alert systems. Despite its light weight and small size, it packs in caregiver tracking, GPS, and fall detection. Backed by Medical Guardian professional monitoring, the watch connected us with reliable help in each of our test calls.