With the rising number of people aging in place, the technology and products supporting independent living also rose. There is a variety of alarms and warning devices of all sorts and all prices on the market.
The one that I found might give us a peace of mind. It has some really good features, does what it should, has pretty high ratings and is very affordable.
I summed up the information about this device into this SureSafe Personal Alarm review.
SureSafe Personal Alarm
• Remote alarm pendant auto dials up to 3 numbers, up to 5 times each
• Easy to set-up, simply plug-in and you are good to go
• Two-way voice communication through the base unit
• 50 meter pendant range
• Low battery indicator
• Powered by 6v adaptor (supplied)
Manufacturer: Bora Health Limited
Price: £69.00 on Amazon & FREE Delivery(now £10 drop off of the original price of £79)
£89.95 directly from the manufacturer
Overview of SureSafe Personal Alarm
SureSafe Personal Alarm is a personal emergency alarm, a possible medical alert for the elderly. This is adevice which will allow the user to alarm one of the three chosen persons in case of emergency, by making phone call(s) on a push of a panic button on a pendant or the wristband. It will also give the advantage of talking to that person if close enough to the base. It needs a landline to operate, but will give a call to any number(s) (mobile, too) programmed by you. This is a non-monitored system, so has no ongoing charges.
Who is SureSafe Personal Alarm for
For elderly or mobility impaired people at risk of fall or other emergency, living without anyone who could help in place immediately. This is a sure way to notify someone and be sure help is on its way, when a fall or some other emergency occurs.
The device itself
As it needs to be plugged into the telephone socket, it comes with a splitter, which will give you 2 sockets instead of one and enable you to plug in this alarm and the telephone in the same time. Besides that, you’ll find in the box
- Alarm Pendant
- Wristband x 1
- Power Adaptor, 6V
- Telephone wire & Power plug
- Splitter
- User Manual
How Does SureSafe Personal Alarm Work
The Alarm is idle until the button on the pendant of the wristband is pressed. It uses a 433 Mhz frequency radio signal to connect the pendant or wristband with the base, meaning it is safe even for people with peace maker. No internet is required.
The radio frequency is generated by the wristband or pendant itself, when the button is pressed. The base unit will pick up this signal and respond. Same way as the base station picks up a cordless phone when operated.
The base will then “take over” the phone line and dial the first of the three programmed numbers. It will place calls to all three pre-programmed numbers, consecutively, until someone answers and acknowledges the call, or until it attempted the numbers five times. It will also release a loud sound that can be heard in the house.
The pendants and wristbands have lights on them. These light up when pressed, so anyone using it can be sure the alarm was set off. Additionally the base unit will play a recorded message in order to reassure the user of the help call being placed.
It has no automatic fall detection, though. The panic button needs to be pressed in order to set off the alarm call.
An other, the SureSafeGO Anywhere Alarm is a SIM card based device that can detect falls. It sends text alerts when a fall is detected.
The Call
Thebase unit has a built in microphone and speaker so atwo way communication is possible through the base, once the call is answered and acknowledged. There’s no microphone or speaker either in the pendant nor in the wristband, though, so if out in the garden, for example, hardly will be able to hear the voice from the speaker in the base unit. The alarm will be set off, though.
Unlike some devices that will get through to an answering machine or a voicemail and consider the task done, this one will not be fooled by those and will continue to dial the next preset number. It requires a real person to acknowledge the call by pressing any button on the keypad and giving the correct code. Then it will stop calling.
In case of a false alarm, let’s say, set off unintentionally, can be reset remotely. When you are called, you’ll only need to acknowledge the call by pressing any button on your keypad and hang up. The alarm will stop dialing out and will reset itself.
The range between the devices is limited by the range of radio frequencies – these are generally up to around 50 meters. If you need a longer range then you will need to consider a device that uses mobile technology and can work anywhere where there is mobile phone signal, no matter which provider from.
Power Supply
It will work plugged in into an electrical socket, but to prevent failure to function due to a power cut, you can insert 4 AAA batteries in the base unit. These are going to be used only in the event of a power cut.These are not included, so you’ll need to purchase them additionally.
The wristband and the pendant use replaceable batteries that have a life expectancy of at least 2 years.
Wearables
It comes with one pendant and one wristband. Additional pendant or wristband may be ordered, but the alarm base will accept only 2 pieces, i.e. two pendants OR two wristbands OR one of each, at the same time. The pendants and wristbands have lights, which light up when pressed, so the user can see if the alarm is activated. The pendant is water resistant, but the wristband is only splash proof, meaning the pendant can be worn while having a shower, but the wristband can’t..
Pros
-does what it is expected to do, reliably
-sets off an alarm call and a loud sound in place
-allows two way communication, through the base unit
-has two wearables, so good enough for both parents to use
-will not accept voicemail or answering machine as an answered call
-will work in case of power cut (with batteries inserted)
-no complicated set up
-no yearly or monthly subscription
-responsive customer service (I got my answer in less than 15 minutes)
–high ratings and opinions of people who already bought it
-good price
Cons
-no automatic fall detection
-the wristband is not water resistant, only the pendant is. The wristband is only splash proof
-you need to be near the base unit to have 2 way communication
Conclusion
If you do not need a monitored service, or to cover wider areas than that in and immediately around the house, the SureSafe Personal Alarm might be your right choice.
Although it does not have an automatic fall detection, it is a reliable, well performing device which can free you of constant worrying for your loved one(s) safety and give them a feeling of safety while living as independently as it is possible. The system which will dial each of the three numbers up to five times and will not be fooled by an answering machine or a voice mail makes almost impossible for you to not be notified in case of any emergency and enable you to take action. It is also a very good value for money, and a cheaper alternative to many other devices on the market. Make sure to check it out and grab yours here.
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Awesome review, keep it going! Would you recommend this next to the higher budget options as well, or this would be a good budget option?
Also, kinda worried about the splash resistant rating. Many times this is advertised but it’s not cleared what level of water resistance this actually provides.
Thank you Julius!
There are many devices with similar functions which are much more expensive. So, I’d say this one carried the day in it’s own category, with quite nice features, having so many and that good reviews.
Devices with more functionality, and much higher prices are out on the market, as well and I’ll be also covering some, but I think this one deserved to be the first, being such a good value for money.
As for the splash resistance-let me put it this way: wearing the pendant, one can have a shower. Wearing a wristband, one may wash the dishes (if not submerging it in water), and if not having anyone else to do it 😉
I hope this answers your question.
I love that it also works when there is a power cut. This is important, imagine there’s a hurricane or another natural phenomenon and there is no electricity because of it … That’s why it’s great that this personal alarm works on batteries as well.
The fact that it does not accept voice mail is also great. I wonder how they programmed it to do that, but it is essential that the machine recognizes a human being at the other end of the line. This looks like a very effective and functional alarm.
A very good point Christine! It surely gives an additional peace of mind. And the batteries will be used only when there actually is a power cut, so no need for frequent changes.
They actually achieved being sure it was a real person fairly simply, They built in a function to stop dialing only if someone (a real person) acknowledges the call by pressing a button on the keypad on their phone.
Thank you for the comment and for the (implied) question.
All the best
Hey,
This is a really informative article. My parents are in their 70’s and I live in a different city to them. They are healthy people at present, but if their health was to decline in the future then I would consider advising that we purchase this alarm. It is a device that will help them to get in touch with their loved ones really quickly, and will inform their loved ones a lot quicker too.
If I do end up purchasing one or two in the future, then I will let you know. I my even give my own review of them.
Thank you for sharing such an important article and keep up the amazing work on your site.
All the best,
Tom
Thank you so much for your very kind words, it is always a pleasure to have you here.
I honestly hope that you won’t need to consider buying this (or any similar) product for a long-long time.
But, if you ever do, I hope this one will be still available, as it could really give you and them the safety of knowing you can successfully be reached at any time in case of any emergency.
I’d certainly appreciate a first hand review from you.
All the best Tom,
Kerryanne
This is a really useful read Kerryanne so thanks for sharing. Like many others, I too get worried as my mother lives on her own and is not as stable as she once was. She’s also somewhat stubborn and her independence is particularly important to her so I can see this as being a nice aid for her as well as giving me some piece of mind. It would seem that I’ve now sorted out a birthday gift come this November. Nice one – Jason.
Hi Jason, yeah, it may be just the right thing to purchase. It certainly will fill two needs with one deed-your Mom can go on living independently and you would have your peace of mind. And, as I wrote, SureSafe Personal Alarm has some really good features and is very affordable. Happy Birthday to your Mom in November!
All the best,
Kerryanne