VSNMobil, V.Alert: Review

A little different, this PERS is a stylish pendant that uses a smartphone as its "base station". It also claims to have a fall detection capability.

There are pluses and minuses about this concept, and whether it works will depend on a particular person's lifestyle.

The pendant itself is small and not ugly, and that is a big plus as it makes it more likely that one will have it on when it is needed. In order to be useful, it needs to be within 70 ft of a smartphone to which it has been "paired". So, unless you typically carry your smartphone with you, this is not a good idea. But for those who always have a smartphone nearby and charged, but want a "wearable" rather than an App, this concept looks promising.

It is a "go anywhere" concept, because the cell phone works wherever there is cell coverage. Because the wearable is waterproof, you can use it while in the shower etc, where a typical cell phone plus emergency alert App is not so useful.

The pendant itself does not know where it is, but relies on the GPS capability of the cell phone, which typically does know where it is. When you press the button, the system transmits location to the responders.

This system does NOT come with a 24/7 monitoring service. It is designed to send texts and calls to family and friends that you set up. Surprisingly, it does not seem to call 911. This also means it does not have a monthly fee. Just a cost to buy.

We bought this from the company for $20 plus shipping and are going to try it out and report back. We notice it has quite a few unenthusiastic reviews on Amazon so it will be interesting to see how well they have executed the concept.