Worn
Acorn Pendant
A single-button wearable. The new concepts explore a slimmer shape; comfort, button action and electronics fit still need physical testing.
No monitoring company required
Your family, one press away.
OakLink is a family-managed alert system in development — with no required monitoring subscription — that helps the people you love stay independent at home, and helps you breathe a little easier.
Not yet available for sale. No app needed by the person pressing the button. Cellular service may have a separate cost.
OakLink + Acorn — the original concept
Bark-covered base and acorn-shaped button
Concept illustration — design targets, not final specifications
For the whole family
Independence for them. Reassurance for you.
Helping an aging parent stay safe at home shouldn't mean constant worry. OakLink keeps you gently in the loop, without taking away the independence they cherish.
Family alerts, designed to be quick
The prototype sends text messages and optional app notifications to configured contacts. Delivery time varies with connectivity and messaging services.
Quiet device health checks
The prototype reports device check-ins and selected power and connection conditions. These checks do not prove that every alert will reach a caregiver.
Battery alerts in testing
Battery reporting and warning logic are implemented. Calibration, warning thresholds, and usable battery life still need testing before we can promise warning times or charging intervals.
No app needed to press for help
OakLink is designed so the person pressing the button does not need to learn a complicated app. Families may use a simple setup path to add, remove, and reorder trusted contacts, configure the base unit, and test alerts.
No required monitoring subscription
OakLink is planned as a hardware purchase with no required monitoring fee. Cellular service details are in the FAQ below.
One integrated system
The OakLink family.
A base and Acorn wearable lead the current design work, with a charging nest and wall button also planned. We are testing the core electronics; materials, enclosures, and the complete family are still in development.
OakLink is still in development. Every product image on this page is a concept rendering — the final hardware may look different.
Explore the three new enclosure conceptsConnected
OakLink Base Station
The home hub for family alerts. Bough, Oak and Perch explore three shapes with a branch-shaped antenna cover.
Charged
Charging Nest
A magnetic cradle designed to make powering up as simple as setting the pendant down. Still in design.
Placed
Wall Help Button
A planned large, easy-press button. Final placement guidance depends on enclosure and water-resistance testing.
Design notebook · September 28, 2026
Three shapes for a familiar idea.
One clear button. A base that belongs at home. An Acorn that feels natural to keep nearby. We are exploring three enclosure directions for future custom electronics; no final design has been selected.
These are concept illustrations, not product photographs. All dimensions are design targets. The branch is a proposed antenna cover; electronics fit, wireless performance, heat, sound, button operation and water resistance still need testing.
Concept 01
Bough
Base body target: 140 × 110 × 58 mm
Width × depth × height, excluding branch
A softer presence on the bedside table.
A low oval base, gentle curves and a slim Acorn wearable. Ivory, woodland green and a warm branch detail explore a quieter place for technology in the home.
Concept illustration · Acorn target: 46 mm tall × 34 mm wide × 12 mm thick. Select the image to inspect the full sheet.
Concept 02
Oak
Base body target: 108 × 100 × 85 mm
Width × depth × height, excluding branch
The oak idea, standing a little taller.
An upright, softly fluted base with a smaller tabletop footprint. A rounded Acorn carries the same warm, natural character into the wearable.
Concept illustration · Acorn target: 46 mm tall × 34 mm wide × 12 mm thick. Select the image to inspect the full sheet.
Concept 03
Perch
Base body target: 145 × 105 × 55 mm
Width × depth × height, excluding branch
An angled face. A clear place to press.
A rounded wedge and a contrasting terracotta button explore a more familiar tabletop shape, paired with a pocket or pendant Acorn concept.
Concept illustration · Acorn target: 46 mm tall × 34 mm wide × 12 mm thick. Select the image to inspect the full sheet.
From shape studies to handling samples.
All three directions now have editable models and 21 printable parts in total. The next step is to print unpowered samples and assess size, grip and assembly. Physical printing and fit are not yet verified; the sample buttons are static mockups, and the current electronics are not proven to fit.
From the development journal
Building OakLink.
Design ideas, bench results and what we are learning along the way.
Design notebook
Bough, Oak and Perch: three shapes for OakLink
A softer base, a slimmer Acorn and three ways to make an alert button feel at home. A look at the concepts and the first printable models.
Read the storyFamily experience
Making family notification setup easier to follow
A clearer settings menu, household notification channels and a daily email milestone. What is working on the bench, and what still needs a phone test.
Read the storyFrom the bench
Testing backup power, one power cycle at a time
The base kept running through one USB power loss and restoration test, and both status texts arrived. A useful result, with more power testing ahead.
Read the story
Charging Nest
A simpler charging routine, in design.
Designed to be magnetic and forgiving, so powering up is as simple as setting the pendant down. The nest is still in design. Final enclosures and the complete product family remain to be validated.
Earlier accessory concept — still in design
Wall Button
Help within reach, where it matters.
A planned large, easy-press button to keep help within reach. Suitable placement, including any bathroom use, still needs enclosure testing.
Earlier accessory concept — in development
How it works
Three simple steps to peace of mind.
01
Press
Press the help button to start an alert. The pendant electronics are being tested; final button designs are still in development.
02
Connect
OakLink is designed to notify trusted contacts through a configured family contact list using the connected base unit. Final notification options and connection paths may change as development continues.
03
Respond
A contact who receives the alert can acknowledge it and check in. Your family decides who will respond and how to get help.
Questions, answered
How it actually works.
OakLink is designed to stay simple and clear. Here's what we can share about how it's being built, in plain language.
- Why a button, not a phone?
- A phone call or text can be useful. The Acorn is intended to offer one clear physical action when finding a phone, opening an app or choosing a contact feels difficult. Contacts are configured ahead of time; the wearer does not need a phone app to start an alert. OakLink is still a prototype, depends on its base, power and connectivity, and does not guarantee delivery or a response. It does not replace calling 911.
- Are the new enclosures finished products?
- No. Bough, Oak and Perch are three alternative enclosure concepts, each with a matching Acorn wearable. Printable models are ready for unpowered size and handling trials, but physical printing, electronics fit and functional buttons have not yet been verified. Dimensions shown are targets, and no final design has been selected. The charging nest and wall button remain separate concepts.
- What happens during a power outage?
- Battery backup is part of the prototype. In a September 27, 2026 bench test, the base continued running through USB power loss and restoration, and both power-change text messages were received. This does not establish a guaranteed backup duration or performance under every load. Alert delivery still depends on the base, available power, cellular coverage or internet access, and messaging services.
- Will OakLink require a monthly fee?
- There's no required OakLink monitoring fee. We built this as a family-managed alert system, not a traditional monthly monitoring service — your family handles the alerts, not a call center. The one thing to know: the base unit needs a cellular connection to reach your family, and that part may need a separate prepaid SIM, cellular subscription, or IoT connectivity plan from an outside provider. Those plans and prices aren't ours to set, so they can change.
- Does OakLink require an app?
- No app is required for everyday use by the person pressing the button. Families may use a simple setup path or family admin experience to add, remove, and reorder trusted contacts, configure the base unit, and test alerts. Optional notification features may use additional apps or services if a family chooses to enable them.
- How will the contact list work?
- Families can set up a list of trusted contacts, choose the order they're notified in, and update that list whenever things change — through the prototype setup page. We are still testing the setup experience with families.
- Will OakLink use cellular or Wi-Fi?
- The prototype uses cellular text messages and optional internet notifications over home Wi-Fi. Cellular messaging does not need home internet, but does need working cellular service. In an August 2026 bench test, an internet acknowledgment succeeded while text messages were failing; three further app acknowledgment rounds passed in September. These are two useful paths, but both depend on the base unit and power, and neither guarantees delivery. Coverage, internet access, and outside messaging services can affect alerts. See the fee question above for connectivity costs.
- What if an acknowledgment fails?
- The prototype sends follow-up reminders for unanswered alerts, subject to power, connectivity, and message limits. If the app reports a failed acknowledgment, wait and try again while the alert is still open, or use the text-message reply path. Look for the separate Acknowledged confirmation. A sent message or successful tap alone does not prove that someone has provided help.
- Will OakLink include a SIM card?
- That's the plan — to ship the base unit with a compatible SIM already in place, so a tested cellular option is ready to go if you choose to activate it. As with anything still in development, the final packaging could shift.
- Does OakLink work without an activated base unit?
- The buttons themselves are simple — but for family alerts to actually go out, the base unit needs to be set up and connected. We'll make that setup as easy as we can.
- Is it waterproof for the bathroom?
- Water resistance is a design goal, not a verified capability. We have not established an IP rating or approved shower, bath, or wet-area use for the prototype. Placement guidance will depend on testing the final enclosure.
- Does it call 911 automatically?
- No. OakLink reaches your family, not emergency services — it isn't a substitute for calling 911, emergency medical care, professional monitoring, or in-person supervision. See the Important Product Note for the full details.
Why we are building OakLink
Safety that feels like care, not equipment.
No required monitoring subscription
The plan is to sell the hardware outright. No required monitoring subscription stands between you and your family.
Simple
A wall button and a wearable pendant — a familiar pair with nothing complicated to learn.
Reliability-focused
Device check-ins and selected fault reports help families notice problems. Longer reliability and power-recovery testing is still ahead.
Beautiful
A safety product designed to belong in the home.
Technology should feel like home.
Three Oak Woods creates products that support independence while keeping families connected. OakLink combines thoughtful industrial design with thoughtful family-alert technology.
Designed in Colorado by Three Oak Woods.
We're a small team that believes the things we rely on most should be the most thoughtfully made. OakLink is designed to be beautiful, dependable, and genuinely kind to the families who live with it.
Why we're building OakLink
Built from real family moments.
I've always been the tech support person in my family.
When my uncle called because the alert button he bought online wasn't working, I wondered whether I could build something better. IoT projects are a hobby, and software has been my career, so the problem felt close enough to solve and personal enough to matter.
My mom had a Life Alert device, but she stopped carrying it. I'm not sure all the reasons why, but it looked clinical, and she struggled to use it with confidence.
My wife's mom could have used something simple, too. A wall-mounted button near the tub might have helped her contact a caregiver when she couldn't get out on her own.
OakLink started from those moments.
We're building it for families who want safety without making home feel like a hospital. A simple press. A familiar object. A calmer way to stay connected.
Because when someone you love needs help, technology should be the easiest part of the experience.
Important Product Note
OakLink is currently in development. Product appearance, features, pricing, and availability may change. OakLink is a family alert system and is not a substitute for calling 911, emergency medical care, professional monitoring, or in-person supervision.
In development
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We're building OakLink for families who want safety without sacrificing independence.
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