First Things First: What Is A Blood Pressure Monitor
It may seem simple, though its important to understand the working science of these healthcare essentials.
A blood pressure monitor consists of an inflatable cuff that is usually wrapped around the arm and a monitoring device that measures the cuffs pressure,Lama Ghazi, MD, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at Yale School of Medicine who specializes in inpatient hypertension, told the New York Post. The monitor provides two pressures: systolic pressure is the pressure the blood exerts on your artery walls when your heart beats and diastolic pressure is the pressure your blood is exerting on your artery walls when your heart is resting between beats .
Best Blood Pressure Monitors For Home Use
Measuring blood pressure is a key part of monitoring the patients health condition. It is usually recommended by physicians to prevent the development of hypertension and it is important to keep track of it.
Did you know, that every 20-point increase in systolic reading and a 10-point increase in diastolic reading doubles the risk of heart attack or stroke? Loss of control on high blood pressure may put the person at risk of serious medical conditions. The higher the blood pressure, the higher the risk for stroke or heart attack.
The only reliable way to know your exact blood pressure is with a quality monitor. We will review them below, but first, let us take a closer look at the different aspects of blood pressure and why it is important to know how it affects your health.
What Is The Most Accurate Blood Pressure Monitor For Home Use 2021
Your vitals, such as your temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure , are important determinants of your health. Measuring your BP is especially important if you are on medications for hypertension or if you have an increased risk of heart diseases.
Although getting your blood pressure measured by a professional through a manual device is going to give you the most accurate results, going to the doctors office for daily readings isnt always convenient or feasible.
Based on user ratings across several platforms, here are top 3 at-home blood pressure monitors for 2021 that are easy to use and give accurate readings when operated properly.
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Omron Series 7 Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor
Aside from systolic and diastolic pulse readings, Omron Series 7 can also detect irregular heartbeats and has LED blood pressure level bars that highlight normal or hypertensive ranges based on international guidelines. The unit looks basic, but it has intuitive features that make it a valuable device for everyday blood pressure monitoring.
Pros:
- No AC adapter included
- The readings run high
But once connected to the free Omron Connect app, you can manage, track, store, and share unlimited readings. The app is compatible with Bluetooth compatible with Android, Apple iOs, and Amazon Alexa-enabled devices.
The ComFit patented design inflates evenly across the arm. It can fit arms that are around 9 inches to 17 inches. The cuffs length is like other brands of blood pressure monitor cuffs, but it is obviously better quality and it does not move around as you tighten it. And though this blood pressure monitor can be powered by either 4 AA batteries or plugged into an outlet, the manufacturer does not provide an AC adapter with the unit.
Another common complaint is that the unit may need recalibration. The readings may run high in several units and not on others.
What Is The Advantage Of Having Wireless Bluetooth Convenience
Wireless Bluetooth Convenience allows you to sync your blood pressure monitor to the free OMRON Connect app where you can store, track and share your heart health information on your smartphone, and even share it with your loved ones or doctor. The app is available for download on a variety of iOS® or Android® devices. To learn if your mobile device is compatible, visit OmronHealthcare.com/connect). And if you have Amazon® Alexa®-enabled devices, youll also want to try the OMRON Health skill to help manage your heart health. Once connected, simply ask Alexa!
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Things To Consider When Performing Home Monitoring Of Blood Glucose
There are a few things that you need to consider when you are looking for a home blood pressure monitoring device. Some of the things to consider are:
- How big is the blood pressure cuff, and does it fit your arm?
- How fast will the monitor check your blood pressure?
- Are there apps and will they be compatible with your devices?
- Are there alerts that let you know when you have a severely high blood pressure?
- How expensive is the device, and will your insurance cover it? (You dont have to spend a fortune, but if the features help you to manage your blood pressure, they may be worth it
How We Chose The Best Blood Pressure Watches
We chose the blood pressure monitor watches on this list because users indicate they provide accurate or near-accurate results. They come from transparent manufacturers who dont make unfounded claims. We read scores of consumer reviews on multiple websites and researched each companys background and reputation.
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Importance Of Home Monitoring
High blood pressure can increase your risk of heart attack, stroke and other conditions, making it important that you take steps to get levels under control. Your doctor may suggest lifestyle changes and prescribe medication to address hypertension. In order to check how well your treatment plan is working, it is often necessary to check your blood pressure levels at home. By recording the numbers and sharing them with your doctor, they can determine whether changes need to be made in your medication or if additional lifestyle modifications are necessary to lower your blood pressure.
Best Blood Pressure Monitors Buyers Guide
Reviewed by health expert Sally Russell, MN, CMSRN, CNE
For those with high blood pressure, monitoring your health at home can help you and your doctor keep track of how treatments are working and make adjustments to improve your health.
One of the best tools for the job is the Omron Platinum. This automatic blood pressure monitor can help you and your doctor spot trends between appointments.
Find other blood pressure monitors with expanded cuff sizes or lower price points below.
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Do Automatic Blood Pressure Machines Read High
The Get to the Heart of the Study An evaluation of dozens of home blood pressure machines was conducted. The participants home blood pressure monitor readings were off by around 5 mmHg, or a shocking 70% of the time, according to the results. When it comes to the readings, they were off by 10% one third of the time.
The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Averaging On Digital Monitors
One of the features of digital monitors is that they can average readings over time in order to provide more accurate readings. However, it is impossible to eliminate fluctuation between readings while averaging them.
Rn Cde Tested Top Blood Pressure Monitors
The blood pressure monitoring devices on our list have all been extensively tested in the field, at community health fairs and against manual readings by a registered nurse.
The monitoring devices were tested multiple times on both men and women, in the correct position for blood pressure readings. Subjects’ blood pressure were also manually checked with a stethoscope and a sphygmomanometer. Measurements from the machine versus the manual reading were compared for accuracy.
| 1. Omron 10 | |||
| Not tech savvy, must have Apple or Android. The most expensive model. | Cons: Accuracy is a little less than some, but it came in at about 1-3 mm/Hg difference from our manual tests. | Cons: Price is higher than some. Not for you if you dont have and operate a smartphone and apps. | Cons: Not many bells and whistles, but its all you need in a blood pressure device. The thing will hit the floor and work. |
The list only contains blood pressure monitoring devices that were the most accurate in the field. We chose the ones that gave us an error code less often, as well as providing a near perfect match to the persons blood pressure which we obtained manually.
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Greater Goods Bp Monitor: Best For Budgets
Accessible display
The large LCD screen makes this home blood pressure monitor incredibly user friendly. The numbers and buttons are big, so you wont need glasses to see your results. Most online customers rave about this monitors accuracy, so you can trust that the results will greatly assist your doctor in managing your blood pressure.
Smaller cuff than other monitors
It has a comfortable cuff thats easy to put on and fits on most arm sizes . This blood pressure machine also comes with a handy carrying bag that holds the monitor and its accessories. This is ideal for tossing in your bag for a doctor’s appointment or packing before a road trip.
Theres not much memory storage, so you wont be able to keep an in-depth log. This Greater Goods blood pressure monitor holds no more than 60 records each for two users. Still, we think this is the best blood pressure monitor for most folks.
The Greater Goods Bluetooth BP Monitor has all of the original BP monitors features but also comes with a Bluetooth connection. This means you can track your readings with a smartphone. It costs about $20 more than the non-Bluetooth edition.
Omron 10 Wireless Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor 6467
The Omron 10 Wireless Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor is by far our favorite choice. It provided near perfect match accuracy to our manual readings. It rarely gave us an error message. Error messages only occurred when batteries were running low, and resolved once new batteries were replaced in the device.
Memory and Bluetooth compatibility of the Omron 10
- It has Bluetooth and comes with a smartphone app. It will store your blood pressure and heart rate data. You can pull up your history, and share it with your health care provider in your electronic medical record. Lights on the monitor screen indicate when your blood pressure is too high, or within the normal range.
- The memory is greater in this model than in other competitive models. Two people can store separate data, so your partner can also keep track of their blood pressure. There is enough room to hold up to 200 blood pressure readings, or for two people, the device holds data for 100 readings each.
Easy of use and assembly
The Omron 10 is super easy to assemble and operate. You only need to insert batteries into the bottom of the machine, and plug the blood pressure cuff into the side of the device. Once placed in the correct position on the subjects arm, the large blue start/stop button is pressed. This begins inflation of the cuff on the subjects arm as the numbers on the display rise.
Accuracy
Why is it our favorite?
Price
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What Does My Blood Pressure Reading Mean
Normal blood pressure is 120/80 or lower. High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. If your blood pressure is between 120/80 and 140/90, you may have something called prehypertension. This means that you are at risk for high blood pressure.
If you have diabetes or kidney disease, high blood pressure ranges may be lower than for other people. Or, if you are older than 65, goal blood pressure may be higher. Talk to your doctor about what is considered high blood pressure for you.
Series Wireless Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor
This Omron blood pressure monitor is equipped with a dual LCD monitor and built with technology to minimize the impact of breath and movement on readings. It helps people compare their blood pressure test results and find the average.
It automatically takes readings at customizable intervals, and a hypertension indicator alerts individuals to high blood pressure readings.
This device can connect to both iOS and Android electronic devices via Bluetooth.
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Omron 3 Series Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor Review
The Omron 3 Series Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor is supplied with a cuff that fits wrists 5 1/4 to 8 1/2 in circumference.
Additional features include one-touch operation, a 60-reading memory, and clear systolic and diastolic readings via the large LCD screen.
But how does it compare to some of Omrons more popular devices, like the 7 Series or 10 Series?
In our review, well take a close look at the design features, ease of use, accuracy, and customer feedback. This is to decide whether the Omron 3 Series Wrist is the best home blood pressure monitor for you.
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For an at-home solution to monitoring your blood pressure levels, theres no better essential than a quality blood pressure monitor to provide instantaneous numbers for you to log.
While some conditions and symptoms may be better suited for an in-person doctors visit, having a blood pressure monitor on hand can help you assess your levels seamlessly.
Blood pressure under 120/80 mmHg is considered healthy in an adult,Rajiv Agarwal, MD, a hypertension specialist and board-certified internist and nephrologist with more than 27 years of experience, told the New York Post. If blood pressure is low and the person is feeling dizzy or light-headed, then it might be worth talking to the physician for additional guidance.
Interestingly, blood pressure goals in the U.S. are different from that in Europe. The U.S. generally tries to get the blood pressure less than 130/80 mmHg with medications or lifestyle modifications, Agarwal adds.
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Our Pick: Greater Goods Smart Blood Pressure Monitor 0604
*At the time of publishing, the price was $45.
Of all the blood pressure monitors we tested, the Greater Goods Smart Blood Pressure Monitor 0604 was the best in terms of features and ease of use. We liked its large, backlit display, as well as its capacity to store up to 60 measurements per each of two users on the device itselfand unlimited readings in the companion app, Balance Health . In our testing, the monitor gave reliably consistent readings. The cuff is comfortable and fits most arms, and the machine can both run on batteries and be plugged into the wall. It also offers the option to send data wirelessly from the monitor to an app via Bluetooth.
Like most of the monitors we considered, the 0604 offers irregular pulse detection and the ability to average pressure readings in the Balance Health app accessing these functions is simple and intuitive. You can toggle between users with an easy slide of a switch , and the monitor is usable straight out of the box, even beforeor without everconnecting to the app.
The 0604 is extremely quietit sounds like a refrigerator hum if youre within a couple inches of it, and it shouldnt disturb someone across the room. Its large, backlit display is easy to read, but readings stay on the screen for only a minute or so after delivery. The machine does, however, instantly send your results to the app, making daily, weekly, monthly, or annual averaging a simple task.
The Importance Of Accurate Blood Pressure Measurement
It is critical to have an accurate blood pressure reading in order to maintain your health and to keep your mind at ease. When you can, the American Heart Association recommends using a monitor with a cuff that loops around your upper arm. If you cannot check blood pressure at home, many pharmacies and stores provide blood pressure monitors for the public to use. The variability of automated devices, as well as manual blood pressure cuff accuracy, contribute to inaccuracy. It has an average systolic blood pressure of -4 mm Hg to -17 mm. As a result, even if your manual cuff is accurate, it is still critical to take your blood pressure on a regular basis and to use the best possible method for accurate blood pressure readings.
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Best Data Storage: Microlife Watch Bp Home
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Cuff fits easily and comfortably onto arm
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Screen displays excessive data that may be confusing to user
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Slight learning curve to understanding the device
If youre investing in a quality blood pressure monitor, youre likely going to want to get plenty of uses out of it. The Microlife Watch BP Home Blood Pressure Monitor stores up to 250 blood pressure readings, so you can track your vitals over time. The device is easy to set up and only requires plugging the cuff into the monitor itself. The cuff, which has instructions for use printed on the outside, stays put once positioned on your arm.
Once youve taken your reading, the monitor automatically stores the data and previous readings can be accessed by the M button on the machine. It offers a Diagnostic Mode for people whose doctors put them on a 7-day self-monitoring program, and can detect A-Fib.
Our testers said that the one downside to this machine is that it provides more information than necessary on its display. The screen shows the date, battery life, and various other icons that could be confusing to an inexperienced user, though it provides plenty of information for anyone who prefers that level of detail. We gave this device a point a four out of five for data display, but because it received five out of five in every other category, we gave the Microlife Watch BP a 4.5 out of five for overall value.
Average Standard Deviations
Price at time of publish: $100
Verywell Health / Nick Kova