Do you actively monitor your blood pressure? Are you exercising daily?

If not, you are missing an important health signal. Blood pressure is a key indicator of general health and well being. If you are not monitoring your blood pressure, you are more susceptible to heart disease, stroke or premature death.

In fact 1 in 3 people have high blood pressure and over 1,000 people per day die from it. It is vital for people to routinely track and monitor their own blood pressure as they age.

With today’s at home blood pressure monitors, it is safe, easy and accurate to know one of your most important health indicators. Today, we review the best blood pressure monitors, an inexpensive but potentially life saving device.

The Best Blood Pressure Monitors on the Market Today

Brand Omron Care Touch Omron Model BP742N 5 Series Fully Automatic Wrist Blood Pressure Cuff Monitor - Platinum Series BP786N 10 Series Accuracy Yes Yes Yes Cuff Type Arm (9 to 17 inches) Wrist (5.5 to 8.5 inches) Arm (9 to 17 inches Comfy fit cuff) User Modes 2 Users 1 User 2 Users Memory Storage Last 100 Readings, 50 per user Last 60 Readings Last 200 Readings. 100 per user Smartphone Integration No No Yes Irregular Heartbeat Detector Yes Yes Yes AC Adapter / Battery Type 4 AA Battiers Included / AC Adapter Not Included 2 AA Batteries Included 4 AA Included / AC Adapter Included Pros Simple to use, one press to start, simpler to use than wrist monitors Easier fit than an upper arm cuff Automatically takes 3 readings one minute apart. Bluetooth capable and integrates with Omron app. Cons Must buy the Omron AC Adapater separately. Must be still while taking the reading, lying down helps improve accuracy Cuff is on smallish side. Does not support Apple Health Kit. Check Price Check Price Check Price

What Makes the Best Blood Pressure Monitor?

Accuracy

The most important feature of any blood pressure monitor is accuracy. If a blood pressure monitor is not accurate it is not only worthless but it is a danger to your health. To make sure your at home blood pressure monitor is as accurate as a doctor’s you need to test it multiple times.

We suggest taking the blood pressure monitor to your doctor so it can be tested and verified to be accurate. The models we tested have show consistent readings across 5 simultaneous readings.

Arm or Wrist

For most at home blood pressure monitors pressure is taken at your arm or your wrist. Both places will accurately detect your current blood pressure.

For taking your blood pressure on your wrists, it is important to follow exact directions, if not it can lead to inaccurate readings. Wrist blood pressure monitors are also extremely sensitive to your body position as your arm and wrist must be at heart level. The arteries on your wrist are also narrower and not as deep as those found on your upper arm, so blood pressure readings could be higher than your arm readings.

On the other hand, blood pressure monitors that measure on the upper arm are more accurate and much easier to use. In fact, American Heart Association recommends using home blood pressure monitors that measures blood pressure on the upper arm compared to wrist or finger blood pressure monitors.

If you have an abnormally large upper arm or it is painful for you to take blood pressure there, you can select a wrist blood pressure monitor.

Size of Cuff

Most blood pressure monitors will be accurate unless the device is too small for the person. Typically upper arm size vary from person to person, so it is important to make sure it is a proper fit for your arm. Unless you are a bodybuilder with a 18 inch bicep, most home blood pressure monitor’s will fit you.

Do not use a blood pressure monitor if the cuff is too big or small for your arm as it can give inaccurate readings.

Ease of Use

With a blood pressure monitor, it is important to find a device that is as simple to use as possible. It is also important that the person taking the test can use it by themselves. If it is too cumbersome or requires another person to put on the cuff, you should avoid buying it. As with most things, the easier to use, the more often you will use it.

Heart Rate and Irregular Heart Beats

Most blood pressure monitors will also check on your heart rate and detect any irregular heart beats while taking the blood pressure test. It is a worthy feature to have as blood pressure and heart health are related in my aspects. It is an essential feature and potentially life saving feature to have.

Multiple User Modes



Most blood pressure monitors are used by more than one person. If you have a spouse or parent living with you, most likely you will share the device with them. So it is necessary to have multiple user modes to save reading histories and patterns. This will also increase the value of the device and its utility.

Memory Storage

The most basic blood pressure monitors will store the last few readings. Advanced or smartphone connected devices can store up to 200 or unlimited readings. It can be useful since it can show your history so you can monitor your fitness and health goals.

Smartphone Connectivity

If you would like to track your blood pressure, some blood pressure monitors can connect and download data directly to your smart phone. This is convenient as you can take this data with you and share it with your doctor.

Calibration

With all medical instruments, we recommend taking your blood pressure monitor to your doctor. Then your doctor can compare the pressure readings to a manual blood pressure cuff or aneroid sphygmomanometers. After it is calibrated, you will know for sure the readings are accurate.

How to Read Your Blood Pressure

Preparing

To get your blood pressure reading as accurate as possible, try to avoid drinking alcohol or caffeinated beverages, eating, smoking, physical activity or bathing for one hour prior to taking a reading. There should be no physical activity like playing basketball or use an exercise elliptical.

Sometimes mental stress can also lead to higher than normal blood pressure readings, so it is best to calm yourself for 30 minutes prior to any reading.

Best Time to Take a Reading

Many doctors recommend taking your blood pressure as soon as you wake up before eating or taking any medications. You can also take another reading before you go to bed. With all readings, we suggest taking 2-3 readings in row to make sure the results are accurate.

It is also recommended you take the readings at the same time everyday for comparison reasons.

Body Position



Where your body is positioned is as important as your preparation to take the reading. Sit in a comfortable chair with your feet flat on the floor. If they are not flat on the floor, use a footrest. Then rest your arm on the table with the palm facing upward. Place the cuff on the same level as your heart. Try to avoid moving or talking during the reading.

If you need to lay down, you can lay down on a bed with your left arm outstretched next to you.

Taking a Reading

You should always take multiple readings for accuracy and use the average of the readings as your blood pressure reading. Also we recommend taking readings at the same time everyday for the most consistent readings.

Store Readings

Some blood pressure monitors allow you to store multiple readings with date and time stamps. This allows you to review your readings with your doctor or for your own comparison. Some models also allow you to connect the device to your smartphone so you can store and graph unlimited number of readings.

The Best Blood Pressure Monitors Reviewed

The Omron blood pressure monitors are the most commonly used and the most recommended blood pressure monitors. The Omron monitors are affordable and very durable. The Series 5 monitors include an averaging software, that averages out your blood pressure over a period of 10-minutes, giving you a better estimate of your health.

The monitor compares your reading directly with the normal range showing you how you are doing and how you should be. The monitor also sensors irregular heartbeats which might be a reason for abnormal blood pressure and might lead to a heart disease.

Bottom Line: The Omron 5 Series is the most sold and the most trusted upper arm-based blood pressure monitor.

PROS Stores two different blood pressure histories

Detects irregular heartbeats

Uses upper arm method of blood pressure measurement

Compares reading with normal readings

Averages out readings over 10 minutes CONS Sometimes the readings are not accurate due to incorrect calibration

Must buy the Omron AC Adapater separately.

The Care Touch blood pressure monitor is a fully automatic blood pressure monitor which uses the wristband method of blood pressure detection. The blood pressure monitor has a wide display and shows the readings in large and clear fonts. The blood pressure sensor can also detect irregular heartbeats, warning you about a health risk.

The Care Touch monitor has a decent memory unit and could show you the last 60-readings you had stored over time. The monitor responds very quickly and gives you the reading in less than a minute.

Bottom Line: The Care Touch is a wristband-based blood pressure monitor and takes less than a minute to produce the readings.

PROS Large LCD display

Fast response

Stores previous readings to track progress

Irregular heartbeat detection and indication CONS Must be still while taking the reading, lying down helps improve accuracy

The Omron 10 series is the upgraded version of the 5 series and it is a must buy if you are serious about your health and few dollars over the normal price doesn’t get into your way. The Omron has a TruRead software which makes the readings a lot more accurate and delivers better results. The readings are up to 99.9% accurate because of the TruRead.

Sometimes, the readings of the monitors vary due to wrong placement of the band, but with ComFit, your placement will never be wrong. The series 10 has a large and easy to read display. The monitor stores up to 200 readings and makes it easy for you to track your progress and health.

Bottom Line: The Ormon 10 Series is an upgrade from the 5 series and provides better fit with ComFit hardware and more accurate readings with TruRead software.

PROS Very accurate

Makes sure the band is placed perfectly.

Offers a lot of storage for readings

Large LCD display CONS Cuff is on smallish side. Does not support Apple Health Kit

The Clinical Automatic blood pressure is another wristband-based blood pressure monitor. Since most of the wristband-based monitors are a little inaccurate, the Clinical too lacks a little bit of precision but is very easy to use.

The blood pressure monitor uses high-quality reading mechanism to keep the readings as accurate as possible. Though not recommended for someone with a condition, someone who just needs to check their blood pressure and BPM regularly and, on the go, this is a perfect fit for them.

Bottom Line: The Clinical Automatic is a wristbased blood pressure monitor and is an ideal fit for someone who wishes to follow a fit life and check blood pressure or heart rate on the go.

PROS Inflates quickly

Fast response and calculation

Sophisticated software

Large LCD display with back-light CONS Not as consistent with readings

The Vive Precision blood pressure is an affordable and easy to use upper arms-based blood pressure monitor. Each of the Vive products is tested for accuracy against a medical standard blood pressure sensor. The sensor can store profiles of two different users and could store a total of 500 readings allowing each user to check their progress over the months.

The products have a 2-year guarantee and each product will be replaced if there is any fault in the manufacturing. The design and instruction of the monitor are simple and is really easy to use.

Bottom Line: The Vive Precision Blood Pressure Monitor is the most accurate blood pressure monitor and has the highest memory storage.

PROS Easy to use

Accurate readings

2 user profiles

Stores up to 500 readings

Affordable CONS Batteries can drain pretty quickly

The Best Blood Pressure Monitor – Our Pick

For convenience and usability, we recommend the Omron BP742N 5 Series Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor with Cuff that fits Standard and Large Arms or the Vive Precision Blood Pressure Monitor. Both are simple to use and intuitive for users of any age.

We prefer it over the wrist style Care Touch Fully Automatic Wrist Blood Pressure Cuff Monitor – Platinum Series as it requires less stringent directions for use. As with all home blood pressure monitors, it is advisable to bring it to your doctor to compare the accuracy.

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