Best Blood Pressure Monitor 2023
High blood pressure kills more people around the world than diabetes, obesity, and smoking. Known as the silent killer, it doesn’t present any obvious symptoms. In the US, it is the culprit behind heart attacks and strokes – more than any other disease. Having the best blood pressure monitor can mean the difference between life and death. Knowing how to use and read a blood pressure monitor can be taught with simple training.
So if you’ve been diagnosed with borderline or high blood pressure, it makes sense to keep a blood pressure monitor at home to keep track of your health. Even better, you don’t need a prescription to get an at-home blood pressure monitor. However, you do need to consider a few factors to guarantee you buy the best blood pressure monitor.
Why Would You Benefit from Having a Home Monitor?
There are various circumstances that determine your blood pressure reading. For instance, your diet and medication, as well as emotions and sleep pattern have something to do with the numbers that appear on the screen.
For example, a reading taken when you are nervous will be far different from one taken when you’re totally calm. This is why a single reading taken at the doctor’s office doesn’t paint an accurate picture of your overall health. With a home monitor, you can take multiple readings and present them to your doctor so they can get a clear overview of your heart’s health.
While a home monitor can help towards creating a complete picture of your health, it isn’t for everyone. Those who suffer from atrial fibrillation or other kinds of arrhythmias are not suited for home monitoring.
Different Kinds of Blood Pressure Monitors
Part of picking the best blood pressure monitor is figuring out the kind you are comfortable with. You may be more familiar with the arm monitor, but another kind is available for the wrist but they are less accurate.
A wrist monitor is advantageous because it is light and portable. However, you have to position the cuff at heat level to get an accurate reading because measurements that are taken from the wrist are sensitive to body position.
Arm monitors work by inflating the cuff then displaying the reading on the screen. A lot of these monitors have risk indicators and will flag high readings. There are also models that allow you to download the results, which is helpful when sharing the data with your doctor. While all the fancy features in some arm monitors add to their value, the most important factor you should consider is the fit of the cuff. You need to have one that fits just right in order to get an accurate reading.
Blood Pressure Monitor Buying Guide
When considering the best blood pressure monitor for you, go beyond getting a unit from a known brand. Yes, they are guaranteed to produce quality devices but you should also think about features that make testing easier for you. That said, here are other factors to consider:
- Cuff fit – the cuff should fit just right – not too loose and not too tight either – to ensure an accurate reading. To be sure, you can get a monitor with adjustable cuffs so it can fit other people.
- Cost – ask yourself how much you are willing to spend. You can get good monitors for less than $50 but you can also set a $100 limit to widen your options.
- Ease of use – choose a monitor with a clear display, with easy to read elements. It would also help to get one with large buttons for easier manipulation. Plus, clear instructions on how to use the cuffs and the monitor help as well.
- Features – think about the additional features you want in a blood pressure monitor beyond the basics. Do you want one that has an irregular heartbeat detector? Or do you want a machine that has multiple user memories? Think about what you want in your device then choose according to the features you need.
Top 5 Blood Pressure Monitor
1. Omron BP742N 5 Series Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor
- 1 doctor and pharmacist recommended brand
- Dual settings allows two users to store up to 100 blood pressure readings on a single device
- Automatically averages your last 3 readings taken over 10 minutes for a more accurate impression
- Irregular heartbeat detector notifies you if an irregular heartbeat is detected while monitoring
- Wide-range d-ring cuff comfortably accommodates arms from 9” to 17” in circumference
If you’re going to choose the best blood pressure monitor based on brand alone, Omron will definitely be at the top of your list. Why? It is the brand most doctors and pharmacists will recommend. Plus, it has a track record for producing clinically accurate readings.
While there are many great things about this particular model, it is best suited for households where two people need blood pressure monitoring. This device can store 50 readings of reach user. Even better, it automatically displays the average of the previous three readings that were taken within 10 minutes.
On top of all that, the Omron BP742N also compares readings with blood pressure levels that are normal while also checking for irregular heartbeats. Also, the cuffs can fit arms that are nine to 17 inches in circumference.
Pros
- It can save 50 readings for two people (100 in all)
- It automatically calculates average blood pressure based on three readings taken within 10 minutes of each other
- It compares blood pressure levels to normal ones
- It monitors for irregular heartbeats
Cons
- It is a rather large unit so it’s not one that is easy to carry around
2. Care Touch Fully Automatic Wrist Blood Pressure
- QUICK AND CONVENIENT: Our fully automatic blood pressure monitor gives you clinically accurate readings in under a minute. The clear LCD display will show indicators that inform you when your heartbeat is irregular and when the batteries are weak.
- SMART BLOOD PRESSURE MONITOR: Our smartest high blood pressure monitor has a memory capacity of 60 readings for two (2) individual users or a total of 120, so you can monitor your records effortlessly.
- PORTABLE AND HASSLE-FREE: Our battery-operated wrist blood pressure monitor comes with a wrist bp cuff for you to easily take blood pressure readings on-the-go. Its flat and large LCD screen display with backlight allows for better readability, while the adjustable bp cuff is stretchable enough to fit all wrist sizes.
- WE CARE BECAUSE YOU CARE: You care about your health, and we care about you. Care Touch is committed to providing the best quality products to our customers. Our care doesn’t end when your product arrives at your door. We’re fully dedicated to your satisfaction.
If you prefer a wrist unit, this one is pretty good. Unlike most arm monitors, those designed for the wrist are pretty portable. As such, they are really convenient to carry around if you want to take them along when traveling.
This unit by Care Touch has some really good features. For instance, it comes with a large LCD display with backlight, making it not only easy to read but also easy to read even in the dark.
Additional features are always welcome in blood pressure monitors, and this one has an irregular heartbeat indicator. A symbol shows up when an irregular heartbeat is detected. You can also keep a history of your readings, up to 60 of them.
Pros
- It is a portable wrist blood pressure monitor
- It has a large LCD display making it easy to read during the day and night
- It has an irregular heartbeat indicator
- It keeps up to 60 readings
Cons
- It is a wrist unit, meaning it is prone to misreadings for simply being out of place
3. Generation Guard Clinical Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor
- Systolic & Diastolic Blood Pressure Readings
- Memory Recall up to 90 readings
- Irregular Heartbeat detector
- Hypertension Detector
- Heart rate reading
Being approved by the FDA will surely will this model from Generation Guard some favors. But that’s not all that this unit has got going: it also comes with a large screen, which is always handy when reading results. The unit also comes with monitor cuffs that are simple to use.
Apart from the heart rate, this Generation Guard monitor also displays the systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings. It produces results quickly and also comes with a heartbeat detector and hypertension indicator. What’s also nice about this is it recalls your last reading so you can easily compare.
Pros
- It has a large screen
- It has easy-to-use monitor cuffs
- It has a heartbeat detector and hypertension indicator
Cons
- It needs to be in the right position to give accurate readings
4. Blood Pressure Monitor by Vive Precision
- INDIVIDUALLY TESTED FOR ACCURACY: Obtain clinically accurate blood pressure readings at home or on the go with the Vive Precision blood pressure monitor. Displaying blood pressure readings, pulse rate and irregular heartbeats when detected, each monitor is individually tested for guaranteed accuracy. NEW 2019 updates improved device accuracy tolerance and pump stability.
- OUT OF THE BOX READY: The Vive Precision blood pressure monitor includes everything necessary for out of the box use. The set includes a user-friendly bp monitor with a simple, one-touch operation, self-inflating arm cuff up to 16.5” in arm circumference, 4 AAA batteries, an illustrated user manual and two year guarantee.
- TWO USER MEMORY FOR EASY TRACKING: Easily switch between two users to store measurements separately when sharing with a spouse or loved one. Great for doctors visits, the bp monitor stores up to 250 measurements per user with a date and time stamp for easily tracking heart health.
- EASY TO READ DISPLAY: A bright backlight LCD screen shows all measurements in large, easy to read numbers and also includes a color-coded blood pressure indicator and instant alerts when heartbeat irregularities are detected. The displayed measurements include systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, pulse rate, date, time, and the selected user.
- VIVE GUARANTEE: Two year guarantee so you can purchase now with confidence.
There’s little to complain about this blood pressure monitor. It has a large backlit LCD screen, it has a cuff that fits most arm circumferences, and it can record up to 500 measurements.
On top of all that, this monitor is really easy to operate: it just takes one push of a button to get a reading. Even better, it can be shared by two users.
Pros
- It has a large screen
- It has cuffs that fit most arm circumferences
- It can be shared by two users
- It records up to 500 readings
Cons
- It doesn’t come with an adapter
5. Omron 10 Series Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor
- Comprehensive data: Measures blood pressure and ekg simultaneously, including systolic, diastolic, pulse, atrial Fibrillation, tachycardia, bradycardia and sinus rhythm
- Bluetooth technology: Connect to the free Omron app, where you can store, track and share data with your doctor; Works with select iOS and Android devices
- Provides essential insights: Offers heart-health insights that can doctors/cardiologist data to help inform their cardiac treatment decisions
- Comfortable cuff: Durable, contoured wide-range D-Ring cuff fits arms 9″ to 17″ in circumference
- Validated Accuracy: This product meets the Validated Device Listing (“VDL”) criteria for validation of clinical accuracy, based on the independent review and acceptance of documentation submitted by the manufacturer
This is the second Omron blood pressure monitor on this list. As such, it helps to point out the difference between them. It shares similar features with the BP742N but this one can store 100 readings each for two users. Plus, you can sync those readings to your smartphone via the Omron Wellness mobile app.
It comes with a pre-formed ComFit Cuff that inflates around the entire arm, which helps ensure correct positioning to guarantee accurate reading. Like the BP742N, this one also displays the average of the last three readings taken within 10 minutes and also compares those to normal blood pressure levels.
Pros
- It stores 100 readings each for two users
- It syncs readings to a smartphone via an app
- It has a ComFit cuff that ensures proper positioning and accurate reading
- It averages three readings taken within 10 minutes
Cons
- It can do better with the sync feature (it’s not completely automatic)
Keeping track of your blood pressure even when at home is important, especially if you are diagnosed as having the condition or have borderline high blood pressure. The five blood pressure monitors listed here are some of the best options you can choose from. While they do cover the basics, the choice of what’s best for you will lie on what features you want on your device.
