Best blood pressure monitor 2022: Self-check at home

March 23, 2022 admin

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a lot of us at home worrying about the future and causing undue stress, resulting in increased hypertension. If you’re one of those folks, consider investing in a blood pressure monitor so that you can keep things under control.

We chose products across a breadth of price points, industry leadership, and distinction in key functional areas.

GreaterGoods smart blood pressure monitor pack

Best all-in-one unit with Bluetooth

Size: 7.25 x 5.25 x 3.25 inches | Weight: 11 ounces | Power: Batteries, AC wall outlet | Display: LCD | FSA/HSA eligible: Yes

The GreaterGoods Bluetooth Blood Pressure Monitor is an all-in-one, cordless, wireless, cuff-integrated unit that comes with a simple smartphone app for tracking blood pressure readings over time. The unit is rechargeable, so no worries about replacing batteries. It can also operate with AC power connected. It fits an 8.75- to 16.5-inch circumference upper arm.

Pros:

One piece
Rechargeable
Bluetooth app

Cons:

May not be good for larger arms
App is a bit basic

Omron Evolv

All the technical bells and whistles, for just about everyone

Size: 3.3 x 1 x 1 inch | Weight: 8.5 ounces | Power: 4 AAA batteries | Display: LCD | FSA/HSA eligible: Yes

Omron’s Evolv looks like something you might even see on a futuristic sci-fi show, like Star Trek. And it wouldn’t be out of place there, because not only does it work with Omron’s smartphone application, which can track two users’ blood pressure histories over time, but it also integrates with Alexa as well as the AliveCor Kardia cloud service, so you can track blood pressure and mobile ECG readings from the same app.

Pros:

Smartphone app
Dual user profile support
Alexa-enabled

Cons:

May not fit larger arms
Smaller display

Omron Platinum

The Cadillac of blood pressure monitors

Size: 7.5 x 3.3 x 4.7 inches | Weight: 7 ounces | Power: 4 AAA batteries, AC wall outlet | Display: LCD | FSA/HSA eligible: Yes

The Omron Platinum does everything the Evolve does, but it allows for more than two users and has more of a clinical-style, detached upper arm cuff rather than an all-integrated cuff unit. It comes with an AC adapter, so you don’t have to worry about charging it. A high morning average indicator alerts the user if systolic or diastolic measurements are out of the normal range in the morning when there is a higher risk for heart attack or stroke.

Pros:

Alexa-enabled
Dual user profile support
AC adapter

Cons:

Which blood pressure monitor should you buy?

Our above list of products is vetted and should fit all budgets and usage scenarios. When considering a blood pressure monitor to buy, you should look for features such as:

Smartphone connectivity
All-in-one, upper-arm style designs
Units with large displays for elderly or vision-impaired patients
Clinical-style multi-piece configurations for ease of use
Units with large cuff accommodation
Devices with remote clinician monitoring capabilities if needed

Our least expensive device on the list is under $50 and features a large backlit display. There are certainly units on the market that are cheaper than $45, such as the more entry-level units in Omron’s product portfolio, but you then start sacrificing features such as display size, backlight, blood pressure history tracking, upper-arm cuff configurations, multiuser, and even basic app connectivity.

Blood pressure monitor	Price	FSA/HSA eligible	Power
GreaterGoods smart blood pressure monitor	$49.88	Yes	Batteries, AC outlet
Lazle blood pressure monitor	$45.90	Not specified	3 AA batteries
LifeSource upper arm blood pressure monitor	$104.99	Yes	AC outlet
Omron Evolv	$104.99	Yes	4 AAA batteries
Omron Platinum	$179	Yes	4 AAA batteries, AC outlet

Are home blood pressure monitors accurate?

While home blood pressure monitors aren’t going to be as accurate as what you’d find in a doctor’s office, they still give you good enough results to give you a clear idea of how your heart health is holding up. If your home results are wildly different than those at the doctor, you should purchase a new monitor.

Which is better for measuring blood pressure: wrist or arm?

Both places can give you fairly accurate results with at-home blood pressure monitors. However, if you choose a wrist-worn model, remember to hold your wrist at heart level when taking measurements. Otherwise, you’ll get numbers that will be much higher than what you’d get with an arm cuff.

What is a healthy blood pressure for my age?

Healthy blood pressure targets tend to change with how old you are. For most adults under 60, your BP target should be less than 120/80, with 60+ seniors aiming to keep theirs under 135/70. If you want a more in-depth explanation of what healthy blood pressure looks like, you can read our full article over at Healthline.

Are there alternative blood pressure monitors worth considering?

While we did not include smartwatches and devices with other cardiac and pulmonary monitoring functions on our list, you might wish to consider looking at Pulse Oximeters and Mobile ECG units.

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