Having a blood pressure monitor at home can be of great help. This saves you from the trouble of visiting a health center when you feel the need to measure your blood pressure.

Moreover, measuring your own blood pressure can give you predictable results and help to avoid ‘whitecoat hypertension’. You can store the readings and then send it to your doctor to discuss further your health.

The need for having a home blood pressure increases when you have elderly people in the house. However, that shouldn’t discourage you from getting a blood pressure monitor even when you don’t have any elderly person to look after.

Measuring your blood pressure from time to time can help you detect a lot of problems in advance. For example, it is a very good way of diagnosing your cardiovascular (heart) health and hypertension.

If you are looking forward to getting a blood pressure monitor for you and loved ones at home, you should take a look and continue reading this article once.

What is a blood pressure monitor?

A blood pressure monitor, which also called as BP monitor, is basically a medical device that helps you to measure your blood pressure. It is generally used by doctors, but you can also have a home blood pressure monitor for your benefit.

With the help of this device, you can keep a regular track of your blood pressure whenever you want. If you notice something odd, you can immediately get in touch with your doctor for a health check-up.

You don’t have to have any special skills in order to use this equipment. Go through the instructional manual once and you will get the idea of how to use it.

With the advancement made in the medical field, today, you can get different types of blood pressure monitors out there.

Who should own a home blood pressure monitor?

Anyone can get a home blood pressure monitor to keep a check on their blood pressure from time to time. This way you don’t have to waste your time visiting the doctor’s chamber every time you feel you have high or low blood pressure.

1. Having a blood pressure monitor becomes all the more important when you have an elderly person in the house. It is not always possible to visit the clinic with an old person in order to get his/her blood pressure checked. In these circumstances, the best way is to measure blood pressure at home.

2. Having a blood pressure monitor is a must when you have a patient, or you are yourself is a patient of hypertension. In that case, you should definitely consider getting one of these equipments for your betterment.

3. A blood pressure monitor is also important when you have a family member with cardiovascular (heart) problems in the house. Heart conditions require you to monitor blood pressure regularly to detect possible chances of any approaching danger.

Blood Pressure Monitors Types

As already mentioned above, there are different types of blood pressure monitors available out there. Before you decide to get a blood pressure monitor home, you need to first know the types.

1. Upper arm

Many of the doctors are known to use an upper arm blood pressure monitor as it is considered to give accurate results. However, the problem with this type of blood pressure monitors is that they are very heavy and bulky. Also, you may find it difficult to handle at home without any training.

2. Wrist

In comparison to wrist blood pressure monitors, these are much smaller in size. The accuracy of the technology is still under improvement, however, it is still considered to be a good device.

If you want to get precise results, you may want to stick to upper arm blood pressure monitors though.

3. Finger

A finger blood pressure monitor is used on your fingers instead of using it on your wrist or upper arm. This type of blood pressure device has a very compact size which makes them highly portable. However, it is not recommended for you to measure your blood pressure using a finger blood pressure monitor as they are, consumer products, not accurate, like the once used at hospitals.

All the above blood pressure monitor types can be further classified to Manual and Digital, and the latest being Wireless.

4. Manual

A manual blood pressure monitor is a traditional mechanical style device which was used by doctors before any of the advanced technology came into existence. This type of BP monitors is very accurate but it needs proper training to use them at home.

These models are cheaper than the other types of blood pressure devices available out there in today’s market.

5. Digital

A digital blood pressure monitor is just the opposite of a manual blood pressure machine. This type of blood pressure monitor has the ability to self-inflate itself. Not just that, but some of the machines are designed to even upload information on your smartphone as well.

A digital blood pressure monitor is powered by electricity. However, you can also get devices that run on batteries.

6. Wireless

This is one of the latest types of blood pressure monitors available out there. These devices work digitally and wirelessly and is known to measure you diastolic, systolic blood pressure and heart rate.

They are operated with the help of an app which adds more unique features to the device.

If you want to get accurate results every time, it is advised you to use an upper arm digital BP monitor (with or without wireless technology). It may be slightly bulkier in size, but it is better than most of the other types of PB monitors out there.

They are the ones recommended by most of the doctors.

What to look for when purchasing a blood pressure monitor?

Unless you are savvy about BP monitors and technologies available in the market place, it is going to be difficult for you to choose the right blood pressure monitors for your needs.

Before you invest in a blood pressure monitor, there are a few things that you need to look into. For those who don’t have much idea about the factors that matter, I have listed them below so you can go through the pointers.

1. Accuracy

When it comes to buying a home blood pressure monitor, accuracy is everything.

Out of all the types of blood pressure monitors available out there, upper arm blood pressure devices are considered to be the most accurate compared to wrist or finger blood pressure monitors. In fact, they be even recommended by most doctors.

2. Reliability

If you are to buy a blood pressure monitor, you need to make sure that you are getting from a reputed brand.

You should not buy medical devices from any random brand that you come across. You should look for a reliable brand that provides you with the best quality products and focuses on continuous improvement.

You can go through our recommendation section below in order to find a reliable option for yourself.

3. Cuff size

The size of the cuff is another most important characteristics to consider when buying a blood pressure monitor.

The cuff should fit your arm perfectly and last long, or else, the device will fail to give you accurate results. Therefore, it is important for you to get the cuff size right.

You can consult your doctor in order to know what size will fit you the best or alternatively, measure your cuff size and can compare with device manufacture’s guide

4. Portability

Blood pressure monitors are available in different sizes which decides its portability. If you are going to carry it along with your often, you should go for a more portable option like a finger or wrist blood pressure monitor. These type of blood pressure devices are so portable that you can even carry them in your bag.

5. Memory

Some of the advanced blood pressure monitors come with memory storage. This allows the device to store the last few readings of your blood pressure. This is a very useful feature that you can find in the advanced blood pressure monitor models.

6. Connectivity

You also need to check what connectivity options are available in your blood pressure monitor. For example, whether it can be connected to your smartphone or internet or not. Also, if the device has a Bluetooth option or not. Many of the advanced blood pressure monitors do come with such features.

7. Battery life

Some blood pressure monitors like digital and wireless blood pressure devices are known to run on batteries.

If you are to buy such a device and you tend to travel make sure that they have long-lasting battery life. This will save you from the pain of frequently changing the batteries.

8. Chargeable

There are blood pressure monitors that also run on the charge, regular replacement batteries or electricity.

Regular replacement batteries could be annoying for some, expensive and have the risk of a flat battery when you need the device most. In comparison, in-built chargeable batteries run can be plugged into any electrical outlet is a handy option, but remember such devices are comparably expensive and therefore, may be cheaper to have some spare life with you at home.

If you are going to buy a rechargeable device, it is important for you to check how long each charge lasts though.

9. Warranty

When you buy a blood pressure device from a reputed brand, you are provided with a warranty period.

Before buying a particular blood pressure device you should check the warranty period offered by the manufacturer.

Reputed brands usually provide you with a long warranty period, at least 2 or more years.

The longevity of the warranty period can tell you a lot about the quality of the product.

10. Price

You can get blood pressure monitors in all range of prizes.

However, for your home use, you can definitely consider opting for a budget option and you should not need to break the bank to purchase it.

However, if you want a more advanced technology like wireless blood pressure monitor then you may have to spare some extra money for that luxury to support your technological savviness.

What are the Top 5 of the Best Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitors?

As already discussed above, upper arm blood pressure monitors are the most accurate of all. If you are to buy a blood pressure monitor for your home, you should consider going for an upper arm blood pressure device.

What is the Best Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor?

Our top 3 wireless blood pressure monitor picks are below. Let us know what suite best for your personal circumstances.

1. Omron 10 series wireless upper arm blood pressure monitor

For consistent and precise readings, you can rely on Omron 10 series wireless upper arm blood pressure monitor.

Just one touch and you can learn everything about your blood pressure.

With the use of this device, you can get accurate results. Not just that but even most doctors recognise and do recommend it.

The device is also packed with several features such as dual sensors, averaging, and more. You can run the device on 4 AA batteries.

 

Pros

• Accurate results
• Cuff will fit most of us, standard and large arms
• Manage up to 100 BP readings and store multiple peoples readings
• Detects irregular heartbeats and arrythmias
• Compatible with iOS and Android smartphones.
• Packed with features, including Bluetooth connectivity
• 3 readings over 10 minutes
• Averaging feature available

Cons

• Requires 4 batteries

From Where I Can Buy It?

This is available at Amazon.

If you are from Australia, here is the link.

If you are from the US, UK, Canada or another country, here is the link.

2. FORA test N’Go wireless Bluetooth (Arm) blood pressure monitor

FOR A test N’Go is the first standalone blood pressure monitor ever which is known to come with dual mobile platform connectivity.

You can use this product for smart tracking and accurate results.

Along with that, the device also comes with automatic power off when left ideal for 3 minutes.

The device is compact in size which makes it easier for you to carry it around.

Pros

• Bluetooth connectivity
• Compact design
• Smart tracking available
• Automatic shut-off

Cons

• Requires 4 alkaline batteries

From Where I Can Buy It?

This is available at Amazon.

If you are from the US, UK, Canada or another country, here is the link.

3. Greater goods Bluetooth blood pressure monitor

This is one of the best-selling blood pressure monitors out there.

It comes with all the necessary features you need. This device is designed to provide you with accurate results every time.

You can even download the Balance Healthy app which can show you, your measurement history along with healthy averages.

You can use the machine to even check your pulse.

With a large backlit LCD screen, the device is really easy to use.

Pros

• High accuracy
• A large backlit LCD display
• Two power source capability

Cons

• Not an internationally popular brand.

From Where I Can Buy It?

This is available at Amazon.

If you are from the US, UK, Canada or another country, here is the link.

What is the best budget blood pressure monitor?

Our top 2 budget best buy blood pressure monitor picks are below. Let us know what suite best for your personal circumstances.

1. Veratrue Fully Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor

This device is tested for guaranteed accuracy every time.

It comes with everything you need. Starting from extra-long cuff to one-touch button, the device is packed with all must have features.

The device has been made user-friendly and easy to read so it shouldn’t be a problem using the machine.

The products are also backed by 2 years warranty.

Pros

• User-friendly design
• Guaranteed accuracy
• 2 years warranty

Cons

• Not an internationally popular brand.

From Where I Can Buy It?

This is available at Amazon.

If you are from the US, UK, Canada or another country, here is the link.

2. Vive Precision Blood Pressure Machine

This is one of the most budget-friendly options you will find in this list.

The affordable price of the device shouldn’t give you wring ideas about its performance. It has been designed to accurately track your blood pressure every time you use the machine.

It can even detect irregular heart rate. Not just that, but it is also equipped with other features such as two-user functionality, 500 measurement memory and more.

Pros

• Tested for high accuracy
• Easy to read back-lit LCD display
• 500 measurement memory
• Cuff fits all most all arm sizes

Cons

• Not easy to use
• Not an internationally popular brand
• The device does not give the feeling that it is ‘expensive’

From Where I Can Buy It?

This is available at Amazon.

If you are from the US, UK, Canada or another country, here is the link.

What is the Best Extra-large Cuff Blood Pressure Monitor?

1. A&D Medical Extra-large arms automatic blood pressure monitor 

For the extra-large cuff, you can go for the A&D medical automatic blood pressure monitor.

This is the only blood pressure device that is meant to fit people with arms size larger than 45cm in diameter.

Other than that, most importantly it can also provide you with accurate results every time.

To win your confidence, the product is also backed by 3 years warranty. Not just that, but it packed with several features as well.

Pros

• 3 years warranty
• One touch measurement
• Large 60 memory
• Extra-large cuff

Cons

• Not an internationally popular brand

From Where I Can Buy It?

This is available at Amazon.

If you are from Australia, here is the link.

If you are from the US, UK, Canada or another country, here is the link.

What is the Top Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor?

1. Paramed automatic wrist blood pressure monitor

With the use of this wrist blood pressure monitor, you can keep a full track of your blood pressure. It has everything you expect from a high-rated blood pressure monitor.

You can easily adjust the machine on your wrist for getting accurate results. It also comes with 90 measurement memory which is a lot.

Not just that, but the device is also very much portable and thus, you can carry it around wherever you go.

Pros

• Easy to use
• 90 measurement memory
• 30-day money back guarantee

Cons

• Accuracy not guaranteed

From Where I Can Buy It?

This is available at Amazon.

If you are from the US, UK, Canada or another country, here is the link.

Conclusion

A blood pressure monitor is a piece of important equipment to have in your house. You can use it to keep a track of your blood pressure so that you can consult your doctor on time if needed. Not just that, but you will be able to avert any possible danger as well.

Now that you know the details of buying a blood pressure monitor, you won’t find it difficult in selecting the right model for yourself, based on its accuracy, connectivity, reliability, cuff size and your budget.