Shopping for the best blood pressure monitor ? Good for you. It's never too early to start taking a series of easy, accurate readings and monitoring your blood pressure . A recent study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that people who have high blood pressure, or hypertension, before age 40 are at an increased risk of heart disease later in life.
But to know if you have high blood pressure, you need to take a series of measurements with an accurate home monitor. Unless you're a trained professional, manual blood pressure devices may not offer the accuracy you're looking for. Even the name is complicated -- who can say sphygmomanometer , anyway? (I spelled that right on the first try, by the way, and I am proud of myself).
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Anyway, according to the American Heart Association, blood pressure measurement accuracy depends on two things: a properly fitting blood pressure cuff (such as an upper arm or wrist blood pressure monitor) and independent validation.
Below are seven wireless upper-arm blood pressure monitors and one wrist-based device, which the AHA recommends only for people who can't fit into traditional arm cuffs.
Despite offering a wide variety of features at a range of prices, each of these devices has been independently validated against one or more sets of AHA-recognized standards to track accurate blood pressure readings. In other words, no matter which form of monitoring you choose, your heart will thank you for the accuracy of measurement.
To learn more about the AHA's standards for at-home blood pressure monitoring, read this guide to the two most important things to look for in an at-home blood pressure cuff. This list was originally published last year and is updated occasionally as we review new products.
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Editor's note: This list was compiled by CNET contributor Danielle Kosecki. Product testing and reviews were done by CNET contributor Amanda Capritto.
Best overall at-home blood pressure monitor
QardioArm Blood Pressure Monitor
I never thought I'd be genuinely impressed by something like a blood pressure monitor (yawn), but here we are. The QardioArm Blood Pressure Monitor left me wondering how it's possible to make a blood pressure monitor feel cool. It's one of those "Apple of X" things -- this is the Apple of at-home blood pressure cuffs.
Not that "cool-looking" should be your chief factor when shopping for a blood pressure monitor, but it certainly makes taking measurements feel like less of a chore. Anyway, onto the things that actually matter.
Prepare yourself for a spew of great things: This cuff is comfortable. It fit my (kind of lanky) arms, with no gaps between my skin and the fabric. The readings were consistent and accurate, and the set-up was almost unbelievably easy. I had this thing out of the box, on my arm and connected to my phone in about two minutes, and my first blood pressure reading was done about 30 seconds after that.
Your whole family can use it, too: It pairs wirelessly with up to eight phones or tablets at any given time. Each time you use it, QardioArm automatically averages three readings, monitors and detects irregular heartbeats, and stores all your measurements and notes in Qardio's HIPAA-compliant cloud.
View and share your data on the Qardio App, where you can also set goals and reminders, or sync your data with Apple Health or S Health on Android devices.
$120 at WalmartRunner up at-home blood pressure monitor
Withings BPM Connect Wi-Fi Smart Blood Pressure Monitor
The Withings BPM Connect felt and looked just as trendy as the QardioArm, and it was also accurate and consistent. It was a tough call for me between the QardioArm and the Withings BPM Connect because they're both great and they're similar products.
In the end, the Withings BPM Connect was runner-up only because its sign-up process was more cumbersome. To compare, it took about two minutes to get completely set up with the QardioArm, whereas it took about 15 minutes with the Withings BPM Connect.
That's not bad in the overall realm of things, but having just experienced the ease and speed of the QardioArm, it was definitely noted.
As for cuff fit, comfort and ease of use, the Withings BPM Connect holds its own. The app is also a breeze once you're in, and it has unlimited storage (the device will remember up to eight readings in between syncs). You can also set up multiple user profiles in the Withings Health Mate app.
In sum, if you don't mind a longer set-up, you could save yourself $20 compared to the QardioArm.
$100 at AmazonBest budget at-home blood pressure monitor
iHealth Track Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor
When it comes to products that could save your life, budget may not be the biggest consideration. But sometimes, you can strike gold. The iHealth Track Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor is the golden nugget of the at-home BP monitoring world.
At just $40, I was skeptical about how this device would perform in terms of accuracy and consistency. I thought I was right at first: The initial reading I got on this device told me I was very hypertensive when my usual blood pressure is in the healthy range.
Then I realized I didn't follow the directions properly, which should be a lesson to everyone.
Once I took the time to thoroughly read the instructions manual and do what I was supposed to, I got consistent and accurate readings thereafter. Funny how that works.
So, not only did the iHealth Track prove to encompass the most important aspects of a blood pressure monitor, but it's also simple to use. I had no problem getting into the cuff and you just press one button to start the reading.
The device stores up to 99 readings and you can store unlimited data in the iHealth MyVitals app. If you don't have time to sync, no worries: The device shows your reading right on the screen each time.
$40 at AmazonBest blood pressure monitor with EKG
Omron Complete Wireless Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor + EKG
The Omron Complete Wireless Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor with EKG was the first FDA-approved combination EKG-blood pressure device in the US. Omron produced the product in partnership with AliveCor , which powers many FDA-approved consumer electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) devices.
Worth mentioning is that this blood pressure monitor gave me the most consistent readings throughout the entire testing process. And it measures so much more than just blood pressure. In addition to the essentials -- systolic and diastolic blood pressure -- this Omron model measures your pulse, atrial fibrillation, tachycardia, bradycardia and sinus rhythm simultaneously.
If you need a seamless way to measure two or more of those metrics, this is a top choice. The Omron app interface is simple, too, and it can store unlimited data. The cuff is comfortable and flexible, making it easy to get a good fit, which helps with accuracy.
The monitor itself is a little bulkier than other models on this list, but probably worth it for people who need all of those other measurements in one place. It comes in a nice carrying case that you can use for traveling.
$200 at Omron HealthcareRead More: CES health and wellness products: The best of 2020
Best wrist blood pressure monitor
Omron Gold Wireless Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor
Remember that the AHA recommends an upper-arm cuff over everything, so you should only opt for a wrist cuff if you have a real reason to do so. Some reasons you may want to opt for a wrist cuff include:
- You have large or petite arms and have trouble finding a cuff that fits
- You have an injury or limited range of motion that makes using an arm cuff difficult
- You travel often and need to take frequent readings -- wrist-based cuffs are typically more portable
If you're going for a wrist blood pressure cuff, the Omron Gold Wireless is a good place to start looking. This automatic blood pressure monitor cuff has all the essential features you'd find in an upper-arm blood pressure cuff, but it's also portable: It averages a series of up to three readings taken over a 10-minute period and will immediately alert you if you have high blood pressure .
The wearable blood pressure device can store up to 200 readings from multiple users or wirelessly transmit results via Bluetooth to the Omron Connect free app, which you can use to track your blood pressure trends over time.
You can see it's packed with features, but it's also tiny, quiet and comfortable. And out of all the blood pressure cuffs I tested, the Omron Gold was one of the easiest to use -- there's no fumbling with a lengthy cuff or tube when using a wrist-based blood pressure monitor.
$80 at AmazonBest blood pressure monitor for large arms
LifeSource Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor with Extra Large Cuff
If you have larger upper arms, you know blood pressure management and monitoring can be a huge pain. Enter: LifeSource Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor with Extra Large Cuff . The name says it all, honestly. This blood pressure cuff accommodates an arm circumference of over 23 inches.
At first, I was a little skeptical about this one because I couldn't seem to find a lot of information about it online and I saw some questionable reviews from buyers. But I realized that LifeSource is a brand of A&D Medical, a medical equipment brand that's been manufacturing at-home consumer devices for close to 50 years, and has all of its products clinically validated by third parties. So, I decided to give it a try.
Let me just say this: I have tiny arms -- I frequently call them noodles -- and I can confirm that this blood pressure cuff is massive. It would never work for me, because my arm was basically swimming in it. To that end, I can't speak to the accuracy of this device.
I can, however, say that it produced consistent readings despite being way too big for my arm. So, even though the readings were wrong for me, they were consistently wrong. That gives me a lot of hope that this extra-large cuff is indeed accurate for people whom it actually fits.
See at AmazonBest blood pressure monitor for multiple people
A&D Medical Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor (UA-767F)
A&D Medical has almost too many blood pressure monitors to count, but my initial research kept leading me back to this one, the A&D Medical Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor (UA-767F) , which can store blood pressure data for up to four people. A few of the other monitors on this list have multiple-user capabilities, but this one, to me, felt the easiest to manage (other than the QardioArm, but that one is the best overall).
This user-friendly monitor sports a basic design and gives cuff-fit error messages so you can fix things before you start. It also has a body movement sensor that may help prevent inaccurate readings. (You're supposed to stay still the entire time you're taking a reading.)
The A&D Connect app has a simple interface and it's easy to keep track of your blood pressure readings, as well as the readings of anyone who shares the device with you. This one shows your blood pressure immediately after the measurement is done, so if you'd rather keep track with a pen-and-paper log, that's an option, too.
Aside from being easy to use and supporting multiple users (it can store up to 60 readings per person), this blood pressure monitor comes with a five-year warranty.
See at AmazonAlso tested
I tested several more at-home blood pressure monitors that also had some great features, but didn't quite match up to the ones above. They're definitely worth checking out if you're in the market for an at-home blood pressure monitor -- although the above products proved the best for me, you might find a unique combo of characteristics that's best for you.
Beurer BM 47 Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor iHealth Feel Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor Omron Platinum Wireless Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor iProvèn Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor Watch A&D Medical Premium Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor iHealth Ease Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor Withings BPM CoreNote: The Withings BPM Core isn't available in the US yet. It's currently going through the process of FDA approval . You can sign up at Withings to get notified when it becomes available.
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The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
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