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The best home blood pressure monitor
QardioArm blood pressure monitor
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Home blood pressure monitor runner-up
Withings BPM Connect Wi-Fi Smart Blood Pressure Monitor
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The best blood pressure monitor with ECG
Complete Omron Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor + ECG
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The best blood pressure monitor for bigger hands
LifeSource Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor with Extra Large Cuff
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Editor’s note, June 15, 2024: Product testing and reviews for this list were done in 2019 by CNET contributor Amanda Caprito. We will update this list with new test results as they become available.
It’s important to pay attention to your body and health indicators, especially as you age. If you’re looking for easy ways to monitor your health at home, smart watches and other wearables are a great place to start. If you have more serious concerns such as hypertension or high blood pressure then you should consider choosing a blood pressure monitor. Regularly tracking your blood pressure can help you make sure you’re on track with your personal health… or show you where you may need to make changes. For high blood pressure concerns, being able to get blood pressure readings at home can provide comfort as you will be able follow them as often as you want. This saves you from having to go to a professional every time you want a reading by choosing from the many simple home blood pressure monitors available now.
Following the American Heart Association tips for measuring blood pressure and by choosing the right device, you can track your numbers at home to share with your doctor as part of your blood pressure management plan or to stay on top of your blood pressure before it becomes something that requires more management.
While they all offer a variety of features at different price points, each of the best blood pressure monitor options below has been independently validated against one or more kits AHA-recognized standards to track accurate blood pressure readings. In other words, no matter which form of blood pressure measurement you choose, your heart will thank you for the accurate measurement. In addition to taking accurate readings, some of these devices can also help you monitor your heart rate and notify you if you have an irregular heartbeat.
If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure or are taking medicines to control your blood pressurebe sure to check with your doctor to see if there is a specific recommendation as to which device is best for your specific needs and lifestyle.
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The QardioArm blood pressure monitor is one of those “Apple of X” things — it’s the apple of home blood pressure cuffs.
Not that “cool looks” should be your priority when shopping for a blood pressure monitor, but it certainly makes home monitoring feel like less of a chore than it might otherwise be when working to prevent hypertension or heart disease management.
Here are the other great features: This cuff is comfortable. The size of the cuff was just right for a (somewhat flimsy) hand, with no gaps between the skin and the fabric. The readings were consistent and accurate and setup was almost unbelievably easy. This thing was out of the box, on the arm, and connected to a phone in about 2 minutes, and the first blood pressure reading was taken about 30 seconds after that.
Your whole family can use it. This digital blood pressure monitor pairs wirelessly with up to eight phones or tablets at any time. (Let’s see a handheld blood pressure monitor that does this.) Every time you use the digital monitor, QardioArm averages three readings, tracks and detects irregular heart rhythms, and stores all your measurements and notes in Qardio’s HIPAA-compliant cloud.
View and share your data in the Qardio app, where you can also set goals and reminders and sync your data with Apple Health on iPhone or Google Fit/Samsung Health on Android devices.
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The Withings BPM Connect feels and looks just as modern as the QardioArm, and delivers consistent and accurate results. It was a tough call between QardioArm and Withings BPM Connect because they are both great and similar products.
In the end, the Withings BPM Connect was a runner-up only because the sign-up process was more cumbersome. In comparison, it took about 2 minutes to fully set up with the QardioArm, while it took about 15 minutes with the Withings BPM Connect.
That’s not bad in the overall realm of things, but it was noticeable.
When it comes to upper arm cuff fit, comfort and ease of use, the Withings BPM Connect holds its own. The app is also easy to use once you’re signed in, and has unlimited storage for your BP measurement needs (although the device will remember up to eight readings between syncs). You can too set up multiple user profiles in the Withings Health Mate app.
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The Omron Complete Wireless Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor with ECG was the first FDA-approved combined ECG and blood pressure device in the US. Omron manufactured the product in partnership with AliveCorwhich feeds a lot FDA approved consumer electrocardiogram (EKG or EKG) devices.
It is worth mentioning that this blood pressure monitor gives the most consistent readings throughout the testing process. It measures much more than just blood pressure. In addition to the essentials — systolic and diastolic blood pressure — this Omron model measures your heart rate, atrial fibrillation, tachycardia, bradycardia and sinus rhythm simultaneously.
If you need a hassle-free way to measure two or more of these metrics, this upper arm monitor is the best choice. The Omron app interface is simple and can store unlimited data. The cuff is comfortable and flexible, facilitating a snug fit that aids accuracy.
The monitor itself is a bit bulkier than the other models on this list, but it’s probably worth it for people who need all those other measurements in one place. It comes in a nice case that you can use when traveling.
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If you have larger upper arms, you know that not all arm monitors fit comfortably, making blood pressure control and monitoring a huge pain. come in LifeSource Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor with Extra Large Cuff. The name says it all. This blood pressure cuff accommodates arm circumferences over 23 inches.
There didn’t seem to be much information about this one online and there were some questionable reviews from buyers. LifeSource is a brand of A&D Medical, a medical device brand that has been manufacturing consumer devices at home for nearly 50 years and has all of its products clinically validated by third parties. This cuff easily made its way into our testing lineup.
This blood pressure cuff is really bulky and would never work for someone with small hands, so our tests couldn’t speak to the device’s accuracy. Although tested on a small hand, it gave consistent readings. Although the blood pressure level readings were wrong in our tests, they were sequentially wrong. This gave hope that this extra-large cuff was indeed accurate for the people it actually fit.
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A few more home blood pressure monitors also had some great features, but didn’t quite match the ones above. They’re worth checking out if you’re in the market for a home blood pressure monitor, although the above products performed best in our tests, you may find a unique combination of features that works best for you.
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The blood pressure monitors listed in this article were tested at home in 2019. They were used with a proper fit, typically how you would use a cuff and monitor to get your blood pressure reading.
Because getting an accurate blood pressure reading or numbers depends on several crucial factors, this review focuses on how the cuff fits and how consistent the readings are.
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If you have high blood pressure or hypertension, the first thing you should do is check with your doctor or primary care provider to see what their recommendation is for you. Home monitoring and adherence to prescribed medications is important for people with high blood pressure, but it’s also important to keep in mind that does not replace regular doctor visitsaccording to the AHA.
Consider the following factors when looking for a device for home use:
- Your hand size: What works for a larger hand may not be best for a smaller hand and vice versa.
- Other heart diseases: Some devices may provide other health metrics, such as heart rate, or detect other health conditions, such as an irregular heartbeat.
- Measurement location: The AHA currently does not recommend using a finger or wrist sphygmomanometer to measure blood pressure because readings may be less reliable than those from the arm.
- Clinical validation: This means that the device has passed testing which meets medical standards.
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How do I actually use a blood pressure monitor?
Are there symptoms of high blood pressure?
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