When it comes to making major decisions about your health, it’s always imperative to consult a doctor. But between checkups, there’s a lot you can do to keep an eye on your own health. That’s why there are a lot of convenient health monitoring products on the market — these can be helpful in keeping track of your day-to-day well-being. You can also bring this information to your doctor to help them have a more complete picture. If you have a known history of high blood pressure, then it can be worth getting a blood pressure monitor for home or on the go.
First, it’s important to understand a little bit about what blood pressure actually is. It can be easy to conflate blood pressure with your heart rate. When you put your finger to your throat or wrist to feel your pulse, you’re checking your heart rate. But this doesn’t tell you about blood pressure. Rather, blood pressure is defined by the American Heart Association as the “force of your blood moving through your blood vessels.” Your blood pressure tells you about the flow of blood through your vessels — and this doesn’t always sync up with the speed at which your heart is beating.
The most common way to measure blood pressure is with an upper arm cuff, which is the kind you’d see at a doctor’s office or pharmacy. Another way to measure blood pressure is with a wrist cuff. It’s worth keeping in mind that wrist cuffs are generally less accurate because they are more susceptible to user error. Proper technique involves sitting straight, propping your elbow on a table, and placing the cuff on your left wrist. Your palm should be facing you and the monitor should be elevated to be level with your heart. Since motion can offset the reading, you may have to do the test multiple times to ensure a proper readout. Of course, you should also follow any specific instructions for the particular unit you buy.
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Ready to dive in? These are the best blood pressure monitors to buy right now.
1. Omron Digital Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor – 7 Series
BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY
This advanced option from Omron is a convenient tool for taking and storing relevant metrics. The unit has Bluetooth connectivity, so you can save readings on the Omron Connect app. Rather keep it low-tech? This monitor can store the last 90 measurements. Plus, it can display other critical readings like heart zone guidance that helps ensure the blood pressure monitor is properly aligned, which will help reduce inaccurate readings.
2. Care Touch Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor
BEST BASIC
The Care Touch wrist blood pressure monitor is designed with ease of use in mind. It has a large, backlight LCD display, making it easy to read regardless of the lighting conditions. You can easily store the last 60 readings for two different people, and it takes less than one minute to get a readout. It also powers off automatically to save battery.
3. iProven Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor
CONTENDER
This option from iProven features several convenient features to help you get faster and more accurate measurements. Push-to-start operation, a backlight and large keys help you start and read the monitor more easily. Plus, it shows if your blood pressure is normal or high so you can easily interpret the numeric value.
4. Paramed Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor Cuff
STORES 90 READINGS
Paramed’s wrist blood pressure monitor features a large, vibrant screen with a backlight, making it easy to read wherever, whenever. It provides results in 30 seconds and shows a variety of metrics, including systolic and diastolic pressure, in addition to your pulse. The monitor can store up to 90 readings. The unit comes in a handy carrying case so you can easily take it on the go.
5. HoMedics Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor
STORES READINGS FOR TWO USERS
HoMedics’ blood pressure monitor features an easy one-touch start and a convenient carrying case, making it easy to pack up and take it to work or to travel. It has readings for systolic and diastolic pressure, and it can store a total of 60 readings. Plus, two different people can use the monitor and the memory bank will store the readings separately.
6. Rite Aid Blood Pressure Wrist Monitor
BEST VALUE
In addition to what you can find online, you can also pop into your local pharmacy to buy a wrist monitor, like this option from Rite Aid. It has an easy one-touch operation and a hypertension indicator so you can easily interpret the readings from the monitor. A storage case is included, as are two AAA batteries.
7. Lovia Blood Pressure Monitor
BIG DISPLAY
This option stores up to 90 readings for two people, and the display is designed to make it easy to interpret results. It features an irregular heartbeat detector for safety and accuracy. The cuff is designed to work as a one-size-fits-all option, and its small footprint is easy to take with you on the go.
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