Some patients are advised by attending physicians to regularly check their blood pressure, while others themselves take the initiative and wish to monitor it on their own. A daily visit to a specialist for this purpose is impractical, and tonometers in public places, such as pharmacies, may give inaccurate readings due to insufficiently frequent calibration. In this case, you will need a blood pressure monitor, which can be used at home. Many different models are produced, but which tonometer is better? Price, accuracy and functionality largely determine the user's choice, and this article should help find the best option.
Types of Blood Pressure Monitors
Shoulder tonometers with a flexible or semi-rigid cuff that wraps around the shoulder most resemble the device that can be seen in the doctor’s office. Owners sometimes find it difficult to correctly fix them on their hands, but devices of this type allow you to sit in a natural position and, as a rule, are the least demanding of the user's position.
Those who feel uncomfortable with the shoulder cuff, or who have trouble finding the right size, can use the wrist model. However, this type of instrument for measuring blood pressure requires accurate positioning - the wrist must be kept at heart level. If you deviate only a few centimeters or move during operation of the device, the results will be incorrect. The good news is that the best wrist blood pressure monitors have light indicators that help you find the right position.
A convenient tool for monitoring health
Determining blood pressure at home is not a substitute for medical advice. But in combination with the doctor’s measurements, it can become a powerful tool for monitoring your health. All home blood pressure monitors mentioned in this article are automatic digital models. They inflate the cuff themselves and take readings, usually at the touch of a button. The whole process takes 30–50 s.
How to achieve accuracy of readings?
Regardless of the device used, experts recommend visiting a specialist to compare measurements with the results of measurements of professional medical equipment. This provides a basic level for determining how accurate and consistent your blood pressure monitor is.
In addition, to obtain the correct testimony, you need to read the manufacturer's instructions and carefully follow them. A home blood pressure monitor has not yet been created, the accuracy of which would not have been complained of, but we can confidently say that often incorrect results are associated with a violation of the rules for taking measurements.
Distinctive features of good blood pressure monitors
When choosing which tonometer is best for home, you should make sure that it has the following:
- Easy to use buttons and easy to read display. Some models offer extra-large screens, illuminated buttons, and readable voice readings. Home blood pressure monitors with a Bluetooth connection allow you to read the results from the smartphone screen or pronounce them aloud.
- Algorithm for detecting and compensating for arrhythmia. For those who choose which tonometer is better, reviews recommend a device that will warn about arrhythmia and compensate for it so that it does not distort the readings of the device.
- Suitable cuff. If its coverage does not match the circumference of the arm or wrist, then accurate readings cannot be obtained. Some models allow you to change the cuffs so that different people can use one device.
- The right pressure. Without a short squeeze of the hand can not do, but to determine which tonometer is better, user experience will help. Good models do this relatively softly, without turning a simple measurement into a painful trial.
- Great memory. The best blood pressure monitors store at least 90 readings. This is enough for daily registration for 3 months.
- Multiple accounts. If several people use the same tonometer, then each of them needs their own account for reading and calculating average values. This separation can also be used to record readings obtained on the right and left hand.
- Useful feedback. Some blood pressure monitors indicate the measurement results with color or blinking, indicating whether the readings fall into the healthy, borderline or unhealthy ranges. This makes it easy to evaluate your blood pressure.
- Averaging function. According to experts, averaging the results of measurements recorded over a certain period of time can give a better picture of the state of the cardiovascular system than separate isolated data.
- Help with proper positioning. Carpal tonometers give accurate readings if you hold them in the correct position, and learning how to do this can be difficult. The best models are equipped with flashing indicators or other feedback devices that help set the hand as needed.
What should be understood
Which automatic blood pressure monitor is better for traveling? The one that comes with the case or bag, and can work both on battery and on an AC adapter.
Which automatic blood pressure monitor is best for sharing? If there are more than one users, then you should buy a monitor with several accounts so that you can store the readings separately, or a model that does not save them automatically, so that the logs do not contain mixed measurement results.
Which tonometer is best used for exporting data? There are more and more models that allow you to send a log of indications to your doctor. If this function is not used, then you can save by choosing a simpler device.
Which tonometer is best for visually impaired people? One with a large, backlit screen, large buttons, easy operation and voiced readings.
Useful Tips
Experts recommend showing the tonometer to the attending physician so that he can compare the measurement results with the data of a high-precision professional blood pressure monitor. This procedure should be repeated every 6 months, immediately after the fall of the device or with a sudden sharp change in readings.
If you have problems obtaining reliable measurements, you should ask your doctor to check the tonometer application technique and follow the recommendations of cardiologists, according to which you should not smoke, drink caffeinated drinks or do physical exercises 30 minutes before using the device. Ideally, before taking readings, you need to sit quietly and rest for at least 5 minutes.
Technology outlook
Tonometers that transfer data directly to the application on a smartphone are becoming more common. Just a few years ago, it was a new technology, but now it is on the verge of becoming a standard feature. Like most wireless technologies, it will soon be the norm in models at all price levels.
Automatic tonometers: which is better?
Owner reviews from all shoulder blood pressure monitors are most often distinguished by the Omron BP786N with a cuff of 23–43 cm. This model is easy to use and very accurate. Useful Omron BP786N features are:
- built-in calibration verification system;
- TruRead mode, which with an interval of 1 minute sequentially takes 3 readings, and then displays the average value;
- irregular heart rate detector;
- 2 user accounts with memory for 100 readings.
However, the most impressive feature of the BP786N is its wireless connectivity with iOS and Android mobile devices. Immediately after downloading the free Omron Wellness app, a user from anywhere can access their data and can share it or import it into the Apple Health app. You can also use your smartphone to read the results out loud. This is a very useful feature for people with visual impairments or those who are better at hearing.
Despite these features, a smartphone or tablet is not needed to use the Omron BP786. Many appreciate the simplicity of the device: all you need to do is press the bright Start / Stop button. The large backlit screen is easy to read even by people with low vision.
Owner reviews about the Omron BP786N are almost all positive, although they do not so clearly assess its wireless capabilities: the device quickly and easily connects to iOS devices, but it may take several attempts to connect to Android devices, not all of which are supported.
Some complain that the tonometer gives too high readings. Although these complaints are relatively few compared to devices from other manufacturers, they are a good reminder that you must follow the recommendations of cardiologists and check the accuracy of measurements with a doctor.
The tonometer is covered by a 5-year warranty and can be powered by a network adapter and 4 AA batteries.
There are other great options. For people who need large cuffs (42–62 cm), LifeSource UA-789AC is the best choice.
Which tonometer has the best price? According to reviews, inexpensive, but accurate and reliable models are the ReliOn BP200 (2300 rubles) and the Panasonic EW3109W (2550 rubles).
And the experts call the A&D 767F, which supports 4 user profiles, the most suitable instrument for measuring blood pressure in the whole family.
Carpal tonometers: which is better?
It’s not easy for some users to find a cuff that fits the size, while others find the whole process of squeezing their hands very uncomfortable. In this case, a tonometer for the wrist is suitable, which, according to most, is much more convenient.
The biggest disadvantage of monitors of this type is that the user must position them so that each time get accurate and consistent readings. Omron BP652N simplifies this work by the presence of an indicator that signals the correct positioning: orange when the monitor is not oriented correctly and blue when its position is correct. You can also customize the sound.
According to reviews, the tonometer is very accurate. However, it depends on how much the user follows the instructions of the position control system.
BP652N stores up to 100 samples with date and time, warns of arrhythmia, automatically assigns indications to the ranges defined by international recommendations, and can average up to three results measured within 10 minutes. There is a case and a 5-year warranty.
Owners respond positively to the comfort of use, although some are disappointed with the latest update with the replacement of a semi-rigid cuff, which was easy to put on and take off, with an elastic one. Nevertheless, the majority believes that this device is much more convenient than shoulder models.
According to reviews, other good wrist blood pressure monitors are Omtron BP629N and Ozeri BP01K.