What should I consider before I purchase a Home Blood Pressure Monitor?
We understand it might be a struggle street to figure out which blood pressure monitor to buy. The BPM market is full of different options to choose from. This is why we have listed 5 important features to look for in your blood pressure monitor. We have also crated a bunch of articles to review different types of blood pressure monitors for your convenience. Click here to check our favorites!
First of all choosing the right blood pressure monitor for you depends on your personal circumstances. Things like your current health condition, budget, urgency, availability, purpose of the use and your doctors recommendation should be taken into consideration.
Secondly you will need to choose whether you want to go for a upper arm or a wrist blood pressure monitor. There are also wearable watches/bands available yet Health care professionals still say the upper arm blood pressure monitor is the king.
Lastly the size of the cuff to match your arm or wrist matters Whilst you may get away with one size fits all approach this is an important thing to check!. If you are a petite person or have larger figure ensure you choose an extra small or alternatively extra large cuff size for more accurate results!
1. Clinically Proven Accuracy
We believe that clinically proven accuracy and physician recommendations based on reliability of the BMP should be your top priority. The whole point of measuring your blood pressure goes away if you cannot trust the numbers the blood pressure checker throws at you. Especially if you are diagnosed with hypertension, another heart&cardiovascular condition or are on medication that requires you to regularly check your blood pressure, your health and wellbeing depends on it.
Look for an approval stamp from doctors&pharmacists or go for internationally recommended and stable brands that have been on the market for a long time and have a great research and development history under their belts. Brands such as Omron or YUWELL are amongst the blood pressure monitor brands that are highly valued by health care professionals.
2. Automated One Button Operation
Monitoring and measuring your blood pressure should be easy! Automated machines that function with one button are simply the best! Place the cuff nice and snug on your wrist or upper arm, press start and watch the magic happen.
The Blood Pressure Monitor should also save your numbers automatically with date and time. You do not need to worry about writing your readings down or memorizing them.
3. Large Backlit Screen and Voice Broadcast
If you have poor vision this one is especially for you! For your convenience ensure you can easily read the screen of you BPM during days and nights. Large screen with big enough digits will not leave you second guessing. Backlit screen allows you to see properly even when its dark.
Voice Broadcast is a great feature for those who prefer verbal instructions and find it hard to read digital screens. Hearing a voice may also be calming and help you to relax whilst you are measuring your blood pressure.
4. Blood Pressure Monitor with Irregular Heart Beat Detector
Again and again we are all about accuracy when it comes to choosing the best home blood pressure monitor. A Blood pressure monitor that detects arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) should be your best friend. When the signal comes up it means you might be you are speaking during the measurement or perhaps in stressed state.
Worst case scenario a disruption in your regular heart beat may mean something more serious. If the signal comes up several times a week please speak to your doctor.
5. Blood Pressure Machine with Excessive Movement Detector or Self-Checking Cuff Positioning
This is important particularly for those who are newer to using blood pressure machines and want extra reassurance. Excessive movement or motion detector ensures your readings are accurate. If the machine detects excessive movement it shows an error in your reading and prompts you to start over.
HoMedics have an overall great blood pressure monitor that includes excessive motion feature plus more for a great price! Another fantastic option is Paramed BPM that alerts you if the cuff is not tightened right. A symbol on the screen will tell you whether the position of the cuff is right or not. How convenient!
6. FSA or HSA Eligible Blood Pressure Monitor
If you live in the USA and have either FSA’s and HSAs pre-tax account you can use it to pay for healthcare related expenses. FSA’s and HSAs accounts allow you to pay for some medical bills and devices with money you or your employer has set aside. Contributions to these accounts are not taxed which is a money win when it comes to looking after your health!
For instance Amazon has a great tool that allows you to limit your search and shows only FSA or HSA eligible Blood Pressure Monitors. This makes is easier to limit your options and choose the right blood pressure machine for you.
