Omron BP786
Omron is one of the most established brands on the home blood pressure (BP) monitor market. And judging by some of the online user reviews of their products, Omron is one of the first names doctors recommend to patients who are considering purchasing their own BP monitor, which would seem to justify their “#1 Doctor Recommended Brand” strapline.
Omron blood pressure monitor
Those looking for bells and whistles may be disappointed, but the Omron is a reliable, simple “does what it says on the tin” device.
Image credit: Omron
The company boasts an almost bewildering range of 21 BP monitors for sale - the majority of which are for use on the upper arm, although they also offer a small range of wrist-mounted monitors.
Omron kindly sent us their BP786 monitor for review, which is the latest device in their popular “10 series.” Currently retailing for less than $80, the BP786 seems to have been slightly less popular so far than its older 10 series siblings.
Although - like most modern home BP monitors - the BP786 can hook up to a computer or mobile device, a common complaint in user reviews is that the device appeared to have been “rushed to market,” with the apps that allow the monitor to interact with devices not released to customers until some time after the physical product had launched.
Particular problems have been reported with the Android app, although the Omron is fairly unique in offering any Android support at all, with most mobile-friendly monitors integrating only with Apple’s iOS platforms (for iPhone, iPad and iPod).
For some customers, though - possibly older customers in particular - one of the strengths of this device may be that you can use the BP786 completely independently of any computerized gadget. It also offers a superbly simple interface - most users are only required to press one big, blue button helpfully labeled “START/STOP.”
This no-nonsense approach may sound unappealing to the tech-literate gadget fiends among us but, for medical monitoring devices in particular, usability is the cornerstone of good design.
To take a reading, all the user need do is attach the cuff to their upper arm and hit the big, blue button. As well as displaying your blood pressure, the machine will display stats on your pulse and even identify whether you have an irregular heartbeat.
That there is such a shallow learning curve associated with the BP786 is a credit to Omron. Although, I have to confess, it took me a few goes to figure out how to get the machine to take three consecutive readings and provide an average of the results. A design feature I really liked, however, was how easy it is to attach the cuff, which can be done without the assistance of another person.
Microlife WatchBP home A
Omron may be the most popular brand with patients, but Microlife would appear to be the most critically acclaimed name in consumer BP monitors. Its 3AC1-PC monitor tops The iHealth BP monitors (resource no longer available at blood-pressure-monitors.findthebest.com) are quite shamelessly marketed at the Apple generation, even going as far as to adopt that notorious lower-case “i” prefix. Again, these machines require an Apple device and app to function, and there is no Android support.
iHealth wrist blood pressure monitor
The readings from wrist BP monitors are usually higher and less accurate than those taken at the arm, due to the arteries being narrower and not so deep at the wrist.
Image credit: iHealth
iHealth sent us two of their devices to review - as well as the standard upper arm-type BP monitor, we also received a smaller wrist-mounted device.
The American Heart Association recommend to anyone using a home BP monitor that they should use a device that measures the pressure in their upper arm.
The wrist-mounted BP monitors are much more sensitive to body position - to get an accurate reading, the user must position their arm and wrist at heart level. But even if these steps are followed, the readings from wrist BP monitors are usually higher and less accurate than those taken at the arm, due to the arteries being narrower and not so deep at the wrist.
Some people may have problems taking a blood pressure measurement from their upper arm. For instance, they may have a very large arm or find the BP measurements painful.
We noticed a jump in blood pressure readings when comparing the measurements of the iHealth wrist monitor to the upper arm monitor. Helpfully, though, the device has an inbuilt sensor that allows the app to guide the user into angling their arm into the correct position.