The best blood pressure watches of 2023, according to medical research

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High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects an estimated 1.3 billion people worldwide and results in 10 million deaths per year, according to the World Heart Federation. Effecting a person's whole body, slowly damaging blood cells it's the number one risk factor for death on a global scale. There are effective means to treat high blood pressure, but it's not always easy to detect and monitor.

Dr. Kazuomi Kario, professor and chairman of cardiovascular medicine at Jichi Medical University, however, addressed the potential to manage high blood pressure with wearable technology in an article featured in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Recent studies showed that wearables are "validated and reliable" and "have been shown to perform well against current out-of-office BP measurement approaches." However, the onus is on the user to determine the best wearable and to use it properly.

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To help you find a watch you can use as a blood pressure monitoring tool, we pulled studied from doctors to evaluate the best commercially available blood pressure watches, keeping in mind accuracy, data privacy, and price. ZDNET's top pick is the Omron HeartGuide because of its FDA clearance, inflatable cuff, and comprehensive health tracking suite. Read on to see how options from Samsung, FitVII, and more compare.

Omron HeartGuide features: BP measurement: Inflatable cuff | Size: 6.3-7.1 inches (medium); 7.2-8.5 inches (large) | Weight: Approximately 4.1 oz (115 g) | Power source: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery | Battery life: Single charge lasts for approximately 500 cycles | App: Omron Connect

The Omron HeartGuide is the first FDA-approved blood pressure watch, promising a clinically accurate blood pressure reading in 30 seconds. You can also track trends in your blood pressure over time and better understand your readings through the free Omron Connect app. The data the watch collects is displayed on the app and can be shared with your doctor for professional medical analysis.

The HeartGuide works with an inflatable cuff within the watch band that has smaller versions of the components in a regular blood pressure monitor. Additionally, you can also track your physical activity and monitor sleep patterns.

Though the watch has been cleared by the FDA, it's worth noting that some users report inaccuracies with measurements and are not satisfied with the battery life of the watch or the lack of screen brightness adjustment.

Still, this watch is a helpful tool that allows you to take blood pressure measurements up to 8 times a day on a fully charged battery. Omron has more than 80 new patents connected to the construction of this watch, which indicates that the old model of doing things had to be redesigned to present this as an option to potential users.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 features: BP measurement: Pulse wave analysis | Size: 40mm or 44mm | Weight: 1.01 oz (28.6 g) | Power source: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery | Battery life: 50 hours on a single charge | App: Galaxy Wearable

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is an internationally popular wearable that can also measure your blood pressure.

The Galaxy Watch 5 measures blood pressure and, using the watch's built-in health monitor app, takes ECG readings as well. However, Samsung does caution that the blood pressure function "cannot diagnose hypertension, other conditions, or check for signs of a heart attack. It is not meant to replace traditional methods of diagnosis or treatment by a qualified healthcare professional."

Its monitoring existing conditions where the watch shows particular promise. A study conducted with the Galaxy Watch 5 showed that taking blood pressure measurements with the watch resulted in reliable and accurate readings. The watch was used to help monitor BP in patients with Parkinson's Disease.

The blood pressure function has not received FDA approval in the US yet, but it is available in at least 50 other countries, including Canada, Vietnam, and South Africa. To ensure accurate readings, users have to calibrate their watches every month with a traditional blood pressure cuff. The watch itself is packed with other features, including sleep tracking and music streaming, and it also made ZDNET's list of the best smartwatches.

Review: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro review: The best wearable for Android fans

YHE BP Doctor Pro features: BP measurement: Inflatable cuff | Size: 5.31-8.66 inches | Weight: 2.12 oz (60.1 g) | Power source: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery | Battery Life: N/A | App: For both iPhone and Android

The YHE BP Doctor Pro measures your blood pressure with the promise of medical-grade accuracy. The key is the watch's patented inflatable air cuff, which detects blood pressure fluctuations. You can measure your blood pressure at any time, and the watch has a host of other features, including HRV or heart rate variability. HRV measures the time difference between each heartbeat to give you insights into how well you recover from stress.

The heart rate monitor in the watch monitors your heart continuously for 24 hours a day. Blood oxygen levels (SpO2) are easily detectable on the spot with the press of a button on the watch. Continuous SpO2 monitoring means that the watch can detect apneas and send you an alert about it. It can even suggest that you switch your sleeping pattern as a result of changes in breathing that indicate snoring or respiratory problems.

The YHE BP Doctor Pro is a full-range smartwatch with sleep, activity, and health tracking in addition to alarms, messages, and weather. You can sync your data to the Android or iOS app and create a health management plan that includes your whole family.

FitVII Smartwatch features: BP measurement: Sensors | Size: 1.7 inches | Weight: 1.2 oz (34.02 g) | Power source: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery | Battery life: 7+ days | App: FitCloudPro App

Emerging tech can be expensive, and given the blood pressure wearable market is still an emerging initiative, it's rare to find sub-$100 models, which is why we had to share this option from FitVII. At the time of writing, this watch is only $40 on Amazon and a 4.1 star rating from over 2,000 reviewers around the world who are impressed with the reading consistency and app's user-friendly interface.

The watch also includes sleep tracking, analyzing time you've spent in deep sleep or light sleep. It tracks your activity and gives you the weather in real-time, as well as heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen tracking on its 1.7-inch HD screen. Additionally, it has a 7 to 10 day battery life.

The FitVII website also sells the GT5 watch with 24/7 heart rate and blood pressure monitoring for around $100 ($90 with the current discount).

The best blood pressure watch is the Omron HeartGuide. In 30 seconds, you can take a clinically accurate blood pressure reading with just the watch. You can also track trends in your blood pressure over time and better understand your readings through the app.

Blood pressure watch

Price

How does it work?

Weight

Power source

Omron HeartGuide

$499

Inflatable cuff

4.1 oz

Rechargeable lithium-ion battery

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5

$280

Pulse wave analysis, monthly calibration with traditional blood pressure cuff

1.01 oz

Rechargeable lithium-ion battery

YHE BP Doctor Pro

$299

Inflatable cuff

2.12 oz

Rechargeable lithium-ion battery

FitVII Smartwatch

$90

Sensors

1.2 oz

Rechargeable lithium-ion battery

Each blood pressure watch has its unique use case. The Omron HeartGuide, for example, has FDA approval, while the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is more commercially available.

Choose this blood pressure watch…

If you want…

Omron HeartGuide

The best blood pressure watch overall. It has the FDA stamp of approval to give you blood pressure readings in as little as 30 seconds.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5

A popular smartwatch that can measure blood pressure and take ECGs on the go. These features are only available in select countries at the moment.

YHE BP Doctor Pro

To measure your blood pressure with medical-grade accuracy. It also measures HRV, or heart rate variability, and blood oxygen.

FitVII Smartwatch

A budget-friendly blood pressure monitor with plenty of reviews that speak to its accuracy and reliability. It also comes with additional smartwatch features, like step and calorie counting.

One obstacle I ran into when choosing the best blood pressure watches was the lack of options. The concept of a blood pressure watch itself seems to be embraced by many, but I found the execution to be less robust.

With few options on the market, it is easy to weed out the fake or unreliable wearables from the legit ones. I took into consideration a few major factors:

I know, a watch that measures blood pressure sounds like something out of a science fiction novel. Recent advances mean that futuristic wearables are becoming more realistic than ever before. Blood pressure watches that are vetted and tested really do work, but I recommend talking to your doctor before use.

In an article featured in IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, Dr. Paolo Bonato, associate professor at Harvard Medical School, identified four areas of focus that are especially important when understanding recent advances in wearables: 1) wearable sensors, 2) wearable systems, 3) signal processing and analysis procedures, and 4) closed-loop systems for adaptive orthoses and prostheses. The first three areas are important in blood pressure monitoring, as sensors and systems feed into analysis and recommendations by doctors. Here's a comprehensive paper on wearable tech in healthcare that Dr. Bonato contributed to for those who want to learn more.

According to Healthline, the blood pressure range for a hypertension crisis is a systolic number above 180 mm Hg and a diastolic number above 120 mm Hg. Immediate medical attention is required at that level.

Healthy blood pressure is a reading of less than 120/80 mm Hg, while elevated blood pressure ranges from a systolic number of 120-129 mm Hg and a diastolic number of less than 80 mm Hg.

Hypertension occurs starting at 130-139/80-89 mm Hg. It's good to have an idea of where your blood pressure should fall. Hypertension doesn't result in visible symptoms right away, so it's important to detect and manage it early on.

You cannot measure blood pressure with an Apple Watch alone. You can link it to a compatible blood pressure monitor and synchronize your blood pressure data to your Apple Watch. The Omron Evolv wireless blood pressure monitor is a compatible device, and the iHealth Feel wireless blood pressure monitor works, too.

High blood pressure is equal to or greater than 140 over 90 mmHg, where the top number is a measure of the force in your arteries as your heart beats and pumps blood, and the bottom number is a measure of the force in your arteries as your heart is resting between beats.

At this time, there are no other reliable blood pressure watches available to the wider market. However, the alternatives below have plenty of other health-tracking features that are worth considering.

The latest Apple Watch is packed with health features you can use to support healthy habits or even create new ones.

I've made no secret of how much I love this ring. It's lightweight, stylish, and insightful, as well as packed with sleep, activity, and readiness insights.

We ranked this smartwatch the best Fitbit for a reason -- it's a GPS sports watch and health tracker at an affordable price compared to alternatives.