We’ve found seven Best Buy blood pressure monitors, but disappointingly just as many Don’t Buys. The truth is many of their results can’t be trusted so it’s worth monitoring your options before you buy.
You’d be excused for thinking the higher the price, the more accurate the reading. But surprisingly, that’s not what we found each time we’ve tested blood pressure monitors. Our cheapest Best Buy at £20 out-performed Don’t Buys costing up to £80 on accuracy.
So while being able to measure your blood pressure at home saves you the hassle of wandering to the GP’s, it’s important to do your research and find the right one for you. We’ve heard too many stories of blood pressure monitors enthusiastically used at first, but then being pushed to the back of the drawer.
Accuracy isn’t the only thing to look for
When choosing your monitor, of course accuracy will be top of the list for things to look for. But there’s a lot of choice out there and filtering the good from the bad can take time. So to help, Which? members told us that ease of use is also vital if you want to it to last.
And there’s definitely no ‘one size fits all’ here – quite literally for many monitors. You might buy a monitor thinking it’s cheap, but realise it hasn’t got a cuff that’s big enough for your arm, necessitating an extra spend of £10 for a bigger size.
Or you might go for one of the high-tech wireless Bluetooth-enabled monitors we tested, and realise that what you really wanted is something simple to operate through only having to push one button. You also might have something to say about instruction booklets that run to 13 languages, or arm cuffs that squeeze your arm in a vice-like grip or give you a sly pinch…
Have you had any problems using a blood pressure monitor at home? Or maybe you don’t have one and get your GP to measure your blood pressure?
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