Nearly half of Americans have high blood pressure (aka hypertension), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. High blood pressure forces your heart to work harder, putting a burden on the rest of your body. A home blood pressure monitor is not a diagnostic device, but a tool to help you keep track of your blood pressure between checkups.

The American Heart Association defines hypertension as having either a systolic reading over 130, or a diastolic reading over 80 mm Hg for adults over the age of 20, and prehypertension as 120/80 mm Hg or above. These numbers refer to the pressure of blood against your blood-vessel walls. The first number is the systolic pressure, measured when the heart beats; the second number is the diastolic pressure, measured when the heart rests between beats.

The American Heart Association and many doctors recommend a blood pressure monitor for home use to help people with high blood pressure manage the condition. The daily use of a monitor can help a person track their blood pressure and prompt them to seek emergency care. At-home monitoring is also useful for patients who experience white coat syndrome, where the stress of visiting the doctor’s office causes blood pressure to spike. Still, keep in mind that home monitoring is meant to accompany—not replace—regular monitoring by a physician.

Unlike low blood pressure (hypotension), which can cause dizziness and other symptoms, you usually can’t physically feel when your blood pressure is too high, so regular testing is key for at-risk patients. This group includes people who have been diagnosed with hypertension and related conditions, as well as pregnant people.

Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, an obstetrician-gynecologist who runs Connected MOM (Maternity Online Monitoring), a digital medicine program for pregnant patients at Ochsner Health in Louisiana, told us that she often uses a patient’s own blood pressure readings to detect early signs of preeclampsia. “I’ve had patients come into the hospital because of the readings they get at home between visits,” she said, noting that without detection, there could have been grave results.

To learn what makes a reliable home blood pressure monitor, we interviewed three physicians with years of clinical experience in blood pressure management: Daichi Shimbo, a cardiologist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and a member of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation; Samuel Mann, an internal medicine specialist at the Weill Cornell Medicine Hypertension Center; and Veronica Gillispie-Bell, an obstetrician-gynecologist and the director of quality for women’s services at Ochsner Health in Louisiana. We also combed through literature from the American Heart Association, among other medical organizations, and read hundreds of customer reviews.

For this guide, we considered home blood pressure monitors designed for adults.

You can find four types of basic blood pressure monitors for home use:

• upper-arm monitors that inflate automatically at the touch of a button
• upper-arm monitors that require the user to pump a bladder to inflate them manually
• monitors that measure blood pressure at the wrist
• fingertip monitors

We chose to focus on upper-arm monitors with cuffs that inflate automatically because, for most people, they are simpler and more convenient to use. We decided not to review wrist or fingertip monitors because the American Heart Association does not recommend them, and because some insurers won’t reimburse for them due to accuracy concerns. (You can also find smartphone apps that purport to take blood pressure readings directly from your phone, but those are not accurate, so we did not include them in our testing.)

The most important quality of a blood pressure monitor is its accuracy. This is determined by the blood pressure machine itself (called a sphygmomanometer) and the size of the cuff; if the cuff is the wrong size, your reading will be off. In addition, be aware that the conditions under which you measure your blood pressure—from the time of day to your body position to whether you’ve had caffeine—can affect your readings, no matter the machine.

Unfortunately, measuring a blood pressure monitor’s accuracy is notoriously mercurial—literally. For more than a century, health-care professionals used mercury sphygmomanometers to take patients’ blood pressures, and reported the readings as the height of a column of mercury at the moment when faint sounds could first be heard via a stethoscope placed on the arm (the accuracy of which, of course, was limited by the physician’s or nurse’s hearing). Though we still refer to blood pressure measurements in terms of mm of Hg (millimeters of mercury), that technology has been gradually phased out because of ecological and health concerns. In its place, modern blood pressure monitors measure the fluctuating pressure exerted through the skin by the brachial artery against the cuff as the cuff deflates. Of course, your blood pressure varies continuously with every heartbeat. Makers of contemporary blood pressure monitors have developed their own algorithms to translate those pressure oscillations into the numbers that appear on the sphygmomanometer’s digital display.

Experts we spoke with recommended looking for a monitor that doesn’t deviate more than 10 mm Hg of pressure from the reading you’d get at a doctor’s office. For this reason, many physicians who recommend at-home blood pressure monitoring advise patients to bring their home monitors to their appointment to compare the results with those obtained by a medical professional using a hospital-grade machine. This can also help ensure you are using the monitor properly. “An in-office test run using an at-home machine helps limit the possibility of falsely high readings or inaccurately low readings due to improper use,” said Dr. Veronica Gillipsie-Bell, an ob-gyn and the director of quality for women’s services at Ochsner Health in Louisiana.

But because hospital monitors also use their own algorithms, it’s not a one-to-one comparison. “Here’s the problem: They test it [the patient’s monitor] against the clinic’s oscillometric device,” explained Dr. Daichi Shimbo of Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “You’re using a different device that uses another algorithm.” As a result, at least some difference between the two readings is expected.

For most people, home blood pressure monitors provide sufficiently accurate readings. To that end, consistency is nearly as important as accuracy: For tracking trends in blood pressure over time, obtaining consistent readings by using the same, reliable device, is largely more important than getting a perfectly precise reading each time. (For tips on how to achieve consistent readings, see Use, care, and maintenance.)

In deciding which models to test, we looked for monitors included in the US Blood Pressure Validated Device Listing (VDL), a third-party repository of blood pressure monitors that have been certified for accuracy based on American Medical Association criteria. At the time of writing, the VDL’s accreditation process and website were undergoing updates; many of the models we considered—including two of our picks—were not listed. We will update this guide as the VDL is updated. We also looked for monitors that have been independently tested according to standards set by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, the British and Irish Hypertension Society, and the International Protocol for the Validation of Automated Blood Pressure Measuring Devices (but didn’t disqualify those that haven’t.

If a monitor lacks such accreditation, it’s not necessarily unreliable, said the Weill Cornell Medicine Hypertension Center’s Dr. Samuel Mann—“but probably being accredited is better.” However, Dr. Shimbo of Columbia University recommends that patients only buy monitors appearing in the US Blood Pressure VDL or STRIDE BP, a blood pressure monitor validation service run by the European Society of Hypertension, the International Society of Hypertension, and the World Hypertension League.

Beyond accreditation, we also considered:

• Cuff design and sizes: Cuffs you can slip your arm through and then adjust to tighten are typically easier to manipulate than ones that require wrapping, so we prioritized those. Because an accurate reading depends in part on an accurately sized cuff, we also looked for models that come with adjustable cuffs in a wide range of available sizes.
• On-device data storage: To track health trends over time, you need adequate data points to examine. We looked for models that have the ability to store at least a few weeks’ worth of readings (and considered whether a given machine could store readings for more than one person).
• Irregular heartbeat detection: Consistently irregular pulse readings are something you should discuss with your doctor, so we considered it a bonus if a monitor could pick up on them.
• Screen readability: We looked for large, easy-to-read displays, and we prioritized backlit screens, which are easier to see in poorly lit spaces.
• Power source: Some monitors run on replaceable batteries or can be powered with an AC adapter (or both), whereas others can be recharged via USB.
• Warranty terms: The machine might wear out before the cuff, or vice versa, so—where applicable—we examined the warranties on both components.
• Data transfer: The ability to sync data from a monitor to a computer or mobile device via USB or Bluetooth can be useful, particularly for people who log lots of blood pressure readings and would like to automate that process. While we chose to test some smart blood pressure monitors, we first considered how well the machines performed before using the Bluetooth connections and associated apps.

Of all the blood pressure monitors we tested, the Greater Goods Smart Blood Pressure Monitor 0604 was the best in terms of features and ease of use. We liked its large, backlit display, as well as its capacity to store up to 60 measurements per each of two users on the device itself—and unlimited readings in the companion app, Balance Health (iOS, Android). In our testing, the monitor gave reliably consistent readings. The cuff is comfortable and fits most arms, and the machine can both run on batteries and be plugged into the wall. It also offers the option to send data wirelessly from the monitor to an app via Bluetooth.

Like most of the monitors we considered, the 0604 offers irregular pulse detection and the ability to average pressure readings in the Balance Health app; accessing these functions is simple and intuitive. You can toggle between users with an easy slide of a switch (some monitors require multiple clicks or button pushes), and the monitor is usable straight out of the box, even before—or without ever—connecting to the app.

The 0604 is extremely quiet—it sounds like a refrigerator hum if you’re within a couple inches of it, and it shouldn’t disturb someone across the room. Its large, backlit display is easy to read, but readings stay on the screen for only a minute or so after delivery. The machine does, however, instantly send your results to the app, making daily, weekly, monthly, or annual averaging a simple task.

The Balance Health app is easy to set up and use, though it requires an account. (User data is stored online—local storage only is not an option). You can export your readings history into a .csv and send it to your email (the one used to create your app account) with the click of a button. If desired, the Balance app can also integrate with Apple Health. (Read more about privacy and security considerations when using the Balance Health app.)

Testers appreciated having instructions printed on the cuff (this is particularly helpful because if you’re reading the instructions upside down, you know the cuff is on upside down too). The Velcro attachment is strong, but we don’t think it would be unduly challenging for most people. The cuff accommodates arms ranging in circumference from 8¾ to 16½ inches, among the largest range we’ve found in our research.

The 0604 comes with a carrying case and a two-year replacement warranty.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

While the 0604 can run on either battery power (four AAAs are included) or with an AC adapter, unless there are working batteries installed, the machine’s date and time reset every time it’s unplugged. This doesn’t affect the storage capacity on the app or device, but it does add a few extra seconds to testing time, which normally requires just a single click of the start button, and dates can become jumbled if programmed improperly (to avoid this issue, keep the batteries in the machine).

If you don’t need or want a Bluetooth monitor, the Greater Goods Blood Pressure Monitor + Kit 0602 has the same cuff, minimal noise levels, two-user maximum, irregular heartbeat detection, and dual-power options as its Bluetooth-enabled counterpart, with a slightly different (though still large and backlit) display. Like the 0604, this blood pressure monitor is usable immediately out of the box, and switching between users—while not as easy as with the 0604—requires only a couple of button pushes.

Like the 0604, the 0602 runs quietly (both were among the quietest models we’ve tested) and displays results for about a minute after delivering your reading. Unlike the 0604, the 0602 is unable to average any measurements, though it can store up to 60 entries per user, if you want to calculate your averages manually. There is no way to export your readings via email, USB, Bluetooth, or any other means—you’ll need to write them down or log them digitally on your own.

While the 0602 can work on either battery power (four AAA batteries are included) or with an AC adapter, unless there are working batteries installed, it resets the date and time every time it’s unplugged. When this happens, previous readings stay in the machine, but it’s possible to jumble dates and times if a user is rushed and simply clicks through without properly selecting the month, year, day, hour, and minute. (The 0604 resets the time and date when unplugged, too; keep batteries in the machine to avoid this issue.)

When set up correctly, the 0602 requires two clicks to start, even when there’s only one user on the device, versus the 0604’s single click.

Like the 0604, the 0602 includes a carrying case and has a two-year replacement warranty.

Of the Bluetooth-capable smart monitors we tested, Omron’s Evolv emerged as a panel favorite in 2019 and, after our 2021 testing, remains our favorite all-in-one device. While some all-in-one smart blood pressure monitors require syncing to your phone to view readings, the Evolv can be used with or without the Omron Connect app. That is, you don’t need to have your phone nearby to get your blood pressure reading—it is displayed directly on the screen, as well. The Evolv is included in the US Blood Pressure Validated Device Listing and STRIDE BP, plus validated for home use by the British and Irish Hypertension Society, meaning it has either met the standards established by three separate international protocols or achieved “a minimum B grade for both systolic and diastolic measurements” based on other criteria.

The cuff and the monitor of the Evolv are one conjoined unit, but it’s still lightweight and easy to put on thanks to a preformed ring you slip your arm through before tightening the Velcro closure. Unfortunately, this preformed ring made it uncomfortable for some testers with arms measuring on the higher end of the cuff’s circumference range (9 to 17 inches); you can stretch that ring as you put your arm through to avoid this discomfort, but it’s not ideal.

Some panelists complained that the small, on-cuff display was difficult to read, even though it is backlit. The numbers are tinier than on other devices we tested, and—because they’re on your arm—more difficult to see (requiring a little neck craning).

Like our other picks, the Evolv can detect irregular heartbeats. It also warns users when their readings are compromised by movement with an indicator symbol of a person surrounded by wiggly lines.

The Evolv runs on four AAA batteries and comes with a five-year limited warranty. Unlike our other picks, the Evolv can’t be charged using an AC adapter, nor does it come with a carrying case. But since it also lacks wiring between the monitor and cuff, it’s not as hard to pack up and travel with. While this machine-cuff combo can store up to 100 readings, only the most recent one is viewable on the device. You do have the option wirelessly connect the Evolv to the Omron Connect app (iOS, Android), where you can see graphs of your blood pressure trends for the entire year, average a month’s worth of measurements, or close in on the average for just one day. You can download summary reports for different date ranges within the app, too, which can then be printed or emailed to your doctor. The Omron Connect app can also integrate with Apple Health. (Read more about privacy and security considerations when using the Omron Connect app.)

For the most accurate blood pressure readings, you need to test consistently using a properly fitting cuff. It should be snug but not tight; according to our physician sources, a poorly fitting cuff can distort your reading. Many blood pressure monitors come with cuffs of different sizes, so choose the one that fits the circumference of your arm. (Measure this halfway between your armpit and elbow.)

It’s also important to test under controlled conditions, ideally around the same time each day. Sit upright with your back supported and both feet on the floor. Don’t cross your legs. Ideally, before taking a reading, you should keep the cuff on the arm for five minutes without moving or talking.

When you unpack a monitor, you generally have to insert the batteries and connect the cuff to the monitor. If you don’t use batteries, you’ll need an AC adapter; only some models come with one (both of our top picks do).

Avoid pulling on the tube, dropping the monitor, or banging it around. These devices aren’t fragile, but they are calibrated machines that can get out of whack. Inside each cuff is a bladder that inflates and deflates to take your blood pressure. If the bladder is punctured or doesn’t work, you need to replace the cuff. The Velcro holding the cuff together will wear over time, so when it no longer maintains a good hold, you should replace it, even if the bladder is fine. “If the cuff is slipping off of your arm, it is not a good fit,” said Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, the ob-gyn.

Most blood pressure monitors are warrantied for between one and five years, while the cuffs are usually warrantied for one. A replacement cuff costs anywhere from $15 to $40, but unless you stick with the same brand, there’s no guarantee the cuff will fit. As with any device that has batteries, if you don’t plan to use the monitor for a while, you should remove the batteries.

For most home blood pressure monitors, including our two Bluetooth picks, the companion apps and software aren’t subject to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) rules. This means that the data they collect isn’t legally protected, nor is its use regulated in the same way as other health data (such as that recorded during a doctor visit).

Greater Goods and Omron, the makers of our picks, require you to create an online account in order to use their monitors’ wireless data-transfer capabilities. Doing so means providing the respective companies with personal details like your name, date of birth, email address, and more. (Both Greater Goods and Omron claim not to share your information with third parties for marketing purposes.) Keep in mind that if you choose to send your data from the app—whether Greater Goods’s Balance Health or Omron Connect—to another service, such as Apple Health, you’re relying on yet another entity to keep your data secure.

According to the Omron Connect app’s privacy policy, Omron (and its affiliate, AliveCor) can share de-identified information with researchers and other third parties, and may disclose any information related to your account or use of its blood pressure monitor with law enforcement authorities “in response to a court order or a subpoena.” Similarly, Greater Goods’s privacy policy notes that it does not share your info with researchers or other third parties, but may “release account and other personal information when ... appropriate to comply with the law.”

We sent a security and privacy questionnaire to Greater Goods and Omron, both of which appear to treat collected data in a way that meets our standards (and whose privacy policies are, in our view, mostly easy to understand). Here are the questions we asked and the responses we received:

What user data does the app collect?

• Greater Goods: Name, email address, gender (must choose either male or female), date of birth, and zip code.
• Omron/AliveCor: Name, email address, gender (must choose either male or female), date of birth, and height.

Is data encrypted at rest and in transit?

• Greater Goods: Yes.
• Omron/AliveCor: Yes.

Is data collected by the device or app shared with third parties for marketing purposes?

• Greater Goods: No. We do not sell any user data to anyone ever. We do not make data available to any third parties for marketing purposes. Any ancillary data collected by our apps (i.e. user app event tracking, crash logging, etc.) is completely anonymized and only used by the internal Greater Goods development team to improve software and hardware performance or solve issues in software or hardware usability and reliability.
• Omron/AliveCor: No. Data collected is not shared with third parties for marketing purposes.

Upon account deletion, is customer data still stored?

• Greater Goods: Yes. We maintain customer accounts unless specifically asked by the customer (by email) to delete their account and data.
• Omron/AliveCor: Once an account is deleted, it cannot be accessed. Omron cannot identify the user or any information.

Any known data breaches in the past two years?

• Greater Goods: No.
• Omron/AliveCor: No.

Do you allow customers to optionally contribute to health research?

• Greater Goods: No.
• Omron/AliveCor: No.

You can find the privacy policies for our picks at the time of this reporting at the following links:

• Greater Goods Privacy Policy
• Omron Connect Powered by AliveCor Privacy Policy and Omron Healthcare, Inc. Privacy Policy

Some smart blood pressure monitors bypass the traditional monitor and instead pair a separate cuff with your smartphone. While many of them work as standalone blood pressure machines, you generally need to have your phone handy to be able to switch users and view past readings. We tested five such examples—the Withings BPM and its replacement, the Withings BPM Connect; the Greater Goods All-In-One Bluetooth Blood Pressure Monitor 0636; the A&D UA-1200CNBLE; and the QardioArm—and found none could compete with the Omron Evolv. All five consist of a bar-shaped monitor attached to a cuff. The cuff is meant to hold the bar against your arm, a design that makes these monitors slightly awkward to wear. For anyone with dexterity issues, turning on an all-in-one monitor may also be difficult: The button is often tiny and tough to press—many of our panel testers struggled to even locate it. Overall, we found the Evolv the most intuitive and consistent monitor of the bunch.

The cord on Greater Goods’s Smart Pro-Series Blood Pressure Monitor 0634 kinked easily and did not feel as sturdy as that of our picks.

Panel testers generally liked the now-discontinued Omron 10 Series, which provided consistent readings in our tests. The 10 Series has the advantage of being able to store 100 measurements per each of two users on the device itself, but the Evolv scored higher both in comfort and in ease of affixing the cuff.

Likewise, while we appreciated the large backlit screen on the Welch Allyn Home 1500 Series, the cuff proved difficult to put on for many of our testers. the cuff proved difficult to put on for many of our testers. And the monitor’s corresponding app has low ratings from users who cite an inability to set up different accounts or delete past blood pressure readings.

The Omron Platinum is a beautiful and easy-to-use device, but at $80 it’s expensive for a monitor that supports only two users.

The Panasonic EW3109W was notably simple to use and read, but our panelists did not find its cuff easy to put on, nor was it particularly comfortable for testers with an upper-arm girth on the higher end of the cuff’s stated size range.

It was more difficult to toggle between users on the Beurer BM55 than on the Greater Goods monitors we recommend, and the machine both lacks an AC adapter and is more expensive. Beurer’s BM28 lacks connectivity options and is also pricier than our non-Bluetooth pick.

The A&D UA-767F is a dependable machine. However, it doesn’t have a backlit display, it’s more expensive than our two top picks (and an AC adapter costs extra), and it’s frequently hard to find due to stock issues. A&D’s UA-651BLE, a Bluetooth version of the 767F, is a nice machine too, but it also lacks a backlit display, costs more than our picks, and often experiences stock issues. (And unlike the 767F, you don’t even have the option to pay more for an AC adapter—the UA-651BLE runs only on battery power.)