When I was a kid, I thought that high blood pressure was a condition that only affected people who made egregious lifestyle choices. This is not true. Since 1990, the incidence of hypertension has increased globally, with up to one in three adults worldwide affected by it.
Most of those people have no idea they have it. If people could diagnose and monitor hypertension at home, the World Health Organization estimates that up to 76 million lives could be saved with easy fixes, like stopping smoking or adjusting diet. In the past year, it's gotten much easier to monitor your blood pressure at home. Our top pick is the traditional Withings BPM Vision ($180), which offers tabletop, medical-grade results. Withings also offers Cardio Check-Up, an electrocardiogram review service available through the app that works with the company's ECG-enabled devices.
If you've been diagnosed with hypertension, you should hold on to your cuff for now. But in the past year, fitness trackers like the Apple Watch introduced the concept of cuffless BP monitoring, which is more comfortable and can monitor you 24/7. (If your blood pressure doesn't drop while you sleep, that is a serious indicator that you may have heart disease.) Blood pressure monitoring also showed up on the Whoop MG ($359/year), and a new cuffless monitor called the Aktiia Hilo will be making its way stateside later this year.
Curious about the latest developments? Check out our roundup here. And don’t forget to check out the rest of our health and fitness coverage, including the Best Fitness Trackers, the Best Smart Rings, and the Best Walking Pads.
Best Overall
Photograph: Adrienne So
Photograph: Adrienne So
Photograph: Adrienne So Chevron Chevron Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Withings BPM Vision Blood Pressure Monitor $180 Withings
The main difference between the latest Withings BPM Vision (8/10, WIRED Recommends) and its predecessor, the slightly cheaper Withings BPM Connect ($130) is that the BPM Vision is a tabletop unit. The BPM Connect had all the electronics in the cuff itself, which makes it harder to put on and use (if slightly more portable). Comfort is an important factor when it comes to blood pressure monitors, since nearly everything can affect the readings, including whether your ankles are crossed. The BPM Vision is FDA-cleared and meets the validation protocols recognized by organizations such as the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation and the American Heart Association. I also double-checked the heart rate readings against the Oura Ring 4 and found that they tallied.