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. Impacting a person’s whole body and slowly damaging blood cells, hypertension is 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, addressed the potential to manage high blood pressure with wearable technology like smartwatches in an article featured in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Also: The best smartwatches: Expert tested
Recent studies show that wearables are “validated and reliable” and “have been shown to perform well against current out-of-office BP measurement approaches.” However, there are limited devices that have the tech needed to take an accurate blood pressure reading. Still, there are options.
What is the best blood pressure watch you can buy right now?
To help you find a smartwatch that functions as a blood pressure monitoring tool, we pulled studies from doctors to evaluate the best commercially available blood pressure watches, keeping in mind accuracy, data privacy, and price. The best blood pressure that you can purchase for the US market is the YHE BP Doctor Pro, which is one of the few wearables available that captures your blood pressure from the wrist. Read on to see how all of the available blood pressure watch options compare.
The best blood pressure watches of 2024
YHE BP Doctor Pro
Best blood pressure smartwatch overall
The YHE BP Doctor Med promises medical-grade accuracy in measuring blood pressure, and after testing it for a few weeks, we can confirm that is a valid promise. 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 typical activity tracking and sleep tracking.
The watch’s heart rate monitor monitors your heart continuously, 24 hours a day. The YHE BP Doctor Med is a full-range smartwatch with sleep, activity, and health tracking, along with 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.
YHE BP Doctor Med 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: One week | App: For both iPhone and Android
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Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
Best blood pressure smartwatch for most people
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is an internationally popular wearable that can measure your blood pressure. The Galaxy Watch 7 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.”
Review: Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Which Android smartwatch is best for you?
This watch shows particular promise in monitoring existing conditions. A study conducted with the Galaxy Watch 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 yet received FDA approval in the US, but it is available in at least 50 other countries, including Canada, Vietnam, and South Africa. (If you are in the US and still want to use the feature without FDA clearance, you can find unofficial workarounds online to do so.)
To ensure accurate readings, users must calibrate their watches monthly with a traditional blood pressure cuff. The watch is packed with other features, including sleep tracking and music streaming, and it also made ZDNET’s list of the best smartwatches.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 features: BP measurement: Pulse wave analysis | Size: 40mm and 44mm | Weight: 28.8 and 33.8 grams | Power source: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery | Battery life: Three days on a single charge | App: Galaxy Wearable
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Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra has a unique square design with a round watch face, an interesting magnetic lug system, three buttons on one side, gesture support, advanced running dynamics, and more. Samsung’s Galaxy AI is present in the form of wellness insights that combine into a daily score to help guide you to optimal performance, including healthy sleep levels.
Similar to the Galaxy Watch 7, the Watch Ultra measures blood pressure using the watch’s built-in health monitor app and sensors found on the back of the watch. Advanced algorithms work in concert with the sensors and calibration with a blood pressure cuff mounted on your arm.
Review: I’ve tested dozens of smartwatches, but I’m wearing the Galaxy Ultra Watch long-term
Its operating system is optimized for the round watch design with a virtual rotating bezel. The watch offers fall detection, messaging, phone calls, and more. It also supports advanced fitness data such as VO2 Max and running dynamics data.
The blood pressure function has not yet received FDA approval in the US, but it is available in at least 50 other countries, including Canada, Vietnam, and South Africa. (If you are in the US and still want to use the feature without FDA clearance, you can find unofficial workarounds online to do so.)
To ensure accurate readings, users must calibrate their watches monthly with a traditional blood pressure cuff. The watch is packed with other features, including sleep tracking and music streaming, and it also made ZDNET’s list of the best smartwatches.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra features: BP measurement: Pulse wave analysis | Size: 47mm | Weight: 60.5 grams | Power source: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery | Battery life: Three days on a single charge | App: Galaxy Wearable
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FitVII Smartwatch
Best budget-friendly blood pressure watch
Emerging tech can be expensive, and given the blood pressure wearable market is still emerging, it’s rare to find models for under $100 — so we had to share this option from FitVII. At the time of writing, this watch is only $45 on Amazon and has a 4-star rating from over 4,700 reviewers who say they are impressed with the reading consistency and app’s user-friendly interface.
The watch also tracks sleep, analyzing the 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 ($95 with the current discount).
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
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Med-Watch Pro
Best standalone blood pressure watch
For those who want a blood pressure watch without having to connect your data to a smartphone or an app, the Med-Watch Pro is a great option. It houses all your health data in the device itself. If you do want to connect it to your smartphone, the DaFit app provides more helpful insights and personal recommendations based on your data.
The Med-Watch Pro measures your blood pressure using an optical sensor to detect blood flow beneath the skin. More specifically, a technique called photoplethysmography (PPG) allows the watch to emit light into the skin and measure changes in light absorption to calculate blood pressure. It takes only 30 seconds or less to get a blood pressure reading.
In addition to blood pressure, the Med-Watch Pro measures heart rate, blood oxygen levels, sleep patterns, daily steps, and more for overall health tracking.
Med-Watch Pro tech specs: BP measurement: Optical sensors | Size: Adjustable strap (5.5-8.5 inches) | Weight: N/A | Power source: Rechargeable battery | Battery life: Up to a week | App: DaFit app
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| Blood pressure watch | Price | How does it work? | Weight | Power source |
| YHE BP Doctor Med | $219 | Inflatable cuff | 2.12 oz | Rechargeable lithium-ion battery |
| Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 | $300 and $330 | Pulse wave analysis, monthly calibration with traditional blood pressure cuff | 1.0 and 1.19 oz | Rechargeable lithium-ion battery |
| Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra | $649 | Pulse wave analysis, monthly calibration with traditional blood pressure cuff | 2.1 oz | Rechargeable lithium-ion battery |
| FitVII Smartwatch | $45 | Sensors | 1.2 oz | Rechargeable lithium-ion battery |
| Med-Watch Pro | $150 | Optical sensors | N/A | Rechargeable battery |
| Choose this blood pressure watch… | If you want… |
| YHE BP Doctor Pro | To measure your blood pressure with medical-grade accuracy. It also measures HRV, or heart rate variability, and blood oxygen. |
| Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 | 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. |
| Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra | The best big smartwatch available today that can also measure blood pressure. The watch will last for days and help you track your health and wellness. |
| 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. |
| Med-Watch Pro | A blood pressure watch that doesn’t require your smartphone. It also tracks other health metrics like heart rate, blood oxygen levels, daily steps, and more. |
There are not as many options today for blood pressure watches as there are for smartwatches, but rumors indicate that the technology and functionality will likely expand to more popular smartwatches in the near future. Here are a few factors to consider, based on our years of experience testing wearables:
- Capability: The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, and other supported Galaxy Watch models, require that you measure and baseline your blood pressure readings with a certified external monitor and enter that data into the app. The watch then measures the incremental changes from that baseline and provides your blood pressure reading. Other watches in this list use an inflatable cuff to measure your blood pressure directly.
- Other functions: The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra are full-blown smartwatches that run Google’s Wear OS, but other watches in this list focus primarily on capturing your blood pressure and providing you with the time and data. Make sure you check out the functions available in the watch and evaluate whether or not you need more from your blood pressure watch.
- Fit and comfort: Anyone that has captured their blood pressure reading knows that placement of the blood pressure monitor is important in capturing accurate readings. Thus, the watch you use for your blood pressure should also fit well and be comfortable as you capture your readings. A blood pressure watch is used primarily for convenience and the ability to easily capture your readings throughout the day so comfort and fit are vital to success.
One obstacle we 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 we 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. We took into consideration a few major factors when choosing these best blood pressure watches:
- Commercial availability: For example, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra still do not have FDA approval in the United States for blood pressure readings, so that feature isn’t an option for the US market.
- Accuracy: We looked at evidence of accuracy from studies and medical research when choosing what blood pressure watches to consider.
- Data privacy: Health information is extremely important to keep secure with wearables, so we looked into each brand and device’s privacy protocols to ensure consumers’ health data is safe.
- Price: We keep price in mind when making our final picks while knowing there aren’t many options on the market. However, more economical wearables don’t seem as reliable or as focused on data privacy.
We 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 mmHg, while elevated blood pressure ranges from a systolic number of 120-129 mm Hg and a diastolic number of less than 80 mmHg.
Hypertension occurs starting at 130-139/80-89 mmHg. 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.
The blood oxygen sensor in the Apple Watch measures the percentage of oxygen your red blood cells carry from your lungs to the rest of your body. It’s an important health metric since it can help you better understand your overall wellness.
According to a 2022 medical study, the measurement of blood oxygen levels (in an Apple Watch Series 6) was not yet up to the medical standard of pulse oximetry; too many of the measurements remain unsuccessful or incorrect. Studies have not been conducted on the most recent Apple Watch models.
*Important Note: Earlier this year, a US federal judge has ruled that Apple cannot sell its Series 10 and Ultra 2 smartwatches if they have the blood oxygen sensor, due to a patent violation. As a result, a ban was placed on the import of all Apple watches with the feature. Apple Watch users in the US are no longer able to access the blood oxygen monitor app or sensors.
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.
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Former ZDNET contributor Sherin Shibu also contributed to this story.
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