Many people search online for "NHS Recommended Blood Pressure Monitor", but the NHS doesn't recommend Blood Pressure Monitor brands to the public.
The NHS says: "There are a variety of low-cost blood pressure monitors available that patients can buy to use at home. If you buy a blood pressure monitor, ensure it is approved for use in the UK. To ensure your monitor is accurate, choose one that has been validated for accuracy by the British and Irish Hypertension Society (BIHS)".
So, how do you determine the best brand of blood pressure monitor to buy? You could:
- ask your GP when you next see them
- see which are the best-selling, e.g. on Amazon
- check what's on the BIHS list. In this blog post, we've taken Amazon's top 5 best-selling blood pressure monitors and cross-referenced them with the BIHS list.
Ask your GP which blood pressure monitor they recommend
You could ask your GP what they suggest on your next visit, and they will no doubt recommend one from the BIHS list.
Check what the bestsellers on Amazon are
Or, have a look at what Amazon list as their best-selling BP monitors here, but as well as price, usability and guarantee length, your might want to cross-check if they are on the BIHS list.
Amazon Top 5 Best Sellers cross-referenced with the BIHS list of approved monitors
- 1 Cazon - the most popular blood pressure monitor on Amazon but I can't see it on the current BIHS approved list
- 2 A&D Medical Blood Pressure Monitor BIHS Approved UK Blood Pressure Machine UA-611 - not listed as approved on BHIS website [although a lot of their other models are]
- 3 OMRON X2 Basic – Automatic Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor for Home Use, Clinically Validated| Irregular Heartbeat Detection |Cuff Wrapping Guide - Accurate Results & Memory - not listed as approved on BHIS website [although a lot of their other models are]
- 4 OxiPro BP1 Blood Pressure Monitor - CE Approved BP Blood Pressure Machines for home Use with Heart Rate Monitor & Large Cuff - Sphygmomanometer - Certified Blood Pressure Monitors - not listed as approved on BHIS website [although a lot of their other models are]
- 5 OMRON X3 Comfort Automatic Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor for Home Use, Clinically Validated Machine Including Use on Diabetics and Pregnancy, Intelli Wrap Cuff Accurate Results - not listed as approved on BIHS website [although a lot of their other models are], and a HEM-7155-E is listed...
Conclusion
So we have discussed that there is no "NHS Approved Blood Pressure Monitor" list, and that the NHS recommend you look at the BIHS list. The BIHS list doesn't match any of the top-5 Amazon-selling blood pressure monitors exactly, however, you can see some manufacturers have a lot more devices listed than others. For more information about blood pressure, and blood pressure monitors, check out our other pages: https://www.digitalhealthcoachuk.net/blood-pressure