5 Best Blood Pressure Monitors, According to Cardiologists

Cardiologists recommend keeping these must-have and nice-to-have features in mind when choosing the best blood pressure monitor for your needs.

Must-have features:

✔️ Clinical accuracy: While some blood pressure monitors do obtain FDA clearance, this FDA clearance usually regards them as a safe type of device based on pre-established blood pressure measurement criteria. This means that as long as there are no substantial changes to the mechanism or how the device measures blood pressure, a new device will get FDA clearance based on the pre-existing FDA clearances, explains Dr. Druz."But just having an FDA clearance doesn't mean the device is accurate," she says. "Clinical accuracy is what's very important."

There is a database for the clinical accuracy of blood pressure monitors under the Target Blood Pressure Initiative by the American Heart Association and American Medical Association.

"The clinical validation is very specific with regard to accurate measurements and means that there have been trials to prove in real-world settings that these devices are actually accurate, have periodic calibration and are appropriately monitored," explains Dr. Druz.

✔️ Automated measurements: Automated blood pressure monitors do the inflating and measuring for you while manual ones require a person to inflate the cuff and listen with a stethoscope. “The manual one historically has been the most accurate, but it’s hard to recommend that unless there’s a second person because it becomes a little bit tedious to check that blood pressure by yourself,” says Wahaj Aman, M.D., an interventional cardiologist at UTHealth Houston and Memorial Hermann

✔️ Upper arm measurements (not wrist or finger): Research shows that blood pressure measurements taken on the wrist may not always be accurate. "It is important to buy an arm cuff blood pressure monitor, as they are more reliable than the wrist or finger cuffs," agrees Cheng-Han Chen, M.D., board-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA.

✔️ Well-fitting cuff: If the cuff doesn’t fit properly, it can’t provide an accurate measurement. “If you are of thinner build, you need to go for a smaller cuff,” says Dr. Marvel. “If you’re a larger build, you need to go for a larger cuff.” Measure your arm and make sure the blood pressure monitor you’re interested in is appropriate for your size before you buy it.

Nice-to-have features:

• Ability to sync via Bluetooth: “If somebody is technologically advanced, I would say go for one with an app,” says Dr. Aman. “It makes our lives a lot easier when you come to our office and you already have your log with you on your phone.”
• Large display screen if it doesn’t sync: Some monitors have a very small screen to display your results, which can make it difficult to read and write down measurements. "You should try to find one that has a large display that is easy to read," says Dr. Chen.

First, it’s helpful to know there’s an artery in your arm called the brachial artery. “The blood pressure cuff inflates to where the artery becomes obliterated or closed down manually,” explains Dr. Aman. “Then the cuff slowly starts to release pressure. The pressure at which the cuff starts to feel the pulse again is your top or systolic number for your blood pressure. As it continues to relax, the bottom or diastolic number is where it stops hearing the pulse.”

Essentially, the systolic number is the pressure put on your artery when your heart beats to push blood through and the diastolic number is the amount of pressure when the heart relaxes between beats.

Yes, if you use one that’s validated for clinical accuracy and use it properly. A 2020 British study of 331 devices found that doctors can trust the accuracy of home blood pressure monitors if they’re clinically validated and less than four years old.

“You can bring your blood pressure cuff to the office so that we can check it simultaneously if there’s a question about accuracy,” says Dr. Aman. Your physician will compare your blood pressure monitor to the standard blood pressure cuff in the office to calibrate it and ensure accuracy. Your doctor can also give you pointers on how to use the device to get the most accurate results.

Follow these steps to ensure your blood pressure measurements are as accurate as possible.

1. Consider your routine. If first thing in the morning is the most convenient time for you to take your blood pressure, empty your bladder and wait until you’re done with your measurements to consume caffeine, exercise or take medications.
2. Gather everything you need. Whether you use a pen and paper or your phone to record readings, make sure you have what you need handy when you sit down so that you don’t need to go fetch something mid-measurements.
3. Set aside five to ten minutes. This isn’t a process that should be rushed. The American Heart Association recommends resting quietly for five minutes before you measure your blood pressure because moving around and stressing out can elevate your numbers.
4. Make sure your arm is bare. If you have a long-sleeve shirt on under the blood pressure cuff, you’ll get an inaccurate reading.
5. Choose the right chair. First, your feet should be on the ground and your back should be supported. “You want to be seated in a chair where you can relax your arms at the level of your heart,” says Dr. Marvel. “If you let your arm hang you could get a falsely higher blood pressure reading.” Use pillows to prop up your arm if you need to.
6. Take slow, deep breaths while measuring. Avoid talking, coughing or moving while the monitor is doing its thing.
7. Measure more than once. Your first reading may be higher than you expect if you’re a little nervous or not completely calm. Take multiple measurements and record them all. Your physician may consider the average of your readings when evaluating your blood pressure log.

The best thing to do is see your primary care physician regularly to make sure blood pressure issues aren't missed and ask if you should be monitoring your blood pressure at home.

“A common misconception is that if you're young, you can’t have high blood pressure,” says Briana Costello, M.D., a general and interventional cardiologist at The Texas Heart Institute. “I have many, many patients in their 30s and some even in their 20s that I treat for high blood pressure. Blood pressure is one of the biggest risk factors for the development of heart disease so if you detect it early, you can prevent a lot of things from happening later in life.” In fact, recent research estimates that nearly half of all adults in the United States have high blood pressure. So if you have risk factors for hypertension (such as family history, ethnicity, age, weight, drug and/or alcohol use, diet and activity level), Dr. Marvel recommends checking your blood pressure at home once a week.

If you’ve already been diagnosed with hypertension, home monitoring is essential to keeping your blood pressure under control and alerting both you and your doctor if adjustments need to be made to your treatment plan.

Any time that you remember to is great! Some doctors believe that it's best to stick to a schedule where you're measuring your blood pressure at the same time every day.

“Generally, I say go ahead and take it in the same arm around the same time every day because part of what will happen with blood pressure is that based on our circadian rhythms and the release of cortisol, which is a stress hormone, we can see variations throughout the day,” says Dr. Marvel. Being able to take measurements at the same time every day is a huge benefit of at-home blood pressure monitoring. “We get a longitudinal view of how blood pressure is controlled in your home environment in everyday life,” says Dr. Marvel.

Not unless your doctor tells you to. “Generally, I have my patients measure in the same arm each time that they're taking their blood pressure,” says Dr. Marvel. If you’re at a clinic or doctor’s office and your healthcare provider is concerned that you may have vascular issues that could cause a discrepancy between your right and left side, it’s reasonable for them to take measurements from both sides — but there’s no need for you to do that at home unless they advise you to.

A healthy blood pressure is considered to be less than 120 over 80. Don’t panic if you have one reading that’s higher than that, but if you start to consistently get numbers above 140 over 90, Dr. Marvel says it’s probably not an urgent situation but it’s a good idea to speak with your doctor about scheduling an appointment to be evaluated in their office. “But there are times when we very much worry, for example, if a patient is having a blood pressure that’s reaching what we call hypertensive crisis or an emergency level where it can really start affecting kidneys, brain, heart and many other organs,” says Dr. Marvel. If your blood pressure tops 180 over 120, it’s time to call 911.

“The number-one thing that I wish patients were told is fluctuations are very normal and you shouldn’t be alarmed when one happens,” says Dr. Costello. “Your blood pressure is influenced by lots of things including your mood, your stress level and your sleep quality.” That’s why having a log with many home blood pressure readings is so valuable. “We treat average blood pressures,” says Dr. Costello. “We don’t just treat one number so when you go to your doctor, there’s nothing more important than coming with a blood pressure log so that we can make a well-informed decision about management.”

“If your blood pressure is above 120 over 80, we recommend lifestyle modifications,” says Dr. Aman. Those changes might include consuming less sodium and more potassium and magnesium, as well as aiming for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week.

Your doctor may also assess you for sleep apnea. “We often find with some patients that after you treat the sleep apnea, their blood pressure will improve,” says Dr. Costello. “When you have sleep apnea, you’re starving your body of oxygen so it can cause your vessels to clamp down which can increase the blood pressure.”

If your blood pressure is above 130 over 80, Dr. Aman says your doctor will likely consider your hypertension risk factors (such as family history, ethnicity, age, weight, drug and/or alcohol use, diet and activity level) to determine if you should take a medication to help lower your blood pressure. “If you need blood pressure medicine, I think it’s important to know that there are so many options so don’t feel defeated if the first one you try doesn’t work or you don’t like it or you have side effects,” says Dr. Costello. “We can almost always find something that works for you.”

Kaitlyn Phoenix is a senior editor in the Health Newsroom at Hearst, where she reports, writes and edits research-backed health content for Good Housekeeping, Prevention and Woman's Day. She has more than 10 years of experience talking to top medical professionals and poring over studies to figure out the science of how our bodies work. She then turns what she learns into easy-to-read stories about medical conditions, nutrition, fitness and mental health.

Amy Schlinger is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer (NASM-CPT), and a skilled reporter, writer and editor who regularly interviews world-renowned doctors and medical professionals, elite trainers, nutrition experts, professional athletes and celebrities. She has covered numerous health and fitness topics including the best ankle braces, recovery tools and home gym equipment.