The Best Smartwatches for Blood Pressure Measurement:
8 Models That Monitor Hypertension Day and Night Besides Connecting to Smartphones for Notifications
In a constantly evolving market, blood pressure smartwatches still represent a niche category, with a relatively limited number of available and reliable models. These gadgets are equipped with special inflatable bands or sophisticated sensors that can provide accurate and reliable readings, offering useful support for those who need to monitor specific clinical conditions like hypertension. According to data from the Ministry of Health, hypertension is a health condition affecting approximately 18% of Italians and tends to worsen with age. Despite the limited options, by carefully scanning the world of "smart" watches, we have identified about ten models that can provide reliable measurements in a practical and quick manner due to their technological and functional characteristics.
A Personal Trainer at Your Fingertips
In addition to a variety of interesting interactions with smartphones (reading messages, answering calls, sharing music), smartwatches have also become training companions that collect and record data to analyze an individual's performance and assess the effectiveness of their efforts. But that's not all. Many models now feature sensors that monitor parameters like heart rate and blood oxygen, providing assessments related to stress levels and sleep quality, whether in an active or resting state. With these features, smartwatches transform into health hubs, offering a comprehensive and detailed overview of one’s physical condition with the support of specific applications.
Some Practical Advice
Compared to other products on the market, the smartwatches we have chosen in this article are characterized by measurement accuracy above average, with a low percentage error margin. It is essential to emphasize two fundamental points:
- First, carefully read the instructions provided by the manufacturers, check any usage recommendations, and assess limitations due to pathologies, allergies, or the presence of medical devices (such as pacemakers) in the body.
- Second, under any circumstances, these devices should not be considered substitutes for expert consultations or products specifically designed for these measurements. They can provide good support for classic blood pressure monitors and signal potential issues, but going beyond this scope may pose health risks.
Best Smart Blood Pressure Monitors Selected by Wired Magazine
The quality of the sensors and detection accuracy are the two basic pillars we considered while searching for the best blood pressure measuring smartwatches. Starting from these elements, we selected models ranging from extremely simple and basic to high-end accessories without setting budget constraints. Additionally, for those who want a broader understanding of the world of smart wrist devices, we prepared a series of guides specifically covering the best smartwatches on the market, affordable smartwatches (under €150), hybrid smartwatches, sports watches, and smart bands suitable for all fitness enthusiasts.
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Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is a comprehensive proposal featuring high precision and comfort in navigating daily life. With its simple design, round dial (43 or 47 mm), and Super AMOLED display, it boasts a slim rotating metal bezel and interchangeable straps, suitable for both elegant and sporty outfits. It offers top-notch features, from managing calls and messages to contactless payments, tracking body activity data, and monitoring sleep, menstrual cycles, heart rate, and blood pressure, all supported by the Samsung Health app. It is also water-resistant (IP68 certified, resistant to 5 ATM) and available in two versions, one with Bluetooth and another with dual Bluetooth and 4G options. -
Aktiia
This wristband does not come with thousands of features related to fitness and monitoring different life parameters. In short, it is not something that can be defined as a smartwatch, but it is effectively a blood pressure monitor, certified as a Class IIa medical device. Lightweight and comfortable, it operates by performing a simple calibration with the provided sleeve, allowing for measurements every hour. Extremely accurate data is sent to Aktiia's proprietary app, where users can check blood pressure trends over days, weeks, or months. The battery life is impressive, lasting about ten days before needing a recharge. -
Huawei Watch D
The Huawei Watch D is comfortable to wear, has long battery life, and is easy to set up on iOS and Android devices, making it a smartwatch that can continuously monitor blood pressure. At first glance, it may look like an ordinary watch, but inside it houses technology capable of obtaining very accurate readings. The aluminum alloy case has eight sensors arranged in a ring, along with a mini pump and an airbag that can measure pressure when inflated. It also offers options for assessing sleep quality and training performance through the GNSS positioning system. Additionally, it can monitor heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and menstrual cycles, with an ECG app providing single-lead ECG measurements, real-time analysis, sinus rhythm, and atrial fibrillation detection. Integration with Huawei Health is seamless, allowing for data collection and sharing and providing reports to keep users informed about their health. -
Amazfit GTR 3 Pro
The Amazfit GTR 3 Pro is a complete smartwatch ideal for those looking to monitor various life parameters while engaging in physical activities. It supports multiple satellite navigation systems (GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BDS, and QZSS) and offers 150 sports modes for collecting training data. It is compatible with Alexa and can be used to answer calls and play music. The watch features an outstanding 1.45-inch HD AMOLED screen and can connect to health platforms such as Apple Health, Strava, Relieve, Runkeeper, and TrainingPeaks. Blood pressure is measured using optical sensors located on the wrist (the same sensors that record heart rate and respiratory frequency as well as oxygen levels in the blood), providing good accuracy. The health department also has dedicated programs for monitoring sleep quality and stress levels. -
Asus Vivowatch BP
The Asus Vivowatch BP smartwatch is an excellent solution for consistently controlling blood pressure and heart rate. Compact in size yet sturdy, it features a pair of electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors that, with the help of Asus HealthAI technology, allow for quite precise and accurate real-time analysis. All collected data can be sent to the Asus HealthConnect app (available for iOS and Android), which serves as a hub for monitoring daily and weekly trends while providing additional information on sleep quality, stress levels, and physical activity (step count, distance traveled, calories burned). The battery life is exceptionally long, enabling almost a month of use without needing a recharge. -
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 serves as a genuine data collection center, allowing for 24/7 health monitoring. It features an accurate sleep quality assessment program capable of detecting snoring and tracking different sleep stages (awake, light sleep, deep sleep, and REM). It is equipped with Samsung’s BioActive 3-in-1 sensor, which enables analysis of bioelectrical impedance, cardiac electrical pulses (ECG), and optical heart rate. To monitor blood pressure and receive all results on a smartphone, users need to utilize the Samsung Health Monitor app and conduct calibrations using a classic arm blood pressure monitor. These readings are quite accurate but require regular recalibration. -
Those focused on health and uninterested in all additional features related to navigation, messaging, and payments will find the BP Doctor Med 14 an attractive smartwatch. Equipped with a patented inflatable wristband, it offers high precision in detection and features for monitoring sleep quality, pulse, blood oxygen, and heart rate, syncing data with the BP Doctor app on your smartphone day after day. -
The BP Doctor Pro 15 is a smartwatch available in three different colors, blending minimalist, sporty aesthetics with specially developed health components. Besides measuring blood pressure using an inflatable airbag within the band, it can also measure heart rate, temperature, oxygen, glucose, blood lipids, and uric acid levels, as well as assess sleep quality. It includes a fitness component that allows for tracking training performance and a variety of messaging features for receiving notifications when getting calls or posting on social networks. The 1.42-inch display performs well, is IP67 certified for water resistance, and has a good battery life, with a 260mAh battery lasting a week.