While the Apple Watch can track your heart rate, blood oxygen levels and even perform an ECG, it isn’t a blood pressure monitor. Have you ever wondered if there are smart watches with blood pressure monitoring?
Currently there is a limited range available in Australia. And the ones we did find tended to be cheap with readings that aren’t accurate. Some smart watches have an optical blood pressure sensor but those aren’t accurate and require constant calibration.
Why Most Smart Watches Don’t Check Blood Pressure
In order to check your blood pressure a watch would need some type of cuff mechanism. While some watches claim to offer blood pressure monitoring through other means, they aren’t clinically proven to work. The smart watches that do have blood pressure readings usually have a cuff that inflates in the watch band. Some watches have an optical blood pressure sensor, but these also require calibration using a cuff mechanism.
Smart Watches with Blood Pressure
Huawei Watch D
The Huawei Watch D is one of the only smart watches available in Australia that can check your blood pressure. The watch band of the Huawei D has an inflating cuff. The watch also has a heart rate monitor, and skin temperature sensor.
The Huawei D works with both Android and iPhone.
Huawei says the blood pressure monitoring is for general wellbeing and fitness and it shouldn’t be considered a medical device. I wouldn’t rely on the readings of the Huawei to be super accurate compared to a medically approved blood pressure monitor.
Samsung Galaxy Watch
The Samsung Galaxy Watch has an optical blood pressure sensor. Samsung states that this feature is for general wellness and fitness purposes and shouldn’t be used as a medical device. Samsung also states that for accurate readings you need to do a calibration using a bicep cuff blood pressure monitor every 4 weeks. It also requires a Galaxy Smart Phone.
Find out more about the Galaxy Watch
Omron Smart Watch with Blood Pressure Monitor
The Omron Smart Watch is one of the only clinically approved smart watches that can check your blood pressure. However it is not currently available in Australia. I’m not sure what the TGA process is for blood pressure devices in Australia and whether Omron is looking into this. While you could import the watch, it doesn’t come with an Australian adapter.
Is it Worth Getting a Smart Watch with Blood Pressure
At the moment there are only a very limited range of devices, none of which are approved as medial devices. And because the smart watch needs to have an inflatable cuff built into the band, these smart watches aren’t particularly comfortable or stylish.
If you’re after a general idea of what your blood pressure might be (and not looking for medical grade results) the Huawei D is the best bet. I wouldn’t even bother with some of the $20-50 watches that claim to offer blood pressure monitoring.
I currently use the Qardio smart blood pressure cuff to monitor my blood pressure. It connects to my iPhone and is fairly straight forward to use. I think this is a much better option to the smart watch route. While you won’t get readings as often, these devices have been clinically verified.
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