What is the best home blood pressure reading machine?

[JonnyBoy12]

I know that is not the correct medical name for it, but I can not spell the name correctly. I have recently been told that I have mild high blood pressure, and will not be able to take part in medical trials as a result. I blamed it all on white coat hypertension, and that I was nervous in the medical room. I was told to buy my own blood pressure machine, but not sure which one to get. I have decided to come to the people I trust and admire in the world, you ABers, of course.

Have any of you had experience of these machines, and which one would you recommend?

Thanks for your kind advice, past and present.

[gingejbee]

Which? tested these recently. The CHEAPEST Best Buy was the Kinetic BMP 1C at about £20 (available from Argos). Others that cost several times as much performed worse!

[gingejbee]

.....this is an upper-arm type . DO NOT get a wrist-type; in general they are poor performers.

[redcrx]

Mr CRXs GP advised him NOT to get a wrist one as they can be innaccurate, we bought an arm cuff one at the tesco pharmacy

[Sqad]

Excellent idea....many many on the market.

Boots do a good High Blood Pressure Monitor.

I agree with gingebee.....get an upper arn one.

[arwyn]

I have an ALVITA make it's an upper arm type £15. It depends who I see at my surgery, some say "oh it's good that you keep an eye on you'r b.p at home" and others say "oh no don't do it, its bad to check you'r own because if you get a high reading that will make you panic and it'll go higher, so dont do it" so who do you believe?????

[ethandron]

i bought mine from boots when it was on offer, cost about £20. i took it along with me to my gp and she tested it so we were both confident in the results. she now accepts my home readings and i take a print out of them with me when i go for a blood pressure check. the readings taken at the surgery are always higher than those at home, so whilst i know there are those who poohpooh 'white coat syndrome', i believe it exists as does my gp. i would highly recommend buying one.

[scotman]

I bought my arm cuff monitor about 2 years ago from Lloyds. It was reduced to £10. Most chemists have offers now and again plus the various commercial sales.
Mine was stated as being ±3% on readings. I have no idea whether it was or not but I would imagine getting anything better than that would be expensive.