FitBit Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, and Blood Oxygen Monitor Review & Comparison to Other Trusted Brands
This guide will tell you about wearable blood pressure monitors, Fitbit smartwatches, and the features they have to monitor your heart health. You will learn about a future Apple smartwatch with a blood pressure monitoring feature that will work by adjusting this metric with correction factors. We will also tell you about the Samsung app for measuring blood pressure with its smartwatches and HeartGuide wearable blood pressure monitor from the trusted Japanese brand Omron.
- FitBit Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, and Blood Oxygen Monitoring Capabilities
- What Trusted Blood Pressure Monitors are There? Omron HeartGuide, Samsung Galaxy
If you suffer from heart blood pressure or heart rate problems, you will be better off with the Withings BMP Electric Arm Blood Pressure Monitor. When compared to smartwatches that have the ability to measure blood pressure, the Withings BPM is medically accurate and much more reliable. The unit is cleared by FDA and meets European medical device standards.
It is wireless and synchronizes via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to the Health Mate app on your smartphone. Through the app, you can see all the data, track your heart pressure history, and share it with your doctor.
Fitbit Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, and Blood Oxygen Monitoring Capabilities
Fitbit is an excellent choice for heart health monitoring. Equipped with long-lasting batteries, Fitbit smartwatches can track your heart rate and blood oxygen levels throughout the day but cannot measure your blood pressure.
Blood pressure is the force of blood flowing through your arteries, whereas heart rate is the speed of the heartbeat. Blood oxygen level shows the amount of oxygen your red blood cells carry. As you can see, these are different health indicators, though often interconnected.
If you have a heart problem, you should better have a dedicated medical device measuring blood pressure. If your goal is to improve overall health, a versatile Fitbit smartwatch is the best option.
In terms of heart health monitoring, we recommend the Fitbit Versa 3 Health & Fitness Smartwatch. It uses the new PurePulse 2.0 technology to continuously track heart rate day and night, providing the most possible accurate readings. The smartwatch can also send you alerts when your heart rate is low or high. The FitBit Versa is particularly useful for workouts because of the Active Zone Minutes feature. Based on your resting heart rate, the device assesses your exercise effort and helps you improve the results.
Additionally, the smartwatch checks your blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) but only while you are sleeping. With the help of the Fitbit app, you can see whether there is a negative trend in a longer period of time. For quick checks, the gadget uses various color LEDs showing different blood oxygen saturation levels. This allows you to see whether you have been active enough during the day as well as indicate the probability of a health condition.
Actually, the FitBit Versa 3 is loaded with features, and heart health monitoring capabilities are just some of them. Made with a durable 6-day battery, the smartwatch can track your stress, sleep, and activities. It features GPS, Alexa and Google Assistant, built-in speakers, and a microphone to take calls and send voicemail.
Another model, the Fitbit Sense Advanced Smartwatch, has even more beneficial features. In addition to heart rate, sleep, and stress level monitoring, it has a body temperature sensor. That sensor will track your temperature at night and can determine your normal range.
When the relevant clock face is installed, the device can track blood oxygen, too. The FDA-cleared FitBit ECG app will help you reveal any irregularities. Compared to measuring blood pressure, an electrocardiogram (ECG) is a quick way to test your heart health. Not only does ECG tell you about abnormal heart rhythms, but it can also indicate a probability of heart enlargement or poor blood supply to your heart.
Blood Pressure Monitor Feature: Why Is It a Problem in Cheap Watches?
You may wonder why there is a broad choice of heart-tracking smartwatches, and only a few models can measure blood pressure. Well, the answer is simple: blood pressure monitoring is a much more sophisticated technology and is hard to get right. Some cheap smartwatches on the market are claimed to be able to measure blood pressure. But are they accurate? Won’t they mislead you about your heart health, which may have adverse consequences?
Let’s take the budget Smart Watch for under $50. It measures blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen level. Headquartered in Hong Kong, the company produces a variety of fitness trackers and says it complies with international standards. But it is not that simple. Although the device has received almost 1,600 customer reviews, many buyers question its precision. “I compared the oximeter and the reading is wrong. Also, the blood pressure is not accurate,” one of the customers wrote in his review.
What Trusted Blood Pressure Monitor Watches Are There? Fitbit vs. Omron vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch vs. Garmin
Well, if blood pressure is your concern, we recommend buying a dedicated gadget from a trustworthy brand, such as the Omron HeartGuide Wearable Blood Pressure Monitor. Omron is a Japanese electronics company established as far back as 1933. Today, the company is well known for its high-quality medical equipment, primarily blood pressure monitors and thermometers.
Designed in the form of a watch, this ultraportable blood pressure monitor provides the user with clinically accurate readings. It will take you just 30 seconds to measure your blood measure, no matter whether you are on the go or in the office. Additionally, the device can track your physical activities and analyze sleep patterns.
But if you think that a 500-dollar gadget will hit your pocket, it is not a reason to give up. The good news is that other brand-name manufacturers are developing smartwatches with a reliable blood pressure monitoring feature.
That said, Samsung already has a smartwatch with this feature, but such a device still requires monthly calibration. In April 2020, Samsung introduced a new app that has been approved by South Korean authorities for blood pressure measuring. This app is available on the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 and needs to be downloaded to activate this feature.
How does the Samsung blood pressure tool work? First, you need to calibrate the device with a traditional blood pressure monitor and then tap to measure your blood pressure. The device analyzes the pulse waves detected with the help of heart rate sensors. The app then examines the relationship between the changes in blood pressure and the calibration value to provide you with accurate readings. The Galaxy Watch 3 has a blood pressure sensor, too. However, it is not clear yet when this new Samsung feature will be available to US and Canada users.
Another well-established smartwatch brand, Garmin, does not seem to be developing its wearable blood pressure monitor. And yet, Garmin products are worth considering because they are excellent fitness trackers.
For example, the Garmin 010-01769-01 Vivoactive 3 comes with over 15 preloaded workout apps, including swimming and running. It tracks your heart rate, daily fitness, stress level, and allows you to share your activity data with the Garmin Connect online community. You can even use your smartwatch to pay for purchases.
Another model, the Garmin vivoactive 4S, is smaller and offers a greater number of sports apps, including animated workouts. It is available in different band colors — black, white, gray, and a nice light pink model designed for women. This smartwatch tracks heart rate, respiration, hydration, sleep, stress, and even the menstrual cycle. Quite a lot for a small accessory on your wrist!
You may come across some reliable portable professional-grade heart blood monitors like Withings BPM Wi-Fi Smart Blood Pressure Monitor. So you have to ask yourself whether you really need a blood pressure monitor on your wrist 24/7.
Best Watch with 24-hour Heart Scanning
If you want a wearable medical-grade gadget with 24-hour heart scanning, look for the Withings ScanWatch. You will receive notifications when your heart rate is low or high and when the device detects irregular heart rhythms. The advantage of the Withings ScanWatch is that it offers extra features, such as a medical-grade oximeter, a breathing disturbances detection function, and a proactive atrial fibrillation detection function.
It is manufactured by a trusted brand — the French consumer electronics company Withings, which has been operating in the market for more than 13 years.
Medically Accurate Blood Pressure Monitoring
If you suffer from heart blood pressure or heart rate problems, you will be better off with the Withings BMP Electric Arm Blood Pressure Monitor. It is more technologically advanced and, at the same time, more user-friendly than traditional blood pressure monitors. When compared to smartwatches that can measure blood pressure, the Withings BPM is medically accurate and much more reliable. The unit is cleared by FDA and meets European medical device standards.
It is wireless and synchronizes via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to the Health Mate app on your smartphone. You can see all the data through the app, track your heart pressure history, and share it with your doctor.
Or you may like an Omron wearable wireless wrist blood pressure monitor from a trusted Japanese manufacturer of high-quality medical equipment Omron.
Best-Selling Fitbit Smartwatches & Trackers in Canada | Comparison Table
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Fitbit Sense Advanced Smartwatch with Tools for by Amazon.ca
- EDA Scan app detects electrodermal activity which may indicate your body's response to stress and a built-in skin temperature sensor logs yours each night so you can see when it varies
- With a compatible ECG app right on your wrist, assess your heart for atrial fibrillation –a heart rhythm irregularity-- and easily share results with your doctor (FDA review of ECG app pending; Only available in the U.S. upon clearance. Availability outside the U.S. pending applicable regulatory clearances. Not intended for use by people under 22 years old)
- An on-wrist skin temperature sensor tracks yours each night so you can see how it varies. The maximum operating altitude is 8,535m
Fitbit Versa 2 Health & Fitness Smartwatch With by Amazon.ca
- Use Amazon Alexa built-in to get quick news, check the weather, set timers and alarms, control your smart home devices, etc. All through the sound of your voice (Alexa not available in all countries)
- Based on your heart rate, time asleep and restlessness, sleep score helps you better understand sleep quality each night. Track your time in light, deep and rem sleep stages and get personal insights
- Control your Spotify app and add Deezer playlists-plus store and play 300+ songs on your wrist (subscription required)
Fitbit Sense Health & Fitness Smartwatch W/GPS, by Amazon.ca
- EDA Scan app detects electrodermal activity which may indicate your body's response to stress and a built-in skin temperature sensor logs yours each night so you can see when it varies
- With a compatible ECG app right on your wrist, assess your heart for atrial fibrillation –a heart rhythm irregularity-- and easily share results with your doctor (FDA review of ECG app pending; Only available in U.S. upon clearance. Availability outside the U.S. pending applicable regulatory clearances. Not intended for use by people under 22 years old)
- An on-wrist skin temperature sensor tracks yours each night so you can see how it varies. Operating temperature: 14° to 113°F
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