Blood pressure watches

In addition to the familiar blood pressure monitors for the upper arm or wrist, there are several measuring devices integrated into a wristwatch. These watches have a measuring cuff built into the strap that inflates for measurement, just like conventional devices. Thanks to this cuff, blood pressure can be measured in this way using the conventional oscillometric measurement principle. Each watch comes with an app provided by the manufacturer, without which these devices cannot be used or can only be used to a very limited extent.

Due to their design and measurement method, blood pressure watches differ in every respect from smartwatches or fitness trackers, some of which are also advertised as being able to measure blood pressure. As mentioned above, blood pressure watches use a long-established and proven measurement method. They use an inflatable cuff that briefly interrupts the blood flow in the blood vessel underneath. Blood pressure values are determined from the oscillations that subsequently occur in the blood vessel. This oscillometric method of measuring blood pressure is used in almost all available blood pressure monitors for the wrist or upper arm.

Omron Heartguide and Medisana BPW 300 unboxed

By contrast, the method intended to measure blood pressure in smartwatches and fitness trackers is completely new. It is based on pulse wave transit time and, given the current state of technology, is not yet sufficiently accurate to provide realistic measurement results. The descriptions of the relevant devices often explicitly state that the measurement has not been validated for medical purposes. At present, this measurement method therefore does not yet provide sufficiently meaningful results, particularly for people with high blood pressure.

Although blood pressure watches are a niche product, we nevertheless took a closer look at two of the models currently available.

Omron HeartGuide

Since the end of 2019, Omron has offered the Omron HeartGuide, a wristwatch with an integrated blood pressure monitor. According to the latest information, this limited-edition watch can only be purchased directly from Omron.

In addition to the watch itself, the elegant-looking packaging contains the charging cable and operating instructions, which are provided in several languages as separate two-page leaflets. The package also contains a two-page illustrated guide.

At first glance, the HeartGuide impresses with its modern appearance and round shape. However, taking it out of the packaging reveals the first drawback: the watch weighs a hefty 120 g, far more than the average smartwatch. This turns every blood pressure measurement into a mini-workout. With a diameter of 48 mm, a case thickness of 14 mm and a strap width of 30 mm, the device is also better suited to a sturdy wrist. This is supported by the wrist circumference range for which the operating instructions say it is suitable: between 16 and 19 cm. The user's wrist should therefore be neither particularly slender nor particularly large.

The watch strap is made from relatively flimsy rubber. The preformed blood pressure cuff is located underneath it. One very practical feature is that the measuring cuff's cover can be removed for cleaning.

Despite the preformed cuff, putting on the HeartGuide is relatively difficult because the strap above it is very flexible and repeatedly slips out of place. When putting it on, the longer part of the cuff is also supposed to slide a little way underneath the shorter part so that the two sections overlap slightly. This is also difficult to manage without assistance.

The manufacturer's Omron Heart Adviser app is required to use the watch. Measurements cannot be taken until the watch has first been paired with the app. Once pairing has been completed, a measurement can also be started without the app. Unfortunately, in our test, the connection did not work with all mobile devices. Registration with Omron is also required to use the app.

Unfortunately, measurement with this watch cannot simply take place unnoticed in the background either. The measuring position, with the watch at heart level, must be exactly right, as must your posture; otherwise, incorrect measurements may occur or the measurement may not start. As the display faces away from the body when the arm is in the correct position, it is unfortunately almost impossible to check whether the measuring position is correct and whether the measurement is starting. After a few measurements, however, you generally get the hang of it and the measurements work without any problems. They are also relatively comfortable because measurement already begins while the cuff is inflating. However, adopting the correct posture for measurement in public repeatedly attracted puzzled looks because it appears somewhat unnatural.

In our test, some of the measured values differed significantly from comparison measurements taken with a blood pressure monitor. Unfortunately, we were unable to identify the source of the error because the measurements were taken under the same conditions.

The watch has 100 memory slots in its internal memory for one user. This means that data only needs to be transferred to the manufacturer's app from time to time. However, stored measurements cannot be deleted from the memory. This is important to know if you lend the watch to someone else so that they can check their blood pressure. The other person's reading will inevitably appear in your own history and distort it.

The battery life is specified as 48 hours with ten measurements per day. We took slightly fewer measurements during our test, so there was still sufficient battery life remaining after two days. Assuming a charging break every two days, the watch is certainly suitable for continuous use.

The Omron HeartGuide offers additional functions such as a step counter, sleep monitoring and notifications, making it somewhat more like a smartwatch. However, the notifications are barely noticeable and can only be enabled to a limited extent. The step counter counted significantly fewer steps than the smartwatch used for comparison. Sleep monitoring would be a useful feature in itself, especially in conjunction with blood pressure. However, the size and weight of the watch make it very uncomfortable to wear at night.

The HeartGuide is therefore certainly suitable for quickly measuring your blood pressure from time to time in everyday life. Unfortunately, even with this device, this cannot be done completely inconspicuously. It remains questionable how meaningful blood pressure measurements taken between activities without sufficient rest are. The additional features are useful, but fall short of the range of functions offered by less expensive smartwatches.

At a price of 549.00 euros, the Omron HeartGuide is not only the blood pressure watch with the widest range of functions, but also the most expensive one we know of.

Medisana BPW 300

The Medisana BPW 300 is another wristwatch with a blood pressure cuff integrated into the strap.

When the packaging is opened, the first thing that stands out is the size of the watch. The square case measures an impressive 4 cm x 4.6 cm and is 1.5 cm thick. The strap needs to provide sufficient space for the cuff inside and is therefore also quite wide at 2.7 cm. The watch is suitable for wrist circumferences between 13.5 and 21.5 cm. At 65 g, it weighs slightly more than a larger smartwatch.

Putting it on is difficult even with an average wrist circumference. The integrated cuff is located in the longer part of the strap - in other words, where the fastening holes are located. When putting it on, part of the cuff has to be guided underneath the other part of the strap - the part with the clasp. This is really difficult to manage on your own and requires considerable dexterity.

The E-Ink display is the size of a wristwatch face. The numbers are shown in white against a black background. Unfortunately, the digits are rather dim, making them somewhat difficult to read in the dark. However, the digits are large enough to be easily read in good lighting conditions. The exception is the day and date display, which appears in small text at the top of the screen. You have to look closely to read it. When the display changes, for example before a measurement or when retrieving data from the memory, the screen flashes and then briefly turns black before the new display appears. So a little patience is required - the watch is not defective!

There are two buttons on the side of the watch. One starts the measurement and stops it if necessary, while the other retrieves the most recently measured value. It then displays the most recently measured pulse, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, but without the date and time.

The measurement can be started using the button mentioned above. An automatic measurement interval can also be set in the manufacturer's associated VitaDock+ app. More on this below.

When a measurement is started, the screen flashes first and then instructions on the correct measurement position are displayed in English. After the display flashes again, the measurement begins - without checking whether the correct measurement position has been adopted. This means that measurements can also be taken with the arm in an incorrect position. If the watch detects an error, such as movement during the measurement, an error message appears on the display in English, and it is not always easy to understand. One of the messages displayed was „Measuring inappropriate“, which translates as „Measurement inappropriate“. Unfortunately, this does not indicate whether the measurement was faulty, whether the blood pressure may be outside the measurement range or whether there is another problem.

The measurement itself is relatively comfortable because it is taken while the cuff is being inflated. Once the measurement is complete, the display flashes again - this time twice in succession. The readings are then displayed. The values can subsequently be transferred to the manufacturer's app.

Unfortunately, we were unable to determine whether automatic synchronization of the watch, which is referred to as „Sugarwatch“ in the app, is possible. Every time we opened the app, we were asked whether the watch should be synchronized. Synchronization takes several seconds even when there are no new measurements to transfer. Without synchronization, the existing data remained grayed out in the app.

We could only select the automatic measurement interval when setting up the watch for the first time. Unfortunately, we could not find this setting in the app afterward. Another tester was able to change the setting later as well. There may be differences depending on which smartphone is used to run the app.

In addition to the blood pressure watch, other Medisana devices can be connected to the app.

The battery life is a very positive feature. The battery can be charged using the included USB cable (without a power adapter). It easily exceeded the manufacturer's stated battery life of five days with two measurements per day. Even after six days, the battery indicator on our watch still showed two out of four bars. It did not run out until after nine days. However, we were no longer taking measurements every day.

The operating instructions are included with the watch as fold-out leaflets in several languages. Overall, the explanation of how to use the watch is rather sparse. However, some illustrations clarify how to operate the device. Unfortunately, there is no further information on using the app beyond initially connecting the watch.

Overall, the BPW 300 blood pressure watch is a very large retro-style wristwatch that performs its stated basic function. The measurement accuracy specified by the manufacturer is good. However, this accuracy can only be achieved if the watch is used correctly, with the correct measurement position. It should be noted that a quick blood pressure measurement taken on the go, as is possible with this device, cannot provide resting values. It is difficult to compare these results with values normally measured at home while seated and truly at rest. To put it politely, the functionality of the manufacturer's associated app takes some getting used to.

At 349.95 euros, the Medisana BPW 300 blood pressure watch is considerably more expensive than conventional blood pressure monitors.

Newgen Medical BPW-100

Pearl also offers a wristwatch with an integrated blood pressure cuff. We researched this watch as well:

In terms of both appearance and the stated technical specifications and functions, the watch is virtually identical to the Medisana watch. The only difference is that the case is black rather than silver. However, we were unable to connect the associated app to the Medisana watch. We could not determine whether this indicates a difference between the two watches or whether the app for the Pearl watch simply has problems. The few reviews of the watch and app are scathing, so we decided not to test it ourselves. We suspect that Medisana used the same watch as Pearl and integrated it into its own app. The Pearl watch has been on the market since 2019. Although it is significantly less expensive than the products from Omron and Medisana, it is still relatively costly at just under 200.00 euros.

Such blood pressure watches are now also available without medical device approval, such as the KU5 Pro from Kumi. No medically useful measurement results should be expected from these devices.

Hybrid: Huawei Watch D

With the Huawei Watch D, Huawei offers a true smartwatch that also provides blood pressure measurement using an integrated cuff. As it is a true smartwatch, it far surpasses all the other devices mentioned here in terms of functionality. With a retail price of approximately 400 euros, this watch is not inexpensive either, but it certainly offers the best value for money here. (Photo: Huawei)

Update September 2024: The Huawei Watch D2 is now available. According to media reports that also tested its blood pressure measurement, this is unfortunately not very accurate. One specialist magazine reports generally elevated readings, while another reports systolic readings that are too high and diastolic readings that are too low.

Kardena CARE Air and Kardena CARE Air 2

The German manufacturer Kardena offers watches with "Air" in their names, referring to the micro airbag used for blood pressure measurement. The watches are marketed as health watches, but they are not approved as medical devices. The Kardena Care Air 2 was released in January 2024.

Sources:

This article is from Tensana – the leading app since 2011, helping hundreds of thousands of people monitor their blood pressure every day. Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 02/2026).

Author Horst Klier has been closely involved with high blood pressure since 2002 – initially because he was personally affected and, since 2009, as the developer of Tensana – and is now regarded as a recognized blood pressure expert thanks to his app and specialist platform, used millions of times, as well as his numerous publications. As the author of several health guides and specialist articles, he communicates complex knowledge in a clear and practical way.