How to Monitor Your Blood Pressure at Home (2026)
The Apple Watch is not calibrated with an armband. It takes 30 days of heart data from existing optical PPG sensors, analyzes it, and gives you a probability that you have hypertension. It’s also significant that this is the first year that the Apple Watch offers true 24-hour battery life, so you can wear it while you sleep without taking it off to charge. I turned this feature on with my Series 11 and haven’t received a notification yet (and I hope I never do), but given that general awareness, screening, and detection of hypertension poses a huge barrier to diagnosis, the Apple Watch is a significant step forward.
BPM at the best quality-price ratio
The iHealth Ease is one of the cheapest blood pressure monitors you will find on the market. As former contributor Richard Baguley says, it achieves this feat with a remarkable degree of accuracy (the device is ESH-10 approved, a widely recognized standard for accuracy in automated blood pressure monitors).
The Ease essentially turns your phone into BPM. It consists of a cuff, an air tube and a base for your phone. The base communicates via Bluetooth with your Apple or Android device, takes the reading and sends it to the iHealth MyVitals app, which is free and accessible to others, like your family or doctor. Baguley notes that the Ease lives up to its name and is very easy to use, although it is a bit slower than other devices we’ve tried. There’s also a useful emergency stop button on the base for anyone who finds the pinching sensation of a blood pressure cuff too uncomfortable, but with every monitor here, if it becomes uncomfortable, you can always just take it off.
Alternative: Baguley also tested the Omron Evolves ($120)which is another standalone BPM that syncs with the Omron Connect app. You slide the entire device onto your arm to measure. Baguley notes that, unlike other devices we’ve tested, it’s a bit difficult to use and the app must be run to receive data from the device; others, like Withings, can store data onboard until the app can sync.
Not FDA approved
When I reviewed the Whoop MG (8/10, WIRED recommends) in June of last year, I noticed that it was the first wearable fitness tracker I’d seen to offer blood pressure measurements. At the time, the feature was still in beta; later, Whoop would choose not to seek FDA authorization. In July, the FDA sent the company a warning letter for marketing the feature without obtaining approval. Whoop continues to maintain its blood pressure function. Whoop has similar warnings to Apple, but it is notable that both Apple and Aktiia have opted to seek FDA clearance.
