The Withings Blood Pressure Monitor is an easy to operate device that allows you to measure your blood pressure and heart rate and track the results via the excellent Withings app and website. As this could well be an occasional use device for a lot of people it was nice to see Withings have designed the packaging to act as the storage box rather than be discarded. The box has a magnetic catch allowing you to easily open and close it and the monitor fits securely in place.
Along with the blood pressure monitor you get some instructions and a USB adapter to connect the unit to your smartphone via cable instead of bluetooth.
The monitor is powered by 4 AAA batteries and these came preinstalled and ready to use. There isn’t much to the monitor, there is a silver cylinder attached to a large arm strap.
On the top of the cylinder is a button that turns the device on/off; the bottom of the device is where you replace the batteries.
Setup was very easy. Note you will need a smartphone and the Withings app to make use of this monitor, which I already have as I have a set of Withings scales.
To set it up you need to pair your phone with the monitor via bluetooth and then add it to your Withings account within the app. I found the first time I tried this the phone appeared to pair with the device but then wasn’t actually connected, switching the Bluetooth off and then on again resolved this problem.
From then on whenever you power up the monitor it will automatically connect to your phone and the app. You’re able to take readings to add to your account or you can take a guest reading.
To take a reading you pop the monitor on (tricky the first time, very easy afterwards) and press the start button on the app. You can either take a single reading, or 3 consecutive readings which are averaged. If you’ve had your blood pressure taken before you’ll be familiar with the sensation, the monitor inflates and squeezes your arm in the same way a doctor would. During the reading process the app provides real time data as to what is going on.
If you’ve not positioned the monitor correctly the reading will fail and you’ll be prompted to start again.
Once completed the app shows 3 readings:
- Systol
- Diastol
- Heart Rate
To help understand your readings the app provides a result based on the World Health Organisation standards (`Normal blood pressure’ in my case, phew!). The app also allows you to add notes to each set of readings.
Withings have really nailed the app, it’s crisp, polished and easy to understand. If you’d rather look at your data on a bigger screen you’ve got access to the Withings website which, like the app, is brilliantly designed and easy to use and has the additional benefit of allowing you to email you data directly from the website (e.g. to your doctor). I’ve used both the Withings app and website for years with a pair of smart scales and to have further data added in a clear and easy to understand manner is a huge plus of buying into the Withings ecosystem.
The blood pressure monitor is a fantastic bit of kit, especially for those who want to keep an eye on things in between checkups. It’s quick, easy to use, and backed up by a brilliant apps and website and is available from Amazon.
