Best Arm Blood Pressure Monitors for Home Use (2024)

If you are right-handed, it is generally recommended that you use the left arm for checking blood pressure. That is because the left arm is nearer the heart, and may give slightly more accurate readings. However, some people have conditions that make blood flow through one arm different from the other, changing readings. For that reason, it’s best to follow the advice of healthcare professionals on which arm to use.

If you have a significant difference every time in your readings between your left and right arm, you should consult a doctor. The discrepancy could be a sign of more serious vascular problems.

Your blood pressure results are impacted by the position of your arms. Your arm and heart should be at the same level for an accurate measurement. If your arm is too high or too low, it might make your reading appear abnormally high or low. The following advice may help you keep your arms in the right posture when taking measurements:

• Sit down on the chair with your feet flat on the floor.
• Position your arm at heart level on a flat surface such as a table.
• Avoid crossing your legs as this may affect the results.

You can be confident that the blood pressure monitor connected to your arm is providing the most accurate readings when your arm is positioned correctly.

Using an arm blood pressure machine for home use is straightforward, but accuracy depends on following a few important steps:

1. Prepare for the reading: Take your blood pressure five minutes after you sit quietly. Don’t smoke, exercise, or consume caffeine within 30 minutes of the measurement.
2. Apply the cuff: About an inch above your elbow, wrap the cuff of the blood pressure machine on your arm. And make sure that it’s snug, but not too tight. Once you start, the upper arm blood pressure monitor begins to inflate automatically.
3. Position your arm correctly: As we said before, have the arm leveled at heart and supported on a table or other surface.
4. Take multiple readings: Take at least two or three readings, a minute apart and calculate the average for accuracy.
5. Record the results: Record your readings over time and watch your blood pressure change. The OMRON upper arm blood pressure monitor UK is equipped with built-in memory, making data storage easy and sharing with your health care provider simple.

If you take the steps laid out above you can manage your blood pressure from the comfort of your own home knowing that you’re doing your best to keep your heart healthy.

O’Shea, J., & Murphy, M. (2000). Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring: which arm? Journal of Human Hypertension, 14(4), 227–230. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1000998
American Heart Association (2017). Monitoring your blood pressure at home. Retrieved from www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/understanding-blood-pressure-readings/monitoring-your-blood-pressure-at-home