does anybody here have a go-to for blood pressure or blood sugar monitors? honestly im looking for something reliable because most the stuff i see online has terrible reviews. half the people say they compared it to their doctors office and the numbers were way off or it just gives totally different readings every time you use it back to back.
id rather not waste money on something thats just gonna guess my numbers lol so if you guys use something thats actually consistent let me know because searching on amazon is a nightmare with all these fake looking reviews- thanks!
Man I went through like three of those cheap Amazon monitors before I finally gave up and bought an Omron. Specifically the Platinum series one. It’s a bit more expensive but way more consistent when I compare it to the readings at my clinic. The cheap ones are basically just random number generators if you’re actually holding any significant amount of water or muscle mass - definitely worth spending the extra 50 bucks for peace of mind.
For blood sugar I always stick with the Contour Next EZ. The strips are a little pricier but the accuracy is top tier compared to the generic stuff. I used a cheap brand once and it told me I was crashing when I felt fine - freaked me out for no reason lol. For BP the cuff size is actually the most important thing! If you have big arms you gotta buy the extra large cuff or the reading will be way higher than it actually is.
Honestly Amazon is a total cesspool of fake reviews for health gadgets now. I use the Omron 7 series for BP and it's been a tank for like 2 years. Tip for the blood pressure though - sit still for like 5 mins before you hit the button. If you just walked across the room or you’re stressed it’s gonna look like your heart is exploding even on a good machine.
I feel your pain on the "back to back" different readings. My old one would say 120/80 then 145/90 thirty seconds later lol. I switched to the Beurer brand for blood pressure and it’s been way more stable. For glucose I just use a ReliOn from Walmart because it’s cheap and surprisingly accurate for the price. It’s what most of the guys on the boards use when they’re on a budget.
If you want the gold standard for glucose just get a Dexcom CGM if you can afford it - but for a regular finger prick the Contour Next is definitely the winner. For BP stay away from the wrist monitors! They are absolute garbage and never accurate. Get a bicep cuff one and make sure it’s a brand like Omron or Welch Allyn if you want doctor-office level reliability.
