Can a Smartwatch track blood pressure? Quick answer: Although not all, most smartwatches/fitness trackers in the market can track blood pressure.
With so many activity trackers in the market today it makes sense to include health-tracking functions like blood pressure tracking.
Garmin, Fitbit, Apple, Whoop, and Galaxy Watches have the capability to track blood pressure. What makes a smartwatch able to track blood pressure is the pulse wave analysis function.
Apart from tracking your blood pressure, the function will also track your heart rate. Blood pressure and heart rate are monitored simultaneously.
Smartwatches that monitor blood pressure come with apps, we call them companion apps.
It is from the companion app where you in-depth results of both your blood pressure and heart rate.
Consider your blood pressure high when the pulse transit time is fast and your blood pressure low if the pulse transit time is so slow.
How do smartwatches measure blood pressure?
A smartwatch slightly works differently from the digital blood pressure used by doctors.
A digital blood pressure monitor is cuffed on the hand to measure blood pressure while a smartwatch is worn on the wrist to track blood pressure. Here is how a smartwatch measures the blood pressure of the human body:
Smartwatches use an optical heart rate sensor to measure blood pressure (other ECG sensors).
With these sensors, the watches can tell time (Pulse Transmit Time – PTT) taken by a pulse to reach the wrist.
Consider your blood pressure high when the pulse transit time is fast and your blood pressure low if the pulse transit time is so slow.
Most smartwatches take long to calculate BP readings as variations take long to check.
Don’t fasten a smartwatch too tight because it hinders the blood from pumping with ease when you do so, hence you don’t get the correct readings.
Which smartwatch can monitor blood pressure?
There are many smartwatches that can measure blood pressure. MorePro Fitness
Activity Tracker, OMRON HeartGuide smartwatch, and Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 are the 3 best smartwatches you can use to monitor your blood pressure. Let’s briefly discuss the three smartwatches for blood pressure.
1. MorePro Fitness Activity Tracker
| Battery Life | 5 days |
| GPS | (Onboard GPS) |
| Water Resistance Rating | IP68 |
The More Fitness Activity tracker is yet another smartwatch that can monitor your blood pressure throughout the day.
The smartwatch comes with two sensors namely, PPG and ECG. The two sensors work together to provide you with more accurate blood pressure data.
Apart from the sensors mentioned, you will also find a SpO2 sensor which is responsible for checking the level of oxygen in the blood. You also get to know about your Heart Rate Variability.
Pros
- Comes with a warranty of 180 days.
- There’s a built-in GPS.
- Can measure blood pressure together with the level of oxygen in the blood.
Cons
- Not subjected to FDA approval.
- The display feels a little bit small.
2. OMRON HeartGuide Smartwatch
| Battery Life | 2 days |
| GPS | Yes |
| Water Resistance Rating | IP68 |
OMRON HeartGuide smartwatch was primarily made to track heart rate. The smartwatch comes with a dedicated button that when pushed will take less than 30 seconds to provide details about your blood pressure informed by colored charts.
In addition, there’s a cuff called the Oscillometric BP cuff that tightens the wrist stopping the blood from flowing to get accurate readings. OMRON HeartGuide smartwatch works like a standard blood pressure monitor.
Pros
- Cleared by FDA.
- Receives texts and emails.
- Simple to read display.
- It takes the watch less than 30 seconds to read.
Cons
- A number of users claim the watch feels bulky and uncomfortable.
- The smartwatch is expensive and yet appears not to be waterproof.
3. Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
| Battery Life | 3-7 days (361mAh) |
| GPS | (Onboard GPS) |
| Storage | Memory: 1.5GB RAM + 16GB Internal Memory |
| Water Resistance Rating | 5ATM+IP68/MIL-STD-810G |
Galaxy Watch 4 is a recent Samsung band that comes with a blood pressure monitoring feature. Sensors you will find on the smartwatch include SpO2 and ECG.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 runs on Google Wear OS and for that reason, it provides you with the important Google services you need.
The smartwatch comes with 16GB ROM and 1.5GB RAM to allow you to install apps directly from the Google Play Store and also stream your favorite song from Spotify Deeze, Pandora, etc.
Unfortunately, not all Galaxy Watch 4 users can enjoy the blood pressure tracking feature.
The feature is available only available to countries like UAE, Denmark, Italy, Bulgaria, Austria, Norway, Indonesia, Spain, Denmark, Portugal, Czech Republic, and Poland among others.
Pros
- Good battery life.
- Comes with storage.
- Waterproof.
Cons
- Expensive.
Also – Check out the advantages and disadvantages of smartwatches and learn how to power them on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Smartwatches give Accurate Blood Pressure Readings?
Not all smartwatches can provide accurate blood pressure readings. Luckily we have smartwatches and fitness trackers like Fitbit Watch, Garmin Watch, and Apple Watch that are clinically verified and hence can give accurate readings on blood pressure. Garmin, Fitbit, and the Apple watch have the ability to carry out ECGs.
How does a smartwatch detect blood pressure?
Smartwatch that can monitor blood pressure comes with Optical heart rate sensors which help the watch tell the pulse transmission period.
Is Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Same?
Blood pressure and Heart Rate and two different things. Even so, doctors can use both blood pressure and heart rate to evaluate certain health aspects.
Heart Rate refers to the number of heartbeats per minute while blood pressure refers to the strength at which blood is moving through your vessels.
Also note, that a rise or a fall in blood pressure does not affect the heart rate in any way.
Is there a Watch that Monitors Blood Pressure and Heart Rate?
Fortunately, smartwatches that can monitor blood pressure and Heart Rate are there. The perfect example is the OMRON HeartGuide Smartwatch.
Can a Smartwatch Detect Heart Problems?
The direct Answer is No, until now we still don’t have a smartwatch that is able to detect serious cardiovascular conditions like heart failure, heart attack, and stroke.
Even so, the results you get from the watch can help you detect conditions earlier. And for that, you get early treatment and prevent falling ill.
Do Apple watches check blood pressure?
Yes, Apple Watches can check your blood pressure. These iOS smartwatches go ahead and provide you with blood pressure stats in form of charts.