Omron RS2 Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor

Usual story diagnosed with high blood pressure, wanted something to check on it at home, checked online at BIHS ( British & Irish Hypertension Society). The RS2 was listed as approved so I bought it. Unfortunately the blood pressure readings are accurate, I've high blood pressure..! It's very easy to use, you just have to keep the monitor level/in-line with the heart as per the very simple pictographs in the box lid. The level doesn't appear to have have to be within the nearest mm or cm, simply at a level with the heart; the results are very repeatable regardless, so that's seems good. It packs away nicely into the little box, which is robust and protective. All in all very pleased with the purchase, less pleased with my blood pressure! It will be compared/calibrated with the professional arm cuff sphygmomanometer at the next surgery I'd recommend this unit.

I have been using an Omron wrist monitor for many years and only bought this because I dropped it which rendered it useless. This new one has a couple of extra touches that I like: an irregular heartbeat monitor, a cuff tightness monitor, a movement monitor (gives an error message if you start moving) and a memory - saves the last 30 measurements (but not the date). Does the job very well. One small point, its approach to measuring BP is different from any other monitor (or doctor for that matter) Whereas the usual method is to inflate the cuff to well above the upper reading and then deflate until the pulse is sensed, this monitor does the opposite - it inflates slowly and records the lowest measurement when the pulse is sensed and continues up to just beyond the highest measurement. Then it stops and presents the readings and any warnings - high BP (anything over 135/85), irregular heartbeat etc. And it's all stored for future reference.

The pictures show what I need to explain, look at the "Pulse reading" bottom of screen.The first (97 over 66) matched the existing Arm monitor closely.The other was also close, but the 136 pulse was way out, the Arm monitor recording this as 110 over 70 with a pulse of 90.But all of them show the "Irregular Heartbeat" logo too, but surely not enough for a 40+ discrepancy?I'll keep it as it is far more useful than the Arm monitor in that it takes seconds to put on, and you can wear long sleeves.

According to this I am still alive. Under no circumstances try and put this around your throat to get BP. If you do you won't have BP for very long.

For an amount of time, to be determined by Omron, the device might be reliable. However, while it is clinically validated, it seems that it must be re-calibrated every 12 months. Omron will do this FOC for the first two years, (3 year warranty), if you retain your proof of purchase.Omron, however, may not be so confident in the accuracy of their products. In response my question regarding the huge variance between a reading from this unit against an upper arm unit, taken simultaneously, Omron replied: "We would never recommend that you compare the reading you get from a wrist monitor to an upper arm monitor, as blood pressure is very different from different points of the body". I would hope that the different units would tell you what the blood pressure is, accurately, regardless of whether it is a wrist unit or an upper arm unit!

We have had an RS2 for 4 years, but it finally stopped working. According to independent online sources the life expectancy is 3 years, so we got an extra year. We have now purchased another RS2 to replace it as the old one remained very accurate and reliable until the end. I suspect the little air pump on the old one wore out.Its recommended to have them checked after 3 years. But our one stayed accurate till the end, then let us now something was wrong. That way it prevent an inaccurate reading. I would recommend the Omron range as they seem to be very reliable. We hope to have another 4 years out of the new one. There are cheaper ones on the market but with blood pressure you cannot take chances. Throughout the 4 years our one was checked by the doctors, paramedics and hospital staff. And it was always within their limits. Good reliable product.

I bought this item because I am big and could not get an arm cuff to fit my arms. This product fits (just) but as I say I am big my arms are 51cms at the top. When I first tried to take my blood pressure according to the device it was so high I should be dead! My partner tried and got the same thing. He also took his with his own arm band monitor which was much lower. However after about 6-7 tries the device seemed to settle down and give good readings. Again my partner has compared it with his own monitor. It's quick and a lot more comfortable the arm cuffs. All in all I'm pretty pleased

This device comes in a small cube-shaped plasic box with a hinged lid. It's light and easy to carry around.In use, the cuff slips round the wrist like a bracelet and is then secured using velcro. The whole process takes only moments and iseasy to accomplish using your free hand. You then switch on the device and, propping your arm on a table or your leg, keep your arm relaxed with your wrist at the same height as your heart. It takes longer to inflate the cuff than the upper arm monitor I have, presumably because of the smaller size of the unit, but that's no great inconvenience.I carried out a few tests, at intervals, using this and my upper arm monitor. Allowing for the normal variations between arms and from minute to minute, the results were consistent.So far I'm impressed - particularly at the price.