The best blood pressure monitors, according to Consumer Reports

A home blood pressure monitor is only useful if its readings can be trusted, since a falsely reassuring number can delay a needed trip to the doctor. Comfort matters too, since a monitor that's a hassle to use correctly often gets used incorrectly or not at all.

Consumer Reports tested arm and wrist monitors for accuracy, comfort and ease of use, so shoppers can find a reliable fit for tracking their health at home.

Credit: Omron

The Omron Evolv BP7000 sits at the premium end of this lineup and earned top marks for accuracy in Consumer Reports' testing, with testers rating it very convenient and comfortable to use. Unlike monitors with a cuff connected by a tube to a separate display, this model builds the monitor directly into the cuff as one piece, and CR noted that design could suit people who need to check their blood pressure while traveling. CR also highlighted a sensor that flags irregular heartbeats, a feature that averages multiple readings together, and the option to keep separate records for more than one person, plus a blood pressure risk indicator available through the Omron Connect app. The one limitation CR flagged is fit: since the cuff isn't swappable, anyone with an arm outside the 9- to 17-inch circumference range won't get a proper fit from this model.

Credit: Amazon

The A&D Medical UA767F falls in the mid-range price tier for this lineup and earned top marks for accuracy in Consumer Reports' testing, with testers rating it very convenient and comfortable overall. CR did note some users may find it tricky to position the cuff on their own arm and line up the artery marker correctly, and testers also found the fabric fastener somewhat stiff to pull apart. Even so, CR highlighted a sensor that catches irregular heartbeats, a rating that classifies blood pressure risk, a feature that averages readings and support for separate profiles as strong points. The included cuff fits arms from 8.6 to 16.5 inches in circumference, and a larger cuff for arms up to 17.7 inches can be purchased separately.

Credit: Omron

The Omron BP7150 3 Series sits at the budget end of this lineup as a simpler, less expensive Omron model, yet it still earned top marks for accuracy in Consumer Reports' testing, with testers finding it very convenient and comfortable. CR noted the monitor includes a sensor that catches irregular heartbeats, a rating that classifies blood pressure risk and an easy-to-read oversized display, and it can connect to a companion app despite its lower price. One tradeoff is memory: this model stores measurements for only one user, unlike some pricier monitors in this lineup that support multiple profiles. The included cuff fits arms from 9 to 17 inches in circumference, and CR noted a separate cuff is available for smaller arms measuring 7 to 9 inches.

Credit: A&D

The A&D Medical UA-611 sits at the budget end of this lineup and earned very good marks for accuracy in Consumer Reports' testing, with testers rating it very comfortable and convenient to use as well. As with the pricier A&D UA767F, CR found some users may have difficulty tightening the cuff and aligning the artery marker correctly, and noted the cuff isn't molded while the Velcro runs stiff. CR highlighted a sensor that flags irregular heartbeats, a rating that classifies blood pressure risk and a feature that averages readings together among its strengths, though it keeps records for just a single person. The included cuff wraps arms measuring 9 to 14.6 inches around, and a bigger cuff can be bought on its own for arms up to 17.7 inches.

Credit: Omron

The Omron 7 Series BP6350 sits in the mid-range price tier for this lineup and stands apart as the only wrist monitor among Consumer Reports' top picks. CR found it virtually silent to operate, with a soft, one-size-fits-most cuff spanning 5.3 to 8.5 inches that felt simple for testers to fasten around the wrist. A heart icon on the display shifts to blue once the wrist reaches the right position, while small dashes above and below signal the need to raise or lower it, and a cuff-wrap indicator flags a loosely fitted cuff. While CR notes arm monitors tend to measure more accurately than wrist monitors in general, this model still earned a very good accuracy rating along with excellent marks for comfort and ease of use, though CR pointed out it can begin a reading even when the wrist isn't correctly positioned.