Boots Blood Pressure Arm Monitor - why pay more? (Boots Blood Pressure Monitor)

Member Name: jeffjen

Product:	Boots Blood Pressure Monitor
Date:	18/04/09 (530 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Compact and easy to use at a good price

Disadvantages: None

I decided to buy one of these for my partner, who after suffering a few health problems recently, thought it would be a good idea, enabling him to keep a record of his blood pressure on a daily basis, rather than just on a visit to the GP or hospital.

I was told by a friend that you can buy a monitor for £9.99 from Lloyd's pharmacy, however, when I went to have a look at them, they were out of stock. I then went to Superdrug where the cheapest was £60.00! And then to Argos where they had one at half-price £15, but guess what? Yes, out of stock too! Boots was the final place I visited and I asked one of the assistants at the pharmacy counter, who explained they had 3 or 4 different ones at prices ranging from £15 - £70.

I asked what the difference was, as surely they all do the same thing? She explained that some monitors fit around your wrist, and others have the arm cuff (like the ones at the GP and hospital) . Also some monitor's are just to be used by one person, and other's could be used by more people. I presumed that this must be due to maybe the monitor keeping record of your readings etc.

The assistant explained that the one they sold for £15 right now, was in fact half-price and they had sold out! Apparently as soon as the stock comes in, it is sold! She told me they were expecting a delivery the next day, if I wanted to wait. After taking a look at the other monitor's, I decided to wait as I could not see much difference between any of them. The assistant also advised that if she was purchasing one, she would purchase the one at £15 also, as it was one which had an arm cuff, which she advised were better than the ones which go on your wrist.

I returned to Boots a few days later, as could not get there the next day, and found they had two left in stock, so I purchased one.

Boots Blood Pressure arm monitor comes boxed with a storage case included, which is very handy. The storage case is a plain zipped square case, around 6 x 5 x 3 inches, so quite compact and easy to take away with you. The monitor itself is small and different to the one shown on the picture here, as it looks smaller and is shaped differently.
Included is 4 x AA (LR6) batteries , the arm cuff, and instruction manual, including a diary for you to keep record of your readings.

This monitor can be used by more than one person as you do not enter any details onto the machine itself, you just simply attach the cuff, press start, and around 30 seconds later you are given your blood pressure reading and also your pulse reading.
The cuff itself is very straight-forward to use, and full instructions are provided as well as diagrams on the cuff, to show you the exact position you need to place this on your arm. This is 2 - 3cm above your elbow on your left arm with the air tube running downwards towards your wrist. It is also important that the cuff is level with your heart, with any difference in height being adjusted by placing a cushion under the elbow.
The reason for this is to ensure that you do not obtain a reading that is either too low (if measurement is taken above the heart level ) or too high (if measurement is taken below the heart level ).

It is also important that you do not talk or move during your reading as this could affect the measurement.
When you press start, the cuff slowly begins to inflate. As the cuff pressure begins to drop, this is when your blood pressure and pulse rate is measured.
When the cuff pressure has dropped to the point where the monitor can no longer detect your pulse, your systolic and diastolic (upper value and lower value) blood pressure levels are displayed on the screen. Your pulse reading appears below this.

The instruction booklet gives you the guidelines for what is considered to be 'normal' range for blood pressure and pulse readings. You can record your readings in the diary section of the booklet.

This is a great little machine, very very easy to use and is still available right now in Boots for only £15, instead of the usual £30, so quite a bargain! There is no need to pay £60 as this does the job perfectly, and can be used by more than one person.

High blood pressure affects over 16 million people in the UK and being able to check yours at home helps you feel more in control of your own health. I would recommend this monitor to anyone who is looking to buy one.

Summary: All you need from a blood pressure monitor at a reasonable price.