Omron 10 Series BP785

The Omron 10 Series BP785 automatic upper-arm blood pressure monitor may be too new to appear in the dabl Educational Trust or British Hypertension Society (BHS) databases of blood pressure monitors, but it receives a top ranking from a prominent consumer research organization. In addition, the majority of owners rate it very highly for its ease of use, easy-to-read display and quick readings. The ComFit cuff fits arms ranging from 9 inches to 17 inches (23 cm to 43 cm) in circumference and has a semi-rigid portion that makes it easy to put the cuff on yourself. An automatic memory function stores up to 100 readings for each of two users, plus an eight-week history of morning and evening blood pressure averages.

The BP785 offers a wide range of other features, including a TruRead mode that averages three consecutive readings, a pulse readout, an automatic calibration feature that doublechecks readings and an irregular heartbeat detector. However, a few owners say it goes through batteries very quickly (it requires four AA), and one wishes it had a USB port for downloading stored data to a computer. Other users report that although they like the monitor itself, the manual is a difficult read, and with so many features to choose from, you need to spend some time with the manual before use. Some note that the monitor will still provide a reading even if the cuff isn't properly positioned, introducing the potential for confusion; a handful of users also report frequent error messages that can take a few minutes to clear.

ConsumerReports.org furnishes the best expert review of the Omron BP785. We found hundreds of user reviews on Amazon.com, and fewer -- but still significant -- numbers on Walmart.com, Drugstore.com and HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com.