Omron M10-IT Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor with Dual User Facility with Dual Size Cuff

I spent quite a bit of time trying to determine which blood pressure monitor to purchase. There are a myriad of devices out there that suit every single pocket but it is very hard to find suitable buying guides. In the end I found that the best two products in this price range on the market appear to be the Omron 10 series or the Microlife. I chose the Omron because they are a better known brand and I have used their products before. Many GP's recommend this particular brand too so it seemed to be the right choice. There are a myriad of professional studies out there comparing the two and most seem to suggest that they are both good at what they do. I chose this over the Omron elite model for two reasons. The 10 series appear to be a more reliable model, plus the batteries are AA and not AAA which means you won't be forever changing them.Upon first use you are prompted to enter the date, time and year. You also can select whether you want a single test or a triple test. The latter effectively meaning the unit will run three tests in succession with a user set time gap in between. I opted for 15 seconds, but you can have a larger gap of time should you wish. From memory I believe it goes up in 15 second gaps up to a minute or so. You also have a sliding bar on the right hand side to select between user A and user B. This is handy for couples but I guess if you have a larger family then you will have to use the guest mode for any more than 2 people. The benefit of having two user modes are that you can keep a track of the last 88 tests performed, handy if you suffer from Hypertension/Hypotension and need to keep a track of your progress. It is also handy to be able to provide your doctor with your results with the provided USB cable and software.To use the device, you simply put the arm band on your left arm, get in a seated position, then press start. It is important here to relax and not move as it can affect the results. Do not try to do this test in a laying position and your pressure will be different. Depending on what mode you have selected previously when setting up, the machine will run a single or a triple test. Your results are displayed on screen in a large easy to read screen. You can hit the memory button on the bottom to cycle through your previous readings to check on your progress. It lists the date and time of each test you have performed which is very useful. It is so very easy to use and once you have set it up you pretty much don't have to worry about how to use it, just one button and go.The arm band is much better than the older omron units. It is cushioned to a degree and feels very hard, like it has a formed insert inside that keeps its shape. The fit will suit most people as well. It's as comfortable as you get although you will never find a blood pressure monitor that doesn't make you feel uncomfortable as the test is performed.The device comes with batteries which is always a nice touch and the whole lot is packaged up in a handy zip case.

I like the apparatus. It's generally easy to use and gives accurate readings, and the arm cuff is comfortable and easy to fit around the arm. My arm is medium size, but the cuff is quite large and I'm sure would fit larger arms (after I fit it, there is still much more space than I need). I mainly bought this monitor for its ability to save and transfer readings to computer via the USB cable, which is really handy, so that I don't worry about taking the readings myself. I end up with a pdf file with all the saved readings (as long as you don't change the batteries I guess, it will save up to 84 readings, but I'm not up to that yet), which would give you/your doctor a general idea about the behavior of your blood pressure. It also can display weekly mediums of your readings, but I don't use it quite often. I'd rather compare single readings across a month or so. Battery consumption is not an issue too, I'm still running on the original batteries that came with it, for around two months ago (I take a reading every and other day). It also would save readings for two users.All in all, it's a very good monitor and I highly recommend.The only downside maybe its size. It's a bit bulky (compared to handcuff monitors), but even if you're a traveler you can fit it in a spacious handbag or backpack. If you're after accuracy and hi-tech options, it's worth it sacrificing the size. Handcuff monitors are not the most accurate anyway, and hence less reliable.p.s. the first few attempts of transferring data to a computer failed, later I realize I have to push the cable all the way into the monitor (I used to insert it half way, not realizing there is more to go, and since all electronics are delicate I didn't want to force it and risk breaking anything). After that it worked properly. I setup the software on windows xp and 8 and it functions properly on both.