After reading scads of reviews for BP machines on Amazon, I finally decided to order the Welch Allyn unit. I'm familiar with run-of-the-mill BP machines, having tried several of them for my aging dad. Most of them are poorly made junk. This one is in a class of its own.
Unfortunately it is all too easy to crank out a low-cost BP machine, so naturally the market is crowded with pretenders. Most of the units I have encountered are variations on the same theme. They could well all be made in the same Gulag in China and just labeled with different brands. This unit is a thing of beauty. It is solidly built, with a quick-disconnect coupling between the cuff and the main unit. The main panel has a clear, simple display with a single button to take a reading. Once the initial bluetooth setup is complete, you don the cuff, turn on the app, and hit the button. The unit takes a reading, updates the app with the latest reading, and turns itself off.
The firmware that runs this unit is pretty sweet. As another reviewer pointed out, the motor doesn't just spin up to full blast while inflating the cuff; instead, it spins up and down, carefully listening and feeling its way along. Readings are very very repeatable. I have seen some interesting variations in the way it takes readings, so there is obviously more subtlety than your average BP machine. It appears to have been engineered by a team that understands not only product design, but the art of taking blood pressure as well. That latter aspect is what makes it a worthwhile purchase.
The iPhone app itself is very clean, intuitive and usable. It has a charting function that shows you trends over days, weeks, months. years.
Yes, it is priced a little higher than the average BP unit, but it is worth every penny. I recommend this unit highly.
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