By Infinite Mind (New York, NY)
This review is from: Omron BP791IT 10+ Series Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor, Black/white, Large
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
This Blood Pressure, machine is truly exceptional. It has all the information and easily programmable features that enable use by multiple users. In addition, the machine also has a memory function so that you can check your readings from the past. The machine operates via batteries or wall-unit plug. I have another blood pressure that operates only via batteries so this one is a welcome change. Another features I like is the average reading. In other words the machine can be set up to automatically take your blood pressure three different times and take the average among the three in order to give you the closets reading in proximity. The machine also takes your pulse reading for those that care about that feature.
The only complaint I have is the arm strap which is definitely upper arm and requires removal of shirt ect. However this is a small price to pay for such a lovely machine. The word is out on how well it stands the test of time, but I will be sure to revise my review accordingly should it not. This is a machine worth having for the whole family.
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Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Easy to Use, Accurate Readings
By K. J. Hackett (Huntington Beach, California)
This review is from: Omron BP791IT 10+ Series Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor, Black/white, Large
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
My dad has had some problems with shortness of breath and recently took himself to the hospital because of it. He was afraid he was having a heart attack. Fortunately, he wasn't, but they ran tests, did an angiogram, kept him overnight and scared him silly.
Out of the hospital, he went to the VA for a second opinion and they reiterated what the hospital told him. Cut the garbage out of his diet, salt too, exercise and they gave him a blood pressure machine, which he used faithfully, till it broke.
Enter the Omron Blood Pressure Monitor. This machine makes it so easy for my dad to take his blood pressure and he and I know it's accurate. With the machine he got from the VA he'd take his readings a couple times then write them in a log. With this machine he's confident the reading is right, because it averages three readings. Plus, the machine keeps a record for him, so no more writing in his log.
My dad uses this every day and likes it very much. The fact that it's easy to use and its reading are accurate are two good reasons to rate this blood pressure monitor with five stars.
>> Click here for more detail and customer reviews
This review is from: Omron BP791IT 10+ Series Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor, Black/white, Large
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
My dad has had some problems with shortness of breath and recently took himself to the hospital because of it. He was afraid he was having a heart attack. Fortunately, he wasn't, but they ran tests, did an angiogram, kept him overnight and scared him silly.
Out of the hospital, he went to the VA for a second opinion and they reiterated what the hospital told him. Cut the garbage out of his diet, salt too, exercise and they gave him a blood pressure machine, which he used faithfully, till it broke.
Enter the Omron Blood Pressure Monitor. This machine makes it so easy for my dad to take his blood pressure and he and I know it's accurate. With the machine he got from the VA he'd take his readings a couple times then write them in a log. With this machine he's confident the reading is right, because it averages three readings. Plus, the machine keeps a record for him, so no more writing in his log.
My dad uses this every day and likes it very much. The fact that it's easy to use and its reading are accurate are two good reasons to rate this blood pressure monitor with five stars.
>> Click here for more detail and customer reviews
Friday, April 15, 2011
Makes Tracking BP Simple!
By Michael D. Adams (Jeffersonville, IN USA)
This review is from: Omron BP791IT 10+ Series Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor, Black/white, Large
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
As someone who has suffered from hypertension since my early 20s, I have needed a reliable blood pressure monitor for home for quite some time. I had an older one, but the cuff did not fit my arms well. It eventually quit working, and I never replaced it. So I was very excited when I was given the opportunity to review the Omron BP791IT 10+ Series monitor through the Amazon Vine program.
Foremost, and of most importance to me as someone with large arms, it includes a cuff that actually FITS. And it doesn't just fit me, it also fits my wife just fine. AND, if I don't have the cuff wrapped correctly, an idicator on the monitor will let me know. It also includes a calibration check and takes 3 readinds, which helps ensure that your readings are accurate. Many lower-end home systems are just not that accurate. There's nothing worse than a freakishly high reading because you did something funky while the check was in progress. And if you are someone with a history of irregular heartbeats, it can detect them and alert you.
Long term, this monitor is great for tracking your readings. It stores your last 100 readings for up to two people, which is awesome. In homes where more than one person needs to track their BP, this allows you to keep them seperate. It also has a "guest mode" for when your company wants to know what their BP is, too. And this monitor will interface with the free Omron health management software, and is compatible with Microsoft Health Vault. Omron's application is a bit rudimentary and could use some updating. I have not yet attempted the interface with Health Vault. If you like all of the features of this monitor, but do not desire to interface with any software applications, you would probably be fine with the Omron BP785 10 Series Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor, Black/white, Large.
Overall, I'm really impressed with the quality of this monitor. If there is any room for improvement in terms of "what comes in the box", it would be a better case, which could stand to be more rigid and a perhaps a bit more roomy. I also believe the instruction manual could have been larger (larger print). Also, while I have not personally been able to confirm the software compatiblity, I would advise to exercise caution (based upon other reviews) and be sure to track your readings on paper or on your computer vs. relying on the monitor if you wish to track them. That will also make it easier to provide to your physician.
As noted, I am very pleased with the features offered by this monitor. I'm certain I'll get many years of good use from it.
>> Click here for more detail and customer reviews
This review is from: Omron BP791IT 10+ Series Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor, Black/white, Large
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
As someone who has suffered from hypertension since my early 20s, I have needed a reliable blood pressure monitor for home for quite some time. I had an older one, but the cuff did not fit my arms well. It eventually quit working, and I never replaced it. So I was very excited when I was given the opportunity to review the Omron BP791IT 10+ Series monitor through the Amazon Vine program.
Foremost, and of most importance to me as someone with large arms, it includes a cuff that actually FITS. And it doesn't just fit me, it also fits my wife just fine. AND, if I don't have the cuff wrapped correctly, an idicator on the monitor will let me know. It also includes a calibration check and takes 3 readinds, which helps ensure that your readings are accurate. Many lower-end home systems are just not that accurate. There's nothing worse than a freakishly high reading because you did something funky while the check was in progress. And if you are someone with a history of irregular heartbeats, it can detect them and alert you.
Long term, this monitor is great for tracking your readings. It stores your last 100 readings for up to two people, which is awesome. In homes where more than one person needs to track their BP, this allows you to keep them seperate. It also has a "guest mode" for when your company wants to know what their BP is, too. And this monitor will interface with the free Omron health management software, and is compatible with Microsoft Health Vault. Omron's application is a bit rudimentary and could use some updating. I have not yet attempted the interface with Health Vault. If you like all of the features of this monitor, but do not desire to interface with any software applications, you would probably be fine with the Omron BP785 10 Series Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor, Black/white, Large.
Overall, I'm really impressed with the quality of this monitor. If there is any room for improvement in terms of "what comes in the box", it would be a better case, which could stand to be more rigid and a perhaps a bit more roomy. I also believe the instruction manual could have been larger (larger print). Also, while I have not personally been able to confirm the software compatiblity, I would advise to exercise caution (based upon other reviews) and be sure to track your readings on paper or on your computer vs. relying on the monitor if you wish to track them. That will also make it easier to provide to your physician.
As noted, I am very pleased with the features offered by this monitor. I'm certain I'll get many years of good use from it.
>> Click here for more detail and customer reviews
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Accurate. Solid. Minus One for Lying
By Bluegrass Around Me "Grampa" (Central Kentucky)
This review is from: Omron BP791IT 10+ Series Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor, Black/white, Large
I have a sphygmomanometer that I bought fifteen years ago...the old reliable kind. I was impressed with the accuracy of this blood pressure monitor compared to the older technology. It stores old reading in memory for comparitive purposes and can do so for two people. Plus it has a visitor mode so anyone can check their blood pressure. The main reason I got it is because it is faster than the old-style blood pressure cuff and has the irregular heart rate detector. I thought that would be handy.
However, this model clearly states it's ability to connect to Microsoft Health Vault and other software. I didn't care about this now but was hoping to use this function later. However it does not work this way and no drivers will be provided for it. The driver on Microsoft's site as of March 2011 DOES NOT WORK. I tried it on Win7 and Vista. So they are basically lying and charging extra for something that just isn't. I would have given it five stars if they weren't a bunch of liars. ;-) Their software does work. It's a very simple interface that does little more than the screen on the unit
Ease of Use: Five Stars
Storage: Hand Bag - Five Stars
Readability: Five Stars
Accuracy: Five Stars
Computer Interface: Three stars
Solid Construction: Four stars
Microsoft Interface: No Stars
Worth the Price: Three stars...because of lack of Microsoft Interface
>> Click here for more detail and customer reviews
This review is from: Omron BP791IT 10+ Series Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor, Black/white, Large
I have a sphygmomanometer that I bought fifteen years ago...the old reliable kind. I was impressed with the accuracy of this blood pressure monitor compared to the older technology. It stores old reading in memory for comparitive purposes and can do so for two people. Plus it has a visitor mode so anyone can check their blood pressure. The main reason I got it is because it is faster than the old-style blood pressure cuff and has the irregular heart rate detector. I thought that would be handy.
However, this model clearly states it's ability to connect to Microsoft Health Vault and other software. I didn't care about this now but was hoping to use this function later. However it does not work this way and no drivers will be provided for it. The driver on Microsoft's site as of March 2011 DOES NOT WORK. I tried it on Win7 and Vista. So they are basically lying and charging extra for something that just isn't. I would have given it five stars if they weren't a bunch of liars. ;-) Their software does work. It's a very simple interface that does little more than the screen on the unit
Ease of Use: Five Stars
Storage: Hand Bag - Five Stars
Readability: Five Stars
Accuracy: Five Stars
Computer Interface: Three stars
Solid Construction: Four stars
Microsoft Interface: No Stars
Worth the Price: Three stars...because of lack of Microsoft Interface
>> Click here for more detail and customer reviews
Sunday, April 10, 2011
BP meters keep getting better and more complex
By J. Peterson (Minnesota)
This review is from: Omron BP791IT 10+ Series Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor, Black/white, Large
I've owned/used several other blood pressure meters over the years, including ones from Omron and LifeSource. The older units look pretty basic compared to this latest Omron, which provides significant more computerized functionality than the older units. However, this does come at the cost of greater complexity.
Good things about the new Omron:
* "TruRead" mode, which automatically takes 3 sequential readings and averages them. I always did this manually with my older units anyway because the readings would differ slightly from time to time, but this one does it with one touch of a button, and then computes the average for you.
* Cuff is very nice: broad and stiff, which I find much easier to apply.
* Automatically determines if you have applied the cuff correctly.
* Like a dozen other things I own these days, this unit can connect to my computer via USB, which fortunately is by the common "mini" USB connector and not the less common "micro" USB connector, which means that you can use the same USB cord as you use for many other devices.
Things that may or may not be good:
* It is set up to handle 2 regular users, via an A/B slide switch. This really is only useful if you have 2 people who both use the same unit regularly, and they both want to have the unit keep track of averages and/or download readings to a computer. Of course, you have to remember to set the switch in the right position for you so you don't get mixed up, which would destroy the value of any history.
* You can connect it to your Windows computer as mentioned above, supposedly to connect to Microsoft Health Vault (which I did not try - who wants to upload their personal information to something run by Microsoft?) or to Omron's Health Management software package which you can download and run privately on your own Windows PC. I did try out the latter, which does allow you to upload stored readings to your computer for graphing of historical trends. I find this only marginally useful if at all - I do keep my own log in Excel, where I can also add notes, add other data, and analyze and graph it myself - all without having to plug it in to my computer. I did experience some difficulty uploading, where it was not obvious what to do to start the upload after connecting the unit to my computer.
Things that are not so good:
* It has various computational abilities such as a memory, ability to keep history for morning & evening readings, etc. I suppose this could provide some value to those who are tech-oriented and would value the additional information, but I find that it just adds unnecessary complexity to the device with little value to me. I found it difficult to figure out how to make this work, even after (re)reading the instruction manual several times. Anything that requires you to keep the instruction manual handy flunks my usability test, and likely will not be used by 98% of most users. Factoid to provide contrast: My old LifeSource unit had just 1 button, my old Omron had just 2, while this unit has 7 buttons.
Overall, I like the unit because it is a useful improvement over my older devices, particularly due to the useful TruRead feature. It does provide PC connectivity and more computational features that older units too, but not everyone will find those capabilities useful, and they do increase the complexity of the unit.
>> Click here for more detail and customer reviews
This review is from: Omron BP791IT 10+ Series Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor, Black/white, Large
I've owned/used several other blood pressure meters over the years, including ones from Omron and LifeSource. The older units look pretty basic compared to this latest Omron, which provides significant more computerized functionality than the older units. However, this does come at the cost of greater complexity.
Good things about the new Omron:
* "TruRead" mode, which automatically takes 3 sequential readings and averages them. I always did this manually with my older units anyway because the readings would differ slightly from time to time, but this one does it with one touch of a button, and then computes the average for you.
* Cuff is very nice: broad and stiff, which I find much easier to apply.
* Automatically determines if you have applied the cuff correctly.
* Like a dozen other things I own these days, this unit can connect to my computer via USB, which fortunately is by the common "mini" USB connector and not the less common "micro" USB connector, which means that you can use the same USB cord as you use for many other devices.
Things that may or may not be good:
* It is set up to handle 2 regular users, via an A/B slide switch. This really is only useful if you have 2 people who both use the same unit regularly, and they both want to have the unit keep track of averages and/or download readings to a computer. Of course, you have to remember to set the switch in the right position for you so you don't get mixed up, which would destroy the value of any history.
* You can connect it to your Windows computer as mentioned above, supposedly to connect to Microsoft Health Vault (which I did not try - who wants to upload their personal information to something run by Microsoft?) or to Omron's Health Management software package which you can download and run privately on your own Windows PC. I did try out the latter, which does allow you to upload stored readings to your computer for graphing of historical trends. I find this only marginally useful if at all - I do keep my own log in Excel, where I can also add notes, add other data, and analyze and graph it myself - all without having to plug it in to my computer. I did experience some difficulty uploading, where it was not obvious what to do to start the upload after connecting the unit to my computer.
Things that are not so good:
* It has various computational abilities such as a memory, ability to keep history for morning & evening readings, etc. I suppose this could provide some value to those who are tech-oriented and would value the additional information, but I find that it just adds unnecessary complexity to the device with little value to me. I found it difficult to figure out how to make this work, even after (re)reading the instruction manual several times. Anything that requires you to keep the instruction manual handy flunks my usability test, and likely will not be used by 98% of most users. Factoid to provide contrast: My old LifeSource unit had just 1 button, my old Omron had just 2, while this unit has 7 buttons.
Overall, I like the unit because it is a useful improvement over my older devices, particularly due to the useful TruRead feature. It does provide PC connectivity and more computational features that older units too, but not everyone will find those capabilities useful, and they do increase the complexity of the unit.
>> Click here for more detail and customer reviews
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