The Best (by Default)

Head over to Wirecutter’s rundown of the best blood pressure monitors for home use, and you’ll see something very exciting.

Their top overall pick goes to… drumroll please… the Omron Platinum BP5450!

Which, to be clear, is not the model we’re selling today. In fact, it is not the model anyone is selling today. According to a note in the corner, that Omron model is no longer widely available, and Wirecutter is currently testing its replacement.

But also:

In the meantime, we continue to recommend the Greater Goods Blood Pressure Monitor Kit, among other blood pressure monitors worth considering.

Hey, look, sometimes you’re a consistently dominant force like Katie Ledecky or Michael Phelps. And other times, you’re Steven Bradbury, coming from last place and speed-skating to an unlikely gold medal after every one else crashes into each other. Why am I comparing two swimmers to a speed-skater? Because I don’t know any other speed-skaters, and you probably don’t either.

Anyway, the point stands: a win by default is still a win.

And now, for a somewhat clunky tonal shift, I only learned about this thing’s good standing with Wirecutter thanks to Amazon User Phil, who wrote:

I read about this in Wirecutter which said it was the best. I agree that it is very accurate, as it indicated I had VERY high BP, and should see a doctor. I thought it might be defective, but headed to ER to find that it was creeping higher! The rest is a bad memory, but the issue was addressed quickly thanks to this new monitor.

The four-star review is not entirely positive, with Phil going on to note:

My only gripe is that I want to merge the data with Apple Health. This is possible ONLY if you record your settings in the Great Goods app (Balance Health), which must be open when taking your BP.

But while this is a reasonable complaint, that first bit illustrates why it might be good to have something like this around if you have concerns regarding your blood pressure. A device capable of letting you know when you’re in trouble even if you don’t feel like you are (or, otherwise, one that can provide a bit of reassurance that everything’s fine)–that’s gotta be worth about 45 bucks, right?

If you answered yes, then we have great news for you: that’s Amazon’s price. Ours is $20.

Stay healthy out there, friends.