This smartwatch can monitor your blood pressure, but it’s not for everyone – here’s why

The U.S. government estimates that nearly half of adults in the country have hypertension, and only 25% of those have it under control thanks to diet, exercise, and medication. Unfortunately, I have been diagnosed with hypertension and take one pill a day to try to help manage it. I’ve also dropped my weight back down to my college weight this year, a loss of 20 pounds, and I am trying to keep it under control. Still, some tech couldn’t hurt.

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YHE Technology uses inflatable dual cuffs in a watch form factor to measure your blood pressure. The company claims it can provide results within 5 mmHg of an approved blood pressure monitor.

I’ve been testing the YHE BP Doctor Med smartwatch

Samsung provides blood pressure monitoring in other countries since this functionality hasn’t been approved for use in the U.S. yet. Samsung’s approach is to use a standard arm cuff blood pressure device to baseline the Galaxy Watch and then repeat this calibration on a monthly basis. The company then uses algorithms and the sensors on the back of the watch to measure your blood pressure. This has been shown to be fairly accurate.

The back of the watch is the part that stands out from every other smartwatch, with two inflatable cuff compartments used to measure your blood pressure. One cuff runs the length of the back of the watch, with the other running along the bottom length of the watch band. When you initiate a blood pressure measurement, both cuffs inflate slowly thanks to the small solenoid valve inside the watch.

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Unfortunately, despite sitting as still as I can in a quiet room, I am only seeing successful measurement of my blood pressure at about a 20% rate. The watch regularly stops the inflation and sends a notification that an unstable signal is present. When it works, the blood pressure reading is accurate. That said, the frustration of regular failures may end up causing more stress than it’s worth.

provides an accurate, portable blood pressure experience. If you need to capture your blood pressure on the go regularly, then it may be worth the $259 price. Unfortunately, the inconsistency in successfully completing a measurement makes this a watch I will not use and can’t recommend. Instead, I’ll continue using an arm cuff on a regular basis.