Smart & Connected Life Smart Watches & Wearables 55 55 people found this article helpful How to Monitor Your Blood Pressure With the Apple Watch Third-party medical devices boost the Apple Watch's functionality by Tyler Hayes Writer Tyler Hayes is a former Lifewire writer covering Apple, Google, Spotify, and more. Tyler has written for Fast Company, Digital Trends, and Paste, and others. our editorial process Twitter Tyler Hayes Updated on November 14, 2019 reviewed by Jessica Kormos Lifewire Tech Review Board Member Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years' experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca.com, Rosenfeld Media, and many others. our review board Article reviewed on Jun 29, 2020 Jessica Kormos Smart Watches & Wearables Working From Home Headphones & Ear Buds Smart Home Smart Watches & Wearables Travel Tech Connected Car Tech iPods & MP3 Players Tweet Share Email If you have high blood pressure or hypertension, you know how important it is to monitor your blood pressure on a daily basis. The Apple Watch, now in its fifth iteration, has an incredible array of health-monitoring features, but it can't monitor your blood pressure by itself. With the help of third-party apps and medically validated devices, however, the Apple Watch is a great tool for measuring and tracking your blood pressure readings. Some Apple Watch health-related features include fall detection, heart-rate monitoring, sleep tracking, fertility tracking, noise alerts, and much more. What's Needed to Monitor Your Blood Pressure The only medically accurate way to get a blood pressure reading is to stop blood flow with an inflatable blood pressure cuff. Your Apple Watch can help measure and track your blood pressure only with the help of a medically validated, connected blood pressure monitor. When looking for a reputable blood pressure device, make sure it's been certified by the FDA. A device checked out by the FDA is more likely to perform accurate health readings. Also, make sure the device is compatible with the Apple Watch and Apple's Health app so you can get the most out of the health data you collect. Third-Party Blood Pressure Devices While there are many blood-pressure devices on the market, there are some noted for working well with the Health app on iPhones and Apple Watches. Omron Omron has a variety of upper-arm blood pressure monitors, such as the Omron 10 Series, which connects to an iPhone via Bluetooth and can then be used on an Apple Watch through the Apple Health app. It runs about $100. QardioArm The QardioArm connects to the Qardio App, which can fully integrate with Apple Health. This monitor performs standard blood pressure readings, but also offers a few advanced features, such as triple measurement and geotracking, so you can see how your blood pressure changes at work, at home, or on vacation. It's also about $100. Further Reading: The Best Heart Rate Apps How to Read Blood Pressure Using an Apple Watch This example uses a QardioArm wireless blood pressure device to demonstrate how you can take a reading directly from your Apple Watch. Download the Qardio iOS app from the App Store and register for an account. Fit the QardioArm around your arm. With the Qardio app open, touch your phone to the QardioArm. Accept the pairing request when it pops up. The Qardio watch app should have installed on your watch when you installed it on your iPhone. Check if it's there by pressing the Digital Crown and looking through the watch apps. Open the Qardio watch app, then tap Start to initiate a blood pressure reading. You can now see your blood pressure reading. Once you have a device to take your blood pressure, such as the QardioArm, try out some other Apple Watch apps that can monitor and display your blood pressure information, such as Heart Habit, iBP blood pressure, and SmartBP.