From tracking sleep and counting steps to reminding you to move and allowing you to lead a smart life, there seems to be very little that a Fitbit can’t do. But can Fitbit track blood pressure?
Fitbit smartwatches and fitness trackers can’t measure your body’s blood pressure because they don’t have an inflatable cuff. It includes a pulse oximeter, which gathers your health’s data and alerts you if something seems weird. But Fitbit hasn’t improved the technology to detect blood pressure.
The inclusion of blood pressure monitoring system in a Fitbit would be an incredible feature.
But the technology is incredible difficult to perfect, which explains why it’s available only on a few selected medical devices.
Even the most popular models in the brand’s collection, including Sense, Charge 5, and Versa 3 don’t have this technology. And it’s highly unlikely that they’ll get the update.
Why Can’t Fitbit Measure Blood Pressure?
Many fitness trackers and smartwatches can’t measure blood pressure, and a Fitbit isn’t an exception.
As it stands, all the models in the brand’s collection have been unsuccessful in detecting blood pressure levels because they don’t have an inflatable cuff and the technology is difficult to perfect.
If the likes of Charge 5, Sense, and Versa 3 were able to do this, I bet they’d be seriously expensive in the first place.
The far Fitbit has come on the issue is launching a study to determine if its new fitness trackers and smartwatches can use Pulse Arrival Time (PAT) to detect blood pressure levels in the body.
By determining how long it can take blood to reach an individual’s wrist after heartbeats, Fitbit just might be able to include the ability to track blood pressure.
Until then, there’s no smartwatch or fitness tracker in the brand’s collection with the ability to determine your blood pressure.
Is There a Smartwatch That Measures Blood Pressure?
If Fitbit, despite being such an advanced brand with some of the well-established models under its hood, can’t measure blood pressure, what can?
Fortunately, a few watches and fitness activity trackers can do the job. So you might want to consider them as the alternatives to Fitbit if blood pressure is the only thing you’re interested in monitoring.
Available options include:
- MorePro Fitness Activity Tracker
- OMRON HeartGuide Smartwatch
- WAFA Fitness Tracker
- FITVII Smartwatch
1. MorePro Fitness Activity Tracker
MorePro may not have a following as big as Fitbit, but the ability to measure blood pressure, water resistance, and 5-day battery life are its strongest selling points.
Compatible with iPhone and Android smartphones, and featuring a health app for tracking vitals and every activities, MorePro fitness and activity tracker is no doubt the cheapest model that works much like the most expensive models.
For its price point, you wouldn’t expect MorePro to give you much. But it does quite a decent job in measuring your blood oxygen levelsand blood pressure.
It’s hard to quantify the accuracy of the BP results that you get from MorePro.
Given that your BP level will vary depending on a number of factors, including time of the day, it’s best to treat the data as trends and monitor the patterns to determine whether you’re in your best condition.
2. OMRON HeartGuide Smartwatch
OMRON HeartGuide features a manually activated inflatable cuff for taking blood pressure readings.
The watch synchronizes with the HeartAdvisor mobile app, which uses color-corded graph to store your readings and present you with significant trends based on factors such as time of the day and workout intensity.
OMRON HeartGuide stands as the first of its kind smartwatch that gives dependable blood pressure readings. And while it’s hard to conclude that the blood pressure reading is 100% accurate, the data presented in the graphs can be quite helpful.
This isn’t a waterproof fitness watch, so you can’t wear it even under light rain and expect it to hold up. Also, it might appear bulky to some people, particularly those who have small hands.
3. WAFA Fitness Tracker
WAFA is a fitness tracker that tracks metrics in real time, and that’s perhaps why it’s such a popular hit in its class.
In addition to measuring your blood pressure, WAFA fitness tracker goes a step farther to monitor heart rate and track sleep. The built-in sports mode and GPS integration makes it one of the cheap fitness trackers that can do more than just take your blood pressure readings.
Perhaps one the common but often less use feature that WAFA and Fitbit have in common is the reminder to move technology. By encouraging you to get up and get moving, this watch can help you stay active and maintain a good health.
4. FITVII Smartwatch
The FITVII smartwatch is a true definition of a model with all the features you’d want in a fitness tracker, for cheap.
And it’s remarkably reliable for the price.
In its companion app, you’ll see details such as blood pressure and approximate heart rate readings.
Powered by a wireless charging base station, FITVII is one of the few classy watches that don’t require cables to juice up. And with a battery life of up to five days, you’re going to charge this twice a week give or take.
FITVII doesn’t have a stylish touch by any means. But while we might mistake it for a regular watch, with a screen that might seem rather too small for some people, it still delivers the results.
Of course, you don’t expect much from such an inexpensive smartwatch, and I strongly believe that FITVII over delivers for its price point.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I Add Blood Pressure to My Fitbit App?
You cannot ad blood pressure to your Fitbit app. Both the trackers and the mobile app don’t have the function to measure this feature.
Despite the lack of an inflatable cuff in its models, Fitbit has Sp02 sensor integrated into its device, which might help to detect issues such as sleep apnea.
2. Which Fitbit Measures Blood Pressure and Heart Rate?
Fitbit devices can’t track blood pressure. As I already mentioned, the devices don’t feature the inflatable cuff responsible for detecting BP.
Moreover, Fitbit’s current study on Pulse Arrival Time haven’t more much fruits. So, for the moment, the only way to track this feature would be to look at alternative watches with the ability to measure such metrics.
3. How Do I Check My Blood Pressure on Fitbit Sense?
Your Fitbit Sense doesn’t have a dedicated sensor for tracking blood pressure, so there’s no way to check this feature on the device or in the brand’s dedicated app.
Sense will use PAT to determine how long it takes blood to transmit from your heart to the wrist, but the practicality doesn’t go beyond that point.
Final Thoughts
Fitbit smartwatches and fitness trackers are great, but they’re not yet good enough for determining your body’s blood pressure levels.
To Fitbit, the technology isn’t as easy to perfect. The brand currently have the science behind the technology in development. And, who knows, future updates may include the ability to measure blood pressure right from your wrist.
