Omron HEM-670IT Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor with APS (Advanced Positioning Sensor) and Advanced Omron Health Management Software
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Customer Reviews of Omron HEM-670IT Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor with APS (Advanced Positioning Sensor) and Advanced Omron Health Management Software
Customer Review: Beguiled by convenience over practicality
Summary: 4 Stars
Overwhelmed by choice (there were over 80 items presented to me by Amazon.com!), after reading several reviews I opted for this model of wrist monitor over a more 'traditional' upper arm monitor. The product arrived quickly, well-packed, and seemed to be a fine and versatile product. Alas, multiple readings over several days registered quite a bit lower than earlier readings taken by my doctor's assistant(s) on their monitor (some reviews had similar comments). I think the cause was that my wrist was too big to properly fit the sleeve, not a defect in the product. I was afraid that might turn out to be the case, but I was beguiled by the hoped for easier use of a wrist monitor over struggling to use an upper arm version (I'm quite heavy and it is difficult for me to manipulate a device on my upper arm). I probably should have opted for the latter, which I have since ordered, having returned the former and received a very efficient and quick refund from Amazon. I gave this monitor a four-star review based on my impression of its perceived quality and ease of use ('I like it' was the default explanation of four stars). Reviews indicated that proper positioning of the sleeve was crucial for accurate measurements, and I think that is probably so. You should be careful to measure your wrist to be sure that this monitor's sleeve will securely and snugly (but not too tightly) fit completely around your wrist. There is a sensor in the sleeve that apparently MUST rest just so on the underside of your wrist for you to get accurate, reliable, repeatable results. The software (which I didn't install) looks very useful for tracking your results (keeping a history) and for printing results to take to your doctor. Omron HEM-670IT Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor with APS (Advanced Positioning Sensor) and Advanced Omron Health Management SoftwareCustomer Review: GOOD - WHEN IT WORKS
Summary: 4 Stars
The featured OMRON device uses technology similar to WELBY DELUXE AUTOMATIC DIGITAL Blood Pressure Monitor which I purchased several years ago. The illustrations for both look wonderful - but only the OMRON device works OK - when it works - and the Welby device does not work at all. all I see are tiny dashes. In this category I now see a MABIS device which looks IDENTICAL to the WELBY unit. Don't know the relationship between WELBY and MABIS. I'll research further and see what "LIFETIME WARRANTY" means. Would be nice to have a FUNCTIONING Welby device to compare with the OMRON HEM-670IT device in this review. It appears that all brands of this type of device use similar technology to display data. NOW SPECIFICS ON THE HEM-670IT.
Worth mentioning: I have ALL THREE OMRON DEVICES: Pedometer, Chest Pulse Monitor and HEM-670IT Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor. The first two Omron units work very well and ONLY the HEM-670IT has problems as below.
Cover for battery compartment keeps popping off. Very poor design of battery cover. Other features are very good - WHEN THEY WORK. I purchased the OMRON HEM-670IT from Amazon. If one follows positioning instructions carefully, OMRON unit SOMETIMES works OK. But is QUITE temperamental and MAY take several tries before one gets a meaningful final display. WHEN it works, it works. More of an art than a science. Moving it a minuscule almost imperceptible distance SOMETIMES works OK and yields a final USEFUL display. When - and if - it works, the data displayed is fairly consistent with that obtained at a medical clinic using their standard arm blood pressure measurement procedures. All in all, I like the design of the HEM-670IT.
A Google search of "OMRON HEM-670IT" yields 89,500 hits beyond VERY USEFUL AMAZON USER REVIEWS.
GERHARDT - Madison, Wisconsin and Freiburg, Germany Global Justice Search [...]
Customer Review: great WRIST b.p.monitor; software sucks
Summary: 4 Stars
I used an earlier version of this wrist-based monitor - Omron's HEM-637 - for about a half-decade, until it wore out. Checked it nearly a dozen times with my physician's in-office professional arm-based sphygmomanometer (that's the official name for such gadgets :-), on both the left and right wrists (and arms), and they always matched reasonably well.
But do be aware - even having my [very competent, very experienced] physician using his best equipment, sequential readings on different arms - or on the same arm but 5 minutes or more apart (to allow the blood vessel to recover from the squeeze) - USUALLY gave systolic readings that were as much as 5-10 or more different, with similar fluctuations in the diastolic and pulse rates. And that was with arm-based professional units (including the proper cuff-size, which varies depending on the size of your arm).
I.e., the variations between arm-based readings from pro gear, and wrist-based readings from my old HEM-637 and also from this newer HEM-670IT, HAVE varied - but have NOT varied more than when the doc used his own pro gear repeatedly. Now, having addressed that "variation" issue ...
A wrist b.p. monitor is MUCH easier and more convenient to use than an arm b.p. monitor. And having tried several, I've found Omron units to be best, in multiple ways.
On the other hand, it is VERY irritating that this platinum-priced HEM-670IT's computer interface and software does NOT work on Macs. And even worse that it requires its own special display program. Would have been FAR better to simply facilitate inputting the data as standard comma-delimited or tab-delimited records, that could than be fed into any spreadsheet or database program that best-met the user's needs. Omron's interface and software FAILS those reasonable criteria!
--jim, [...].
Customer Review: Seems good
Summary: 4 Stars
I didn't give this 5 stars because I haven't had it long enough to see how it holds up. I got this as a replacement for the HEM-650, which was OK, but which lasted less than 2 years. I'm sending that one away for repairs....I think the inflating bladder inside it no longer works as it won't inflate. So I decided to get another one, and I was interested in this model because I liked the additional features....ability to show the date and time, it can store 100 readings, the APS feature is nice, and you can do averages as well. (The APS was apparently on my 650 but it never worked at all). In the setup screens you can adjust brightness on the screen, and can choose to do 3 readings and then an average of the three. My main complaint is that the software end of things (which you undoubtedly pay extra for) will not work with Macs. I really don't understand why a device such as this one wouldn't have software on both platforms, Mac and PC. There are a LOT of us out there with Macs, and I've found a great many health type devices only work with PCs. So I'll get no use from the computer charting, unfortunately. However, all other aspects of this model seem great and I like it much better than the 650. The Omron BP monitors all seem to have a 5 year warranty as far as I can tell, so that's a good thing. I really do like the APS feature in terms of positioning it correctly. I have already seen that I was positioning my older monitor in the wrong place, so possibly my readings weren't accurate. On this one, the APS gives you a visual about positioning, and when you get it in the right spot, it beeps. So I like this feature very much. For people with PCs, the monitor has a USB connector and the product includes the appropriate USB cord. Since I can't use the software, I can't comment on how good it is (or isn't).Customer Review: Consistently inaccurate
Summary: 1 Stars
I've had this unit for a week, and am returning it. It's very easy to use, confortable, fast, and the downloadable feature makes keeping records for one's doctor to review a snap. The ONLY problem: when compared to blood pressure monitors at my local hospital and my personal physician's office, it consistently reads Diastolic high, usually by about 30 points, and Dyastolic high, by around 15 points. I am being evaluated for hypertension and since I *usually* measure within healthy ranges at medical faclities, with only the occasional very high repeatable reading, I have been directed to take frequent, scheduled measurements at home. The degree of error found in this possibly defective unit -- which I note appears to be atypical for most customers -- is enough to suggest the need for specific treatments where none may be necessary.
The Automatic Positioning System and Intellisense technology featured in this product seemed to work just fine, consistently guiding me to position my wrist in the same locale over my chest, thus I believe that my experience may not reflect the behavior of a properly functioning Omron HEM-670IT.
I am returning this unit to AMAZON, and ordering the arm cuff style HEM-790IT, which appears to not be as convenient to carry around, but seems to enjoy better reviews and is more trusted for accuracy by medical professionals. I'm now gunshy about wrist-based BP monitors, but I'll miss the convenience of having an all-in-one, compact unit that travels easily and doesn't smack of "medical appliance/device". (I don't like being reminded 2-3 times a day that something *might* be wrong.)
The wrist unit is somehow less intimidating, but where health parameters are concerned, accuracy is everything.