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Omron's FDA-cleared blood-pressure watch now available to order

The cuff-based watch will ship early next year.

Scott Stein Editor at Large
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
Expertise VR and AR, gaming, metaverse technologies, wearable tech, tablets Credentials
  • Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
Scott Stein
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The Omron HeartGuide on our wrist back in January this year.

Josh Miller/CNET

Smartwatches check heart rate, but they don't do blood-pressure readings. This is why Omron's blood pressure-taking watch HeartGuide got our attention at CES nearly a year ago. The HeartGuide uses an actual inflating wrist-cuff to take readings via oscillometry, the same way standard blood-pressure cuffs work, and can take period measurements throughout the day and night.

The watch finally received FDA clearance and is available for preorder now, shipping on Jan. 8. The watch costs $499, which is expensive compared to other over-the-counter blood pressure monitors. The HeartGuide, however, has full fitness-watch features including step-counting, sleep and activity tracking, along with getting phone notifications. 

Battery life is expected to be about 48 hours, according to Omron's website, which is less than what was promised a year ago, but stay tuned for performance observations when we receive one to review.

Along with Apple's FDA-cleared EKG monitor on the Apple Watch Series 4, 2019 is starting to look like a big year for medically cleared health tech in wearables.

Watch our original video on the HeartGuide from last CES below.

Watch this: Omron HeartGuide fitness watch measures your hypertension

Apple Watch gets FDA-cleared EKG features

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