CONTEC Automatic 24hr Blood Pressure Monitor Upper Arm Continuously BP Monitoring Adult Cuff

Real Review 02/23/21 from a Satisfied Customer... Pros: 1) 24 Hr Ambulatory Options (+++ feature). 2) Programmable intervals for ABPM measurements as frequently as 15 minutes! 2) Sturdy & Convenient Over-the-Shoulder Carrying Case 3) Accurate BP Measurements, which include MAP readings. 4) Separate On-Demand and ABPM Readings (+++ feature) 5) PC Transferable data to share with your doctor(s) 6) Alarm Thresholds for High AND Low BP (+++ feature) 7) Long industrial hose for flexibility of positioning & consistent ease of access to the machine (which has been GREAT for me when sleeping with it and very comfortable). 8) Price-Point Cons: 1) No CD is included with this item. You receive download instructions attached to the box on how to access your software. You have to download additional software to access the software necessary to fully utilize all the features of the device. 2) There is a password to turn on the sound/alarms (it is provided in the manual but was not easy to locate from the table of contents). I really don't see any purpose for this feature as it relates to sound. 3) I would like to see a MAP Alarm too (upper and lower alarm threshold) in addition to the other thresholds for greater BP management and accuracy in identifying issues quickly, which would provide a more complete monitoring option. 4) BP Cuff is a little difficult to get wrapped around your arm properly, one-handed. The clip provided helps make this process a little easier and with a little practice, it does get better. However, I would have liked to have seen the same type of self-adjusting cuff as one that comes standard with the Contec 08A, which is excellent for getting the cuff on quickly with an accurate fit (it's a no-brainer and adjusts quickly one-handed). If there was a way to trade my Contec 08A cuff out & simply attach it to my ABPM50, I would have, unfortunately they are not interchangeable. 5) The manual is not very clear or straight forward in relation to all the features of the device or how to properly utilize the software. I learned pretty much from trial and error regarding the software. Personal experience: 1) On-Demand Button: Mine gets stuck sometimes (I occasionally attempt to initiate 4 or 5 times to get it begin on-demand readings when first turning machine on and occasionally when in ABPM mode. 2) Ease of Use: The machine is pretty simple to use once you get acclimated to its features. Some features are very straight forward straight out of the box without reading any instructions (for me a least); although, I am tech savvy and had familiarity with their Contec 08A, which is very similar in functionality, style and setup. My experience with the Contec 08A was the same on first use though, pretty straight forward of the box, where the need to read reading and acclimation was only necessary to access the deeper features, which not everyone will have need for. The cons and personal experience noted are NOT deal-breakers for me. The Pros FAR OUTWEIGH the cons & personal experience. This device has been exceptionally helpful to me overall and is very cost-effective in terms of the benefits and ease of mind that it provides & that's what makes this a five-star device. I would definitely buy again and HIGHLY recommend for anyone who needs to monitor their pressure. Excellent Device.

Despite the system’s flaws, its ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring capability was priceless for me- it completely changed my understanding of what my blood pressure was doing. I had been checking my BP frequently using a conventional cuff, because it was erratic and sometimes scarily high. The CONTEC unit let me see my real BP, measured over a full day and night, and it was normal! My own concern about my BP was causing it to jump up when I used a conventional cuff. With the ambulatory monitoring you soon get a bit bored with it, and the anxiety-triggered jumps go away. You do still see some high values, but those are due to you being active when the unit does the measurement. All of the criticisms of the User Manual are correct- it is terrible! Here are a few things I do: It is difficult to put the cuff on your arm, but once it is on you can carefully slide it off and on again without unwrapping it. Easy! To put the cuff on, drape the tube over your neck, and apply the cuff with the little ɸ symbol next to the inside of your elbow. Then put your shirt or top on. I don’t use the carrying bag, I just route the tube inside my shirt down to my hip on the side opposite to the cuff, pull the tube end up above my belt, plug in the main unit, and drop it in my pants’ pocket. To use the bathroom, I wait till just after a reading has been taken and then temporarily disconnect the main unit from the tube. To get a spot BP reading you can just press the green button. For ambulatory readings you have to work through the menus, choose the ABPM option, then set the On/Off option to Begin, then press the center button to start. Lastly you have to choose whether to delete your previous data or just add onto it. So if you need to remove the system for a while in the middle of a day you can long-press the center (OK) button to stop it, remove the system and do whatever you need to, reattach the system, and resume ABPM monitoring- just don’t delete your old data. Taking the system off for a few hours over the course of a day doesn’t hurt, you still get a good picture of how your BP is varying. In bed the readings will be slightly low if you are lying on your side opposite to the arm with the cuff. Not a big deal. You only need to do a day-long measurement once in a while, or if something changes.

Great monitor to keep informed of pressure.

I had hoped to use this device to do frequent blood pressure monitoring while sleeping or moving around. Unfortunately it is poorly made and poorly documented. I discovered one of the areas of poor make in the way of design immediatly upon inserting batteries. The device would not turn on. I had inserted brand new Duracell AAs. Upon examination I discovered the batteries were not engaging the positive contacts in the device due to plastic walls preventing the positive cap from mating with the device's positive metal contacts. See the photo that shows this. I tried various Duracells and none worked. Then I inserted some Kirkland (COSTCO) AAs that looked to have possibly a fraction of a millimeter longer positive contact and a more sloping shell shoulder. They worked, but with moving use, as would be the case in the ambulatory environment, such mechanical unreliability would be certain to result in erratic operation. Then I began the absurdly difficult task of reading the eighty plus page manual. There was no clear general explanation of how to use the device. To make matters much, much worse it was written by a person or persons for whom English is not a native language and was not edited to aid clarity. I have no idea why the makers do not bother to have their manuals cleaned up by competent editors. But wait there's more, way too much more reminding me to dispose of things in an environmentally safe way and on and on with very little helpful in setting up or using the device. Finally there where very obtuse instructions on set up and use scattered over 40 or 50 pages. The menu device interface is very difficult to navigate and even to see. The selection highlighting in a one pixel ring around the selection, so turn down the lights to see it, then turn them up to read the small print in the manual. Frustrated, I decided to determine if would at least take a blood pressure reading. It actually did, repeatedly. So I had a blood pressure device that would take blood pressure, but I had no instrument to confirm accuracy. There are a number of such devices on the market for 20% the cost of this one. No CD with software was included even though the manual said it was. The box had a URL sticker that implied software might be there, but upon trying it out I was warned the site was not secure. I have no desire to download software from an insecure site in the Peoples Republic of China. Should the manufacturer wish to remedy these and other problems that lead me and many others to return such products, I offer my services as a very experienced writer of technical books, presenter of technical matters to hundreds of seminars, and lawyer for very significant but clearly necessary fees. I await requests for proposals in this regard. Meanwhile this turkey is going right back to Amazon whom I thank for their return policy.

Being able to calibrate it would be nice. The machine is pretty amazing although it may be slightly not accurate it is close enough. It does do everything it says it does. I am very pleased with it and do recommend it and would by it again. Considering that most comparable machines cost over $2000. Starting a update to this review. I took it to the doctors office and it turned out to be accurate so I changed it to 5 stars. I was having really high blood pressure in the evenings. Unbelievably worrying about it was causing it to go way up. Ever since I received this machine the piece of mind while sleeping knowing it will wake me up if it gets too high has eliminated the problem. Since I received it I have not had a single reading that was too high. It all works perfectly as expected. It has literally saved my life.

Instructions are poorly translated from Chinese. Also I did NOT get the software with it and have reached out with no response. There is no United States contact info

This device is not for the elderly to work on their own. To get to the automatic measurement function you have work the small screen a bit but once you know how to set it to automatically measure your blood pressure and alert you then IT IS A LIFESAVER and PEACE OF MIND. If you have loved ones dealing with blood pressure spiking and dropping as they adjust to meds or are going through some medical issue then this device will automate blood pressure measurement. The device has a default of no sound on the alarm. You can change that. The default passcode is 8015 if you want to enable the sound. I have no idea why they have a default password but they do. This device is great though. I am posting this in gratitude because someone I love is deal with blood pressure issues and this device has been such a tool to help me monitor

When you need to monitor night time BP, this is the perfect machine. Can set time intervals to your choosing and alert you when it's too high and too low..perfect fir Autonomic dysfunction issues.