Withings is certainly known for its smartwatches, which combine class and elegance with really cool health features. In its portfolio of devices, however, there is also more, such as the BPM Connect, a band for measuring blood pressure. It has obtained the clinical class certification, therefore it is a precise tool that can provide important information on one's health status.
What it looks like
BPM Connect, like all the other devices in the manufacturer's catalog, is a minimal and elegant device, with an all-in-one construction, which does not have cables, pipes, or other bulky devices to be mounted whenever you want. measure your blood pressure. In essence, it is a band, combined with a small white pump . Overall, it is a device that must certainly not surprise for aesthetics, but for functionality, which however is able to present itself well even at first sight.
The band is really generous in size, which will certainly allow anyone to use this tool. On the small pressure pump there is a screen, not the typical LCD, but a white LED display . This detail allows the instrument to be aesthetically better, with a greater harmony of the lines, which otherwise would not have been possible to achieve with a typical LCD. The choice of LEDs therefore rewards minimalism, even if it certainly has its limits in data visualization.
It must be said, however, that the basic information can be read by the peripheral, without the necessary use of the smartphone.
How it works
The use of BPM Connect is immediate and intuitive , and anyone can start measurements without even needing many explanations. The cuff is inserted, with the button facing down, and the top of the pump positioned at heart level. At this point it is sufficient to moderately tighten the band and press the only button present. The inflation phase is completely automated, which tightens the arm well, obviously without causing any pain, with a very low pump noise.
The Withings Connect is powered by a USB rechargeable battery. We do not know how to give you an estimate of the autonomy, but we can say with certainty that, with more readings per day, in the course of a month we have not yet had the need to upload it.
The measurement takes a few seconds, about half a minute, although it is possible, by pressing and holding the button, to perform three measurements in sequence. The Connect measures both blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) and heart rate, returning these data on the LED display, without the need to synchronize the smartphone. It supports up to eight different users, to be enabled in the Health Mate app dashboard, although in this case a few clicks too many are needed to record the results to a particular user. At the end of the measurement it will be necessary to press the button, keeping it pressed again to scroll the user list. When the name is correct, you can press the button again. It is also possible to select Guest as a user, and in this case the recorded data will not be synchronized with the app.
Regarding the accuracy of the measurements, we compared the data returned by connect with different devices that can be purchased directly at the pharmacy. In almost all cases we have had almost identical measurements, while the differences in some circumstances may be due to a thousand variables. Of course, we can say that Withings BPM Connect returns absolutely valid and correct data.
BPM Connect connects wireless Bluetooth and Wi-Fi , thanks to which it exchanges information with the smartphone. The connection is practically always on and immediately sends blood pressure readings to the Withings Health Mate app, allowing the user to read the data at the top of the history. The app is really well done and returns a lot of information, all well ordered.
For each day of measurements there is the data of the systolic and diastolic measurements, and the heart rate recorded at that time. Each blood pressure measurement is classified as optimal, normal, normal high, grade 1 hypertension, grade 2 hypertension, grade 3 hypertension, and isolated systolic hypertension.
These individual measurements are also aggregated for a weekly, monthly, and yearly view, so you can view the average systolic and diastolic readings, as well as view the highest and lowest measurements.
Conclusions
This Connect from Withings certainly deserves praise for its ease of use and slim design that's easy to carry around. Fast in measurements, it allows you to have a well-organized history within the app. It is well made, with a very sturdy band, which will last over time. There are no negative notes to make, but if we really had to say one, the change from one user to another for the assignment of the measurement can be not very intuitive, especially if you have 8 registered users.
PRO
AGAINST
Price and availability
It costs 99.95 euros and can also be purchased at the official website of the Italian distributor Hinnovation.
