Omron Evolv Wireless Review

We love that the structure of the one-piece Evolv cuff alleviates the struggle that less structured cuffs require. We've tested other wireless, tubeless monitors, and none were as accurate as this top-rated blood pressure monitor.

Performance Comparison

Accuracy

All the Omron blood pressure monitors we've tested in the past have posted impressive accuracy results and the Evolv is no exception. Only two readings diverged more than 10 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) from the control. This is comparable with our results from the Omron Bronze option, and only a few options we tested were better.

The Evolv is easily the most accurate tubeless option we tested and really the only one we want to recommend for that reason. The cuff inflates around your entire arm instead of just at one location like many of the other options we tested. That means that you don't have to nail its placement to properly compress your brachial artery, which is critical for an accurate reading.

Ease of Use

Putting a blood pressure cuff on your own arm is awkward. We often would hold it in place with our chin while fumbling with it, but that move requires more flexibility than we'd like. The Omron Evolv has a molded shape that helps you avoid this, making it easier to attach than any other cuff in the test.

You can slide the Evolv up your arm like a sleeve or wrap it around your arm; tension holds it in place while you secure it with the velcroed final wrap. And, since the monitor is integrated into the cuff, you don't have to untangle tubes or wrap them back up to stash them out of the way. It's hard to imagine a simpler way to track your heart health.

The read-out display is much smaller than many of the tabletop monitors and may be hard to read without glasses if you need them. We had no trouble reading it during our tests, but this is one notable caveat to the design.

What you can't do from the monitor is scroll through any past results — you only get the reading you just took. You'll need to download the Omron Connect App to see older measurements. When you do, you press the only other button on the monitor to connect the Evolv to your phone and download your readings.

The app tracks your data and will chart your readings by the day, week, month, and year. You can also easily email your recorded readings to your doctor and set reminders to take a reading. An unlimited number of users can download the app to make use of the Evolv. The app even gamifies your health. With a premium subscription, you can earn "Heath Rewards" points that are good for (minimal) cash rewards.

The same cylindrical cuff that makes it easy to wrap around your arm also makes the Evolv comfortable. For one thing, you don't have to result to contortions to attach it. The fabric is smooth and thin and doesn't feel as bulky or awkward as many other options do.

This cuff is meant for people with upper arms that are 9 to 17 inches (22 to 42cm) around. This cuff is a little more comfortable and less constricting when fully inflated, possibly because the pressure is more evenly distributed. It is also relatively quiet, which is pleasant and helps keep you calm and relaxed for a more accurate reading.

Memory

With unlimited memory on the Omron Connect App, you never have to worry about misplacing your data, as long as you remember to sync your monitor with your phone to upload it. The monitor itself will store up to 100 readings, but you can't scroll back through them unless you send them to your phone. The internal storage simply saves readings between app uploads, saving you from having to sync up every time you take your blood pressure.

The device itself doesn't batch the readings by user, and neither will the app. If you're sharing this monitor with anyone, you'll both need to download the app and make sure all of your information uploads, which clears the monitor's memory, before you hand it off to another user. On the upside, there doesn't seem to be a limit to how many users you can share it with.

Features

Our favorite features of the Evolv are that it doesn't require an air tube to inflate. Air tubes are as irritating as the rest of the wires in your life and are quite a bit more delicate. You have to pack them away carefully to ensure they don't kink, which wears them out faster.

Omron claims that the Evolv monitor has a movement detector. If it feels you moving your left arm during a reading, it should stop, flash a little dancing figure, and ask you to try again. We tested this out. The first time we tried, it flashed an error reading to remove any clothing beneath the sensor (we had lazily pulled it on over a sleeve.) So we did and then danced around again, and it gave us the same clothing error message. On a third and fourth try, the Evolv just went ahead with the reading, despite some pretty wild, arm-slinging moves. It did flag the reading in the app, but that doesn't help you in real-time. In short, you probably shouldn't trust that sensor and just sit still and quietly for an accurate reading.

An irregular heartbeat sensor also lets you know if the device suspects an arrhythmia. We couldn't test this function, so if you do see the symbol, ask your doctor about it as soon as you can.

Value

This is one of the more expensive monitors we've reviewed, and it's a little less accurate than the top-tier models, according to our test. Still, it is the most accurate tubeless option we've tried, and its easy-on cuff will save you a ton of hassle. That may be worth the price to you.

Conclusion