iHealth Lab has commercially launched a new version of its smartphone-connected blood pressure monitor, one that will run patients just $39.99. iHealth's two existing blood pressure monitoring options cost $79.95 and $99.95 respectively.
The new device, called iHealth Ease, uses a traditional upper-arm cuff and a docking cradle. It measures the user's blood pressure three times and then averages the results together to increase the accuracy of the reading, which is within 3 percent for blood pressure and 5 percent for pulse.
"Priced under $40 and loaded with advanced features, the app-based iHealth Ease makes traditional, non-connected blood pressure monitors virtually obsolete," Steve Monnier, vice president of sales and marketing at iHealth, said in a statement. "The Ease breaks new ground making it easier than ever to track, monitor, and share data with your doctor, as part of a management program to improve overall heart health. We are proud to bring this technology to market at a price affordable for every home."
Like most of iHealth's devices, the iHealth Ease will connect to iHealth's free MyVitals app for Android and iOS. The app detects irregular heart rates and can be set up with multiple user accounts.
iHealth now provides three blood pressure tracking options: iHealth Ease, the iHealth Wireless Blood Pressure Wrist Monitor (at $79.95), and the iHealth Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor (at $99.95). The wrist device is Bluetooth-enabled, so it doesn’t require a dock to communicate with mobile devices. It weighs only about a fifth of a pound and is automatically inflating, making it easier to use.
At CES this year, iHealth showed off yet another blood pressure device: an ambulatory blood pressure monitor worn inside a vest to provide 24-hour monitoring of blood pressure without changing the wearer’s normal routine. The company said the device could take recordings every 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, every hour, or every two hours. No announcements have been made about when that device will come to market.
