Does Omron Blood Pressure Monitors Need Calibration?

Some of you may have an Omron blood pressure monitor or may be thinking about purchasing one. There seems to be some conflicting information out there about calibration. This prompted me to answer the question, does Omron blood pressure monitors need calibration?

Omron blood pressure monitors do not need calibration. The monitors are only calibrated at the manufacturer when assembled. The units cannot be calibrated again but can be tested by the Omron inspection center.

After contacting Omron by email and phone, I was able to gather much information about calibration and related topics. This blog post will explain in more detail and inform you about calibration and repair information you may be interested to hear!

Purchasing A New Monitor? The Omron 10 Series is their top of the line monitor. Check its current price on Amazon, Omron 10 Series Home Blood Pressure Monitor.

Disclaimer: Some links in this article are affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon associate and eBay partner I earn from qualifying purchases.

Omron Blood Pressure Monitors and Calibration

Some of my clients have inquired about calibration which prompted me to research the topic. I found conflicting and confusing information on the internet which I hope to clear up and make simple for you.

First, I emailed Omron customer service and received an answer in two days. Second, to verify the email information I called and spoke to a customer service representative. The representative, although rude, was knowledgeable and instantly gave me the information I needed.

The United States based Omron and the Europe based Omron provide different answers. The United States Omron states their blood pressure monitors don’t require recalibration. The Europe based Omron states a home blood pressure monitor should be re-calibrated every two years.

Which answer for you to follow depends on which model you own or plan on purchasing. Although the US and EU monitors appear the same, they do have different model numbers. If you have a US model, follow the recommendation of no re-calibration needed. If your model is EU, have it calibrated every two years.

Here’s the response I got from Omron by email:

I would be happy to assist you. Omron BP units are only calibrated at the manufacturer. Omron BP units cannot be calibrated again but they can be tested by our inspection center. It is recommended the unit be checked by Omron’s inspection center every 5 years from the date of purchase.

Calibration is one of 18 tips discussed in my article about home monitors. Check out the other topics and learn more by clicking on the article here, Home Blood Pressure Monitors – Things To Know.

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How To Calibrate an Omron Blood Pressure Monitor

To calibrate an Omron blood pressure monitor from Europe follow these steps:

Contact customer service and obtain the Omron Technical Services mailing address.
When sending the monitor, include a brief note stating your monitor requires calibration and explain any issues you may be experiencing.
Include your return address. When the monitor is returned to you, it will require a signature for delivery.
Include a daytime contact phone number where you can be reached.
Include a copy of your purchase receipt or invoice if purchased within the past three years. It’s possible the work will be free of charge if it’s still under warranty.

An Omron monitor sold and based in the United States does not need a re-calibration.

It’s very easy to do an internet search asking about calibration and the search brings you to the Europe Omron website ¹. At first glance, it doesn’t appear very different, and you wouldn’t even know you’re reading the EU website instead of the United States website.

I know because it happened to me. Since the EU website informs you to recalibrate very two years, it’s easy to confuse that information for the monitor you own or are thinking of buying in the U.S.

Do You Have Large Upper Arms? If so, it may be difficult to find a good quality monitor with an extra large cuff. I researched all the home monitors with extra large cuffs and identified three quality monitors made by reputable companies. Check out which three in my blog post, Home BP Monitors For Large Arms.

How To Tell If Your Omron Blood Pressure Machine Is Accurate

Many times people doubt the accuracy of their monitor because the blood pressure readings may have changed or are higher than typical. Maybe the readings are just fine, but you want to make sure what the monitor is telling you is true. Therefore, you may ask, how can I tell if my Omron blood pressure machine is accurate?

You can tell if your Omron blood pressure machine is accurate by bringing it to your physician and having a healthcare provider check it for accuracy. They will compare your monitor to their blood pressure device’s readings. Your Omron blood pressure monitor should be checked for accuracy when it’s new and every year after.

Don’t assume because it’s new, it’s accurate. It’s possible the monitor wasn’t calibrated properly or has a defect. Purchasing a new monitor right before your next doctor’s appointment is a good time. This way you can bring it with you and have it checked for accuracy.

Are Omron Blood Pressure Monitors Accurate?

You may be in the market for a new blood pressure monitor and are wondering about accuracy. Since Omron is a popular online brand, are Omron blood pressure monitors accurate?

From the factory, Omron blood pressure monitors are clinically proven accurate. Each Omron blood pressure monitor is validated to be within +/- 3 mmHg or two percent.

Three mmHg difference meets or exceeds the Association of Medical Instrumentation standards. How about other manufacturers? Another reputable brand, Welch Allyn, also is validated to be within +/- 3 mmHg ².

Of course, the validations are performed under perfect circumstances. In one study, six different monitors, including the Omron 10 Series, were compared for accuracy during excessive arm movement, while the monitors measured blood pressure ³.

The following results were observed:

The Welch Allyn captured the most readings without error under conditions of motion. The Welch Allyn had a 97% success rate while the others failed more than 50% of the time.
The Welch Allyn was the most accurate device under conditions of motion with an average error of 4 mmHg. The other monitors had errors of 7 mmHg or more, some over 12 mmHg.

If you’re interested, I wrote an in depth review and comparison of the Welch Allyn 1700 and the Omron 10 Series. Both of these are each companies top of the line home monitor. You can check out my blog post here, Welch Allyn 1700 vs Omron 10 Home Blood Pressure Monitor.

BP TIP: Did you know you can lower BP by just breathing? A device is FDA approved and The American Heart Association gave it the thumbs up. It simply guides your breathing a few minutes a day which has been proven to lower BP as shown in studies. You can check it out in the manufacturer’s website by clicking here.

Omron Blood Pressure Monitor Repair

Instead of re-calibration, your Omron blood pressure monitor may need a repair. Instead of purchasing a new one, you may want to look into repairing the one you have ⁴. Where to repair an Omron blood pressure monitor?

You can get an Omron blood pressure monitor repaired by calling the Omron Consumer Support Line at (877) 216-1333. Explain what the problem is or the repair needed to the representative. The representative will determine if its under warranty and if it needs to be send in for an inspection.

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Blood Pressure Explained