Top 10 Best Pulse Oximeters for Home Use in 2023

 

Updated: February 7, 2023

 

 

Pulse Oximeters are diagnostic tools that detect the pulse rate and oxygen saturation level of blood cells. These medical devices are screening tools that detect cardiovascular abnormalities. They find use in hospitals, clinics, and home care. Increased use of these devices at home occurred with the recent COVID-19 crisis. The devices detect when oxygen saturation levels fall below a healthy limit, notifying users that a trip to the emergency room is necessary.

 

   Pulse Oximeter Profile

 

Pulse Rate

An individual's pulse rate indicates the number of beats per minute (bpm) that the heart is pumping. A resting heart rate beats at 60 to 100 bpm. An abnormal pulse rate reading merits a call to your physician for professional analysis and treatment. The heart rate measurement comes from a device that clips to the fingertip. The device is non-invasive, easy to use, and simple to read. It is easily portable and adaptable for hospital and home use.

Blood Oxygen Saturation

The oxygen saturation level of blood, known as SPO2, measures the amount of oxygen transferred to the blood from the lungs. Low oxygen saturation or hypoxemia can cause headaches, shortness of breath, heart function loss, and brain impairment. The SPO2 measurement is non-invasive, painless, and effortless.

Pulse Oximeter

The combination of a pulse reader with an SPO2 device is a pulse oximeter. These devices play a critical role in hospitals, clinics, elder care facilities, and home care. They take two separate vital readings that can detect cardiopulmonary problems that can become fatal if not acted upon quickly. Pulse oximetry positions itself as the most convenient non-invasive method of monitoring blood oxygen saturation and heart rate. These devices enjoy extensive use in operating rooms, postoperative recovery, intensive care, and patient transfers. They are also prevalent in homecare use.¹

 

   Anatomy of a Pulse Oximeter

 

Non-Medical Devices

Many finger pulse oximeters for sale do not meet the FDA's strict guidelines to qualify as a medical device. FDA standards require a root mean square error (Arms) <3% over a saturation range of 70–100%.² When these diagnostic instruments qualify as medical devices, they often carry a prescription requirement before purchasing. However, many O2 Finger Sensors for sale in drugstores or on the Internet are sold as over-the-counter products for non-medical purposes. Some medical studies comparing the readings between non-medical and medical devices found no meaningful differences between monitors for measuring oxygen saturations between the range of 90 to 99%. The non-medical devices work well to confirm normoxia or to rule out hypoxemia. However, patients testing below 90% should upgrade to using a medically approved device for improved accuracy.^{3, 4} Medical studies find that smartphone monitoring, combined with a pulse oximeter transmitter, offers some advantages beyond standard devices.⁵

 

 

Ranking the Best Pulse Oximeters

 

1. Roscoe Pulse Oximeter
2. Masimo MightySAT
3. Nonin Onyx Vantage 9590
4. ChoiceMMed OxyWatch C20
5. Drive MQ3000
6. Covidien Nellcor PM10N
7. Nonin PalmSat 2500
8. Adimals 2150
9. Hopkins Medical Oximeter
10. QuickCheck Pulse Oximeter

 

  The Top Ten Best Pulse Oximeters For Sale

 

 

#1 Roscoe Pulse Oximeter

 

 

Advantages

• Soft Silicone Padding
• Displays SPO2 and Pulse Rate
• One Button Operation
• Low Battery Indicator
• Large LED Display
• Auto-Off Function to Save Battery
• 1-Year Warranty

•     Roscoe Pulse Ox User Manual

 

 

Roscoe Pulse Oximeter Review (1:10 minutes)

 

 

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#2 Masimo MightySAT

 

Advantages

• Signal IQ to Assess SPO2 Confidence
• Plethysmographic Waveform Offers Real-Time Graphical Representation of Volume of Arterial Blood
• Perfusion Index Measures Dynamic Changes During the Respiratory Cycle
• Pleth Variability Index Displays the Ratio of Pulsatile Blood Flow for Peripheral Perfusion
• Respiration Rate Per Minute
• Oxygen Saturation Level
• Pulse Rate Per Minute
• Lightweight Design
• High-Resolution Display
• Flexible Finger Pad
• Customizable Settings
• Rotating and Adjustable Color Screen
• Four-Year Warranty

•     Brochure
•     MightySAT User Manual

 

 

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Masimo MightySat Review (5:43 minutes)

 

 

#3 Nonin Onyx Vantage 9590

 

 

Advantages

• Low Power Consumption
• Offers Up to 6000 Spot Checks on Two AAA Batteries
• Works on All Skin Pigmentations
• Works on Patients with Low Perfusion
• Bright LED Screen, Readable in all Lighting Conditions
• Provides Readings at Any Angle
• Auto Power Up When Placed on Finger
• Auto Power Shut Off When Removed
• Durable Construction
• Up to 36 Hours of Continuous Use
• Made in USA
• 4-Year Warranty

•     Onyx Vantage 9590 User Guide
•     Onyx Vantage 9590 Specifications

 

 

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Onyx Vantage 9590 Review (3:33 minutes)

 

 

#4 ChoiceMMed OxyWatch C20

 

 

Advantages

• Silicone Padding for Additional Comfort
• LED 4-Way Display Screen
• One Button Operation
• Automatic Power Shut Off
• Displays SPO2, Pulse Rate, and Pulse Bar
• Slip Resistant Clip
• Lightweight
• Bright LED Screen
• Easy-To-Use
• Low Power Consumption
• 1-Year Warranty

•     OxyWatch C20 User Manual

 

 

Choicemmed Oxywatch C20 Pulse Oximeter Review (0:51 minutes)

 

 

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#5 Drive MQ3000

 

 

 

Advantages

• Multi-View Display
• Displays SPO2 and Pulse Rate
• One Button Operation
• Bright Easy-To-Read LED Display
• Auto-Off Function Saves Battery Life
• 2-Year Warranty

•     Drive MQ3000 User Manual
•     Drive MQ3000 Information Sheet

 

 

Drive MQ3000 Review (1:04 minutes)

 

 

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#6 Covidien Nellcor PM10N

 

 

Advantages

• 3-Inch Color LCD Display
• Connectivity to Analytic Tools
• Connectivity to Patient Management Systems
• Monitors SPO2, Pulse Rate, Sat Seconds Alarm Management, Pleth Waveform, Blip Bar, Tabular Trend
• Spot Check and Continuous Monitoring Functions
• Audible Alarm
• Visual Alarm
• Patient Mode Menu
• 5-Year Warranty

•     Nellcor PM10N Instructions

 

 

Nellcor PM10N SPO2 Handheld Pulse Oximeter Review (8:22 minutes)

 

 

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#7 Nonin PalmSat 2500

 

 

Advantages

• Three Power Options
• Long Battery Life of Up to 80-Hours
• User-Friendly LED Display
• Tri-Color Capability
• Battery Low Indicator
• Customizable Alarms
• Light Blinks for Each Detected Pulse
• Detects Faulty Sensors
• Compact and Portable
• 72-Hours of Data Storage
• Data Transfer Capability
• Compatible with Nonin's Full Line of PureLight Sensors
• 3-Year Warranty

•     Nonin PalmSAT User Guide

 

 

Nonin PalmSAT 2500 Handheld Pulse Oximeter Review (8:29 minutes)

 

 

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#8 Adimals 2150

 

 

Advantages

• Quick Readings
• Durable
• Dependable
• Accuracy: SpO2 ±3% / HR ±2 BPM
• 10 Brightness Settings
• Pediatric Friendly
• Compact
• Portable
• Easy-to-Read OLED Screen
• Six Display Modes
• 2-Year Warranty

•     ADC Adimals 2150 User Guide

 

 

ADC Adimals 2150 Pulse Ox Review (3:10 minutes)

 

 

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#9 Fingertip Pulse Oximeter with Perfusion Index

 

What's In The Box?

• Pulse Oximeter
• AA Batteries x2

 

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Advantages

• Lightweight and Portable
• 4 Rotating Views
• Auto On/Off
• Bright 4-Color OLED Screen
• Compact Size
• Highly Accurate
• Provides Precise Readings in Seconds
• Perfusion Index: Percentage and Waveform Trend
• Batteries Included
• Alarm is Preset for Pulse and SP02
• Provides SPO2, Pulse Rate, and Plethysmograph

•     Hopkins Medical Catalog

 

#10 QuickCheck Pulse Oximeter

 

 

What's in the Box?

• QuickCheck Pro
• Lanyard
• (2) AAA Batteries
• User Manual

 

 

Advantages

• LCD Screen
• Easy-To-Read Numbers
• Ergonomic Design
• Low Battery Indicator
• No Routine Calibration
• 1-Year Warranty

 

 

Footnotes

• ¹ Hutton, Peter, and Tom Clutton-Brock. The benefits and pitfalls of pulse oximetry. BMJ: British Medical Journal 307.6902 (1993): Page 457. (Last Accessed November-19-2020)
• ² Pulse Oximeters - Premarket Notification Submissions [510(k)s]: Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff. Guidance Document. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. March 2013. (Last Accessed November-19-2020)
• ³ Singh, Anupam Kumar, et al. Comparative evaluation of the accuracy of pulse oximeters and factors affecting their performance in a tertiary intensive care unit. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research: JCDR 11.6 (2017): OC05. (Last Accessed October 21, 2020)
• ³ Dubowitz, G., et al. Accuracy of the Lifebox pulse oximeter during hypoxia in healthy volunteers. Anesthesia 68.12 (2013): 1220-1223. (Last Accessed October 21, 2020)
• ³ Brillante, C., et al. Can Smartphone-Based Pulse Oximeters Be Used for Monitoring Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. C24. NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR MANAGING COPD. American Thoracic Society, 2018. A4554-A4554. (Last Accessed October 21)

 

 

Medical Studies

•     Polevaya, S. A., et al. Event-related telemetry of heart rate for personalized remote monitoring of cognitive functions and stress under conditions of everyday activity. Современные технологии в медицине 11.1 (eng) (2019). (Last Accessed October-23-2020)
•     Singh, Anupam Kumar, et al. Comparative evaluation of accuracy of pulse oximeters and factors affecting their performance in a tertiary intensive care unit. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research: JCDR 11.6 (2017): OC05. (Last Accessed October-23-2020)
•     Dubowitz, G., et al. Accuracy of the Lifebox pulse oximeter during hypoxia in healthy volunteers. Anaesthesia 68.12 (2013): 1220-1223. (Last Accessed October-23-2020)