TechGearLab

The Wellue SleepU Wrist &#40;powered by Viatom&#41; is meant to continuously monitor oxygen saturation levels while you sleep. It snaps on like a watch with a small and flexible finger loop which is very comfortable, keeping any weight off your finger. The ViHealth app captures and charts your data while you rest &#40;as long as you leave it on for over two minutes&#41;. The app is not the most user-friendly, but it doesn't take long to master and provides plenty of information, letting you set vibration alerts if your SpO2 levels drop or pulse rate falls below or rises above certain thresholds. During breath-hold testing, the SleepU vibrated every time our freediver tester experienced hypoxic contractions. A USB cable recharges the device. 
Though the SleepU provided consistent and accurate readings for all of our testers, it did take twice as long to register the first reading for our Black tester than our White testers. Since it's meant to monitor over a longer period, the extra 10 seconds doesn't seem like a big deal, but it does give us pause. The SleepU also has many small pieces, is harder to put on, and is more delicate than many other options. The finger loop is one-size-fits-all, which may not accommodate all fingers, and it's expensive. These things aside, it could be the one for you if you need to monitor your oxygen levels while getting a good night's sleep. 

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The Masimo MightySat delivers a wealth of health information quickly and consistently. It tracks more data than any other device in our test, including blood oxygen saturation &#40;SpO2&#41;, pulse rate, respirations per minute, perfusion index &#40;PI&#41;, and pleth variability index &#40;PVi&#41;, which can be used to help manage fluid intake. Its SpO2 and pulse rate measurements were comparable to the other devices we tested. It stores all of this data via the Masimo Personal Health App, and you can change the readout orientation on the device by tapping the bottom of the display. What we really love about this option is its comfort. Its clever hinge and wide shape distribute pressure evenly across a padded cradle. 
We expected a lot based on this unit's price, and you do get more data with the MightySat, but if you don't know what those health metrics mean, they don't do you a lot of good. And despite the impressive data collection, this is not a medical device. It also reacted slower than the Contec during our breath-hold testing and didn't seem to register oxygen readings below 90%. While we liked the iPhone version of the app, the Android option is more difficult to use. Our biggest complaint with the MightySat, though, is its huge price tag. Still, if you want an extremely comfortable device for quick check-ins on important health metrics, this one might be a good choice for you. 

The Masimo MightySat delivers a wealth of health information quickly and consistently. It tracks more data than any other device in our test, including blood oxygen saturation &#40;SpO2&#41;, pulse rate, respirations per minute, perfusion index &#40;PI&#41;, and pleth variability index &#40;PVi&#41;, which can help you or your doctor manage your fluid intake. Its SpO2 and pulse rate measurements were comparable to the other devices we tested. It stores all of this data via the Masimo Personal Health App, and you can change the readout orientation on the device by tapping the bottom of the display. What we really love about this option is its comfort. Its clever double hinge and wide shape distribute pressure evenly across a padded cradle. Like Nonin, Masimo claims that its devices work accurately with darker skin tones. 
We expected a lot based on this unit's price, and you do get more data with the MightySat. But if you don't know what those health metrics mean, they don't do you much good. And despite the impressive data collection, this is not rated as a medical device. It also reacted slower than the Contec during our breath-hold testing and didn't seem to register oxygen readings below 90% &#40;you should call your doctor if your levels fall below 95% &mdash; levels at or below 90% are a 911 emergency according to NYC Health&#41;. While we liked the iPhone version of the app, the Android option is more difficult to use. But our biggest complaint with the MightySat is its huge price tag. Still, if you want an extremely comfortable device for quick check-ins on important health metrics, this one might be a good choice. 

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We didn't immediately notice the cartoon polar bear on the face of the Zacurate Children Digital, but we have to admit it's pretty cute. Designed for quick oxygen level check-ins for children 2-12 years old, the cuteness is intentional. Aside from the kid-friendly facade and very small finger port, this non-medical device operates identically to the other fingertip devices. Simply press the polar bear's nose &#40;we love this&#41;, let him eat your finger, and you'll have a SpO2 and pulse rate reading in about seven seconds. 
The device also gives you a waveform to help you gauge how consistent your kiddo's blood flow is and thus how accurate a reading is likely to be. Since it's designed for kid fingers, the Zacurate is quite small, and we often struggled to get it to register our adult hands, even using our pinkies. However, when it did, its readings were consistent and in line with the most accurate devices we tested. We recommend this model for anyone looking to monitor their child's oxygen stats. 

Budget Pick

The Innovo Deluxe monitor is a comfortable and reliable option that performed well in all of our tests. We appreciate how easy it is to use. Just insert the included batteries, and it quickly reads your SpO2, pulse rate, and perfusion index &#40;PI&#41;. At the same time, it gives you plenty of customizable options. You can set up high and low SpO2 or pulse rate alarms, turn on a &#40;really annoying&#41; alert beep, adjust the display brightness, and rotate the display readout to face you or a care nurse &mdash; all by manipulating its one power button. &#40;Keep those instructions handy.&#41; 
The display also helps you determine how reliable the readings are. If the perfusion index is below 0.3%, you may not have enough blood in your hands for an accurate reading. You should warm them up with a cup of tea or a quick walk around. Similarly, the pulse rate bar should be above 30%, and the plethysmograph waveform, which measures your blood flow, should show consistent wave heights before you trust a reading. This device feels exceptionally sturdy, and we appreciate that it helps you get an accurate reading. If you don't need an app to record your readings, the Innovo Deluxe is a high-quality option. 

The Innovo Deluxe iP900AP monitor is a comfortable and reliable option that performed well in all of our tests. We appreciate how easy it is to use. Just insert the included batteries, and it quickly reads your SpO2, pulse rate, and perfusion index &#40;PI&#41;. At the same time, it gives you plenty of customizable options. You can set up high and low SpO2 or pulse rate alarms, turn on a &#40;really annoying&#41; alert beep, adjust the display brightness, and rotate the display readout to face you or a care nurse &mdash; all by manipulating its one power button &#40;just keep those instructions handy.&#41; 
The display also helps you determine how reliable the readings are. If the perfusion index is below 0.3%, you may not have enough blood in your hands for an accurate reading. You should warm them up with a cup of tea, a short walk, or other light movement. Similarly, the pulse rate bar should be above 30%, and the plethysmograph waveform &#40;which measures your blood flow&#41; should show consistent wave heights before you trust a reading. This device feels exceptionally sturdy, and we appreciate that it helps you get an accurate reading. If you don't need an app to record your readings, the Innovo Deluxe is a high-quality option. 

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expert-review

This Top-Rated Pulse Oximeter is Heavily Discounted, Because Why Not? | Digital Trends

A reputation for accuracy, impressive performance in our consistency testing, and low price point make the Contec the best all-around pulse oximeter for general wellness use. While we didn't compare these pulse oximeters to actual arterial blood gas &#40;SpO2&#41; numbers &#40;the gold standard for testing oxygen levels&#41;, others have. A 2016 study in Anesthesia & Analgesia found that the Contec met the International Organization for Standardization &#40;ISO&#41; criteria for accuracy when used on healthy subjects. It's also approved by the Food and Drug Administration, gave us fast and consistent readings in our tests, and reacted quickly to oxygen changes during our breath-hold testing. We appreciate the pulse rate bar graph as well, which lets you know if your blood flow is high enough to get a good reading. It helps that the Contec is fairly comfortable and incredibly easy to use. Just place it over your fingernail, press the power button and wait for a reading. It turns off automatically and quickly when you're done. 
While Contec claims that it will support 30 hours of continuous use, it's only meant for spot checks, so you won't really notice. It also doesn't store and chart your oxygen levels and pulse rate changes like some of the higher-tech versions we tested. A Nonin &#40;read: competitor sponsored&#41; study found that the Contec struggles to accurately detect low oxygen levels in patients with cold hands &#40;cold hands are more likely if you're sick.&#41; Of course, it's not really intended to be a medical device, but it's a great tool for helping athletes nerd out over their body metrics or to help plane pilots or passengers track oxygen levels. If you want to track your SpO2 levels while you're healthy, this is the one for you. 

A reputation for accuracy, impressive performance in our consistency testing, and low price point make the Contec CMS50DL Finger Tip monitor the best all-around pulse oximeter for general wellness use. While we didn't compare these pulse oximeters to actual arterial blood gas &#40;SpO2&#41; numbers &#40;the gold standard for testing oxygen levels&#41;, others have. A 2016 study in Anesthesia & Analgesia found that the Contec met the International Organization for Standardization &#40;ISO&#41; criteria for accuracy when used on healthy subjects. It's also approved by the Food and Drug Administration, gave us fast and consistent readings in our tests, and reacted quickly to oxygen changes during our breath-hold testing. Additionally, we appreciate the pulse rate bar graph, which lets you know if your blood flow is high enough to get a good reading. It helps that the Contec is fairly comfortable and incredibly easy to use. Just place it over your fingernail, press the power button and wait for a reading. It turns off automatically and quickly when you're done. 
While Contec claims this device will support 30 hours of continuous use, it's only meant for spot checks, so you won't really notice. It also doesn't store and chart your oxygen levels and pulse rate changes like some of the higher-tech versions we tested. A Nonin study &#40;read: competitor sponsored&#41; found that the Contec struggles to accurately detect low oxygen levels in patients with cold hands &#40;cold hands are more likely if you're sick.&#41; It's important to note that Contec is not intended to be a medical device, according to the manufacturer. It's intended to help athletes nerd out about their body metrics or to help plane pilots or passengers track oxygen levels. Bottom line: if you want to track your SpO2 levels while you're healthy, this is the one for you. 

Pulse Oximeter Comparison