Best pulse oximeters for home use?

Ever since I dealt with COVID, my doctor told me I should keep an eye on my blood oxygen levels, especially since I'm constantly out running... so now I'm stuck looking into what kind of gear actually works for this kind of monitoring.

Anyone here have any experience with this? I managed to track down this one: https://www.cvs.com/shop/pulse-oximeter

Any actual useful advice before I drop my money on this? 🙂

Look, if knowing your exact blood oxygen saturation levels is going to give you some kind of peace of mind, then go ahead and buy it.

So, I’ve been using this Nano Oxi Plus, and honestly, it’s pretty decent.
It tracks your oxygen levels and heart rate, but you really have to get the placement right—like, you gotta rub your finger first to make sure it’s warm, or just stick it on your earlobe.

I mean, sure, but unless you're currently fighting for your life with some massive pneumonia, I don't see why anyone would even bother tracking their saturation, right?

swifteagle32 said:As a lingering effect from COVID, my doctor suggested I start keeping an eye on my blood oxygen levels, especially since I’m quite active and get out for runs pretty often, so I’ve been diving into my options for monitoring this kind of data...

Does anyone here have any firsthand experience with this? I managed to stumble upon this one:

Any pro tips or advice before I pull the trigger on a purchase? 🙂

I’ve actually had mine for over five years now, and honestly, it’s been a lifesaver for me since I deal with chronic lung issues. It’s incredibly helpful because my treatment plan includes supplemental oxygen when needed, so whenever my levels dip, I just hook myself up to my oxygen tank. If you ask me, I say go for it—just please, don't settle for those dirt-cheap ones you see being flashed in random internet ads for twenty bucks. Those aren't worth the headache.

swifteagle32 said:After dealing with COVID, my doctor suggested I start keeping an eye on my blood oxygen levels, especially since I'm pretty active and run quite a bit. So, I've started looking into what kind of gear is actually out there for tracking this stuff...

Anyone have any real-world experience with this? I managed to track down this one:

Any pro tips before I pull the trigger on a purchase?🙂

Honestly, they’re all more or less the same. I tested mine against those heavy-duty industrial units they use in hospitals, and mine consistently reads about 1% lower than the medical grade ones. Which, if you think about it, means it's actually performing pretty well.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

In this post-COVID world, having a Pulse Oximeter is basically non-negotiable. It can literally be a lifesaver. The scary thing about COVID is how stealthy it is—you lose oxygen so gradually that you barely feel it happening until your numbers dip below 88%, and by then, your organs—especially your brain and lungs—are already taking a massive hit.
It actually saved a buddy of mine. He didn't even feel sick, honestly, but he kept checking his Pulse Oximeter and saw his levels steadily sliding from 99% down to 95%, then 93%, then hitting 90%. He rushed straight to the ER, and sure enough, he had pneumonia in both lungs and tested positive for COVID.

Lawrence Phillips36 said:Everyone’s just guessing, I guess. I tested mine against one of those heavy-duty industrial ones they use in hospitals, and mine is always about 1 percent lower. So, it's actually pretty solid.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Honestly, during this whole COVID mess, having a Pulse Oximeter is non-negotiable. It can literally save your life. With COVID, you lose oxygen so slowly that you barely even notice it happening—not until it drops below 88%, and then suddenly everything starts failing, especially your lungs and brain.
It actually saved a buddy of mine. He didn't even feel that sick, IMO, but he saw on his Pulse Oximeter that his levels were "steadily" sliding from 99% to 95%, then down to 93%, then 90%. He rushed straight to the ER, ended up with pneumonia in both lungs, and tested positive for COVID.

I totally agree.
In the middle of a pandemic, a Pulse Oximeter is a must-have.
I picked mine up back in November, right after I lost a friend to COVID, and I spent forever reading up on blood oxygen levels, how they tank when you have pneumonia, and when things get critical.
I definitely recommend getting one.

Is anyone else using a smartwatch to track their blood oxygen levels? My Apple has been running constantly, and the data is actually quite interesting. It seems to drop during the night to around 93%, sometimes hitting a low of 88%, before climbing back up by morning. In the mornings, I’m usually at 93%, then it hits about 96-98% around noon, and starts dipping again in the evening, sitting around 94% by 8 or 9 PM.
Or maybe it's just me, but sometimes it stays steady at 98-99% all day from 1 PM to 9 PM, yet if I take it off for thirty minutes to shower and put it right back on, it suddenly shows 90%.

I realize that how the watch sits on my wrist and how much I move probably affects the readings, and I know these aren't medical-grade devices. But for those of you using actual pulse oximeters, do you see similar fluctuations in saturation throughout the day?

Michael Phillips8 said:Is anyone else here using a smartwatch to keep an eye on their blood oxygen levels? My Apple has been tracking it non-stop, and I’ve found the data to be quite fascinating, if a bit peculiar. During the night, my levels consistently dip down to about 93%, sometimes even hitting 88%, before they start climbing again as morning approaches. In the mornings, I might see a reading of 93%, then by lunchtime, it settles up to around 96-98%, only to start sliding back down in the evening until it hits about 94% by 8 or 9 PM.
Or perhaps I'm just experiencing a glitch where it stays at a steady 98-99% all day from 1 PM to 9 PM, but then I take the watch off for thirty minutes to hop in the shower, put it right back on, and suddenly it tells me I'm at 90%.

I certainly realize that how the watch sits on my wrist and how much I'm moving around can throw things off, and I know this isn't some heavy-duty medical device, but for those of you using a proper Pulse Oximeter, do you find your saturation levels staying relatively consistent throughout the day?

Generally speaking, your oxygen should be lower during physical exertion and higher while you're resting or sleeping through the night. It wouldn't hurt to schedule a checkup with your doctor just to be safe.

What should my oxygen levels actually be? Mine are sitting at 98-99%, and sometimes I even hit 100%—which feels almost too perfect, right? Now, full disclosure: I am a smoker. This Pulse Oximeter is brand new, though; I picked it up back in August $83 when it was part of some big sale over at Walgreens, so I grabbed it while it was cheap

Oxygen saturation needs to be at 95% or even higher.
For those dealing with COPD, we're looking at 92% (or maybe a bit more).

In the morning, it’s kind of low, maybe around 94, then hits 96 right when I wake up, and after that... it climbs to 98... 99...

Starting a new thread here 👍 Has anyone actually picked up one of those budget finger pulse oximeters—you know, the ones hovering around the 89-$50 mark—that are popping up all over Amazon and other online shops lately? I’m curious if they actually work or if they're just expensive little plastic paperweights. Thanks!

I think anything up to 95% is pretty much fine, you just have to make sure you're measuring it right.

One article states: "A normal oxygen saturation reading falls between 95% and 100% (though this can vary for people with certain medical conditions, like lung disease)."

If you smoke, you really ought to keep an eye on this so you don't end up with COPD, which is a permanent condition.

On this link, everything is laid out clearly.

Hope this helps.

Angela Smith53 said:What should my oxygen levels be? Mine shows 98-99%, sometimes even 100%. I actually hit 100 once. I am a smoker, and the device is new—bought back in August, $83it was on sale at a CVS pharmacy, so I grabbed it.