# Choosing a pulse oximeter

> What to look for in a home pulse oximeter, why none is "NHS approved", and what the accuracy evidence says, with options from low-cost up.

- URL: https://digitalhealthcoachuk.net/kit/choosing-a-pulse-oximeter/
- Section: Checking your health at home
- Page type: kit guide (contains labelled affiliate links)
- Last updated: 2026-10-28
- Facts checked against official sources: 2026-10-28
- Written by: Sean Key, digital health programme manager (not a clinician)
- Publisher: Digital Health Coach UK (https://digitalhealthcoachuk.net/), independent and not part of the NHS

This page is general information, not personal medical advice. In an emergency call 999. For urgent help that is not an emergency use NHS 111 online (https://111.nhs.uk/) or call 111.

Buy a fingertip pulse oximeter that the maker sells as a medical device, not a "sports" or "wellness" gadget. Choose a large, clear display you can read without glasses. A perfusion index or signal bar is a useful extra. A basic one costs about £15 to £30. No oximeter is "NHS approved", whatever the seller says, and published accuracy evidence is thin for most low-cost models.

Before you buy, read [how to use a pulse oximeter](https://digitalhealthcoachuk.net/pulse-oximeters/). The MHRA does not recommend home use unless a clinician has suggested it, shown you how to take a reading and will review your results. If your GP or care team is monitoring you, ask whether they can supply one.

## What to look for

### Sold as a medical device

Choose a model the maker describes as a medical device for home or clinical use. Avoid devices described as "for sports and aviation", "for wellness" or "not for medical use".

### Accuracy evidence

The international standard for oximeter accuracy is ISO 80601-2-61. The MHRA expects oximeters to meet it, although it is not compulsory.

Independent tests show that many low-cost oximeters fall short. A 2021 study tested ten top-selling consumer oximeters against blood tests in intensive care. None met the ISO accuracy figure, although all were good at ruling out very low oxygen. A 2024 study of 11 fingertip oximeters found five outside the accepted accuracy range, and most did worse on darker skin.

Very few low-cost models have their own published accuracy study. Medaval, an independent database that tracks device validation, lists most budget oximeters as having no peer-reviewed validation. We looked for a low-cost model that had both a published study and a maker's page we could check, and could not find one sold in the UK.

### "NHS approved" claims

The NHS does not approve or endorse brands of pulse oximeter for the public. Some sellers say a device was "supplied to the NHS" or used by an NHS trust. That tells you an NHS organisation bought it. It is not an endorsement. Do not treat it as proof of quality.

### A display you can read

Readings are small numbers on a small screen. Look for:

- a bright colour or OLED display
- large digits
- a screen that rotates so you can read it either way up

If you are buying for an older parent, check they can read it, and can press the button, before you rely on it.

### Perfusion index (PI) or signal bar

Some oximeters show a perfusion index or a pulse bar. This tells you how strong the signal is at your finger. A weak signal, often from cold hands, means the oxygen reading may be wrong. It is a useful prompt to warm your hands and try again.

### Skin tone

Pulse oximeters can overestimate oxygen levels in people with darker skin. A government-commissioned independent review and the MHRA have both said this. A 2026 study of five oximeters used in the NHS England COVID Oximetry @home scheme found all five read higher in people with darker skin.

Whatever you buy, track changes from your normal reading. Get help if you feel worse, even when the number looks fine.

## Options

These were checked on the makers' own pages on 25 October 2026. Prices are rough bands and change often.

- [Kinetik Wellbeing Finger Pulse Oximeter PO6L](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Kinetik+Wellbeing+finger+pulse+oximeter+PO6L&tag=wordpress0700-21) (affiliate link) (about £25 to £30). Maker says: Medical device; Display: Not stated; Signal strength: Not stated; Published accuracy study: None found; Guarantee: Not stated
- [Beurer PO 45 pulse oximeter](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Beurer+PO45+pulse+oximeter+perfusion+index&tag=wordpress0700-21) (affiliate link) (about £35 to £50). Maker says: Medical device; Display: Colour OLED; Signal strength: Perfusion index; Published accuracy study: None found; Guarantee: 5 years
- [Nonin Onyx Vantage 9590](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Nonin+Onyx+Vantage+9590+finger+pulse+oximeter&tag=wordpress0700-21) (affiliate link) (about £150 to £170). Maker says: Clinical spot-check device; Display: Bright LED; Signal strength: Pulse quality light; Published accuracy study: Yes, independent studies; Guarantee: 4 years

### Low-cost: Kinetik Wellbeing PO6L

[Kinetik Wellbeing Finger Pulse Oximeter PO6L](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Kinetik+Wellbeing+finger+pulse+oximeter+PO6L&tag=wordpress0700-21) (affiliate link) is sold by a UK company in association with St John Ambulance. Kinetik and retailers describe it as a validated medical device, but we found no published independent accuracy study for it. Its listings do not give display, alarm or accuracy details, so check the box and manual when it arrives.

Good for: people who have been asked to check their oxygen and want a widely stocked, low-cost UK brand.

Not for: anyone who needs published accuracy evidence. For that, see the Nonin below.

### Mid-price with perfusion index: Beurer PO 45

[Beurer PO 45 pulse oximeter](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Beurer+PO45+pulse+oximeter+perfusion+index&tag=wordpress0700-21) (affiliate link) is from a German maker of home medical devices. Beurer lists it as a medical device. It shows oxygen level, pulse rate and perfusion index on a colour OLED screen with seven display layouts. It runs on two AAA batteries and has a 5-year guarantee. It has no alarm. We found no published independent accuracy study for it.

Good for: someone who wants a clear screen and a signal-strength reading at a moderate price.

Not for: carers who want an alarm.

### Best evidence: Nonin Onyx Vantage 9590

[Nonin Onyx Vantage 9590](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Nonin+Onyx+Vantage+9590+finger+pulse+oximeter&tag=wordpress0700-21) (affiliate link) is a US-made fingertip oximeter designed for spot checks in hospitals, clinics, care homes and home healthcare. It is one of the few fingertip models with independent published research behind it, including the 2024 study of 11 oximeters. Nonin says it was the only device in that study to stay within the accuracy standard across all skin tones. It has a pulse quality light, fits small and large fingers, and has a 4-year warranty. It costs much more than the others.

Good for: people with darker skin, poor circulation or a long-term lung condition who want a device designed for clinical use. Talk to your care team first.

Not for: occasional checks on a tight budget.

## What an oximeter cannot do

- It cannot diagnose anything. It shows a number that you and your clinician interpret.
- It does not replace how you feel. Breathlessness, confusion or chest pain need help whatever the reading.
- A smartwatch blood oxygen reading is not a substitute. Apple says its Blood Oxygen app is for wellness only.

## When to get help

**Call 999 or go to A&E** if your oxygen level stays at 92% or lower after you check again, you are too breathless to finish a short sentence at rest, your breathing suddenly gets worse, or you collapse, faint or become confused.

**Contact NHS 111 or your GP practice** if your oxygen level stays at 93% or 94%, it is lower than your usual level, or you are slowly getting more breathless.

If your care team has given you different levels to act on, follow theirs. Full details are on our [pulse oximeter guide](https://digitalhealthcoachuk.net/pulse-oximeters/).

## Sources

- [MHRA: The use and regulation of pulse oximeters](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-use-and-regulation-of-pulse-oximeters-information-for-healthcare-professionals)
- [NHS England: FAQs for COVID virtual wards and COVID Oximetry @home](https://www.england.nhs.uk/nhs-at-home/faqs-for-for-covid-virtual-wards-and-covid-oximetry-home/)
- [GOV.UK: Equity in medical devices, independent review summary](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equity-in-medical-devices-independent-review-final-report/equity-in-medical-devices-independent-review-summary-report)
- [NHS England: Self-monitoring COVID-19 diary (January 2022)](https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/06/C1541-Self-monitoring-COVID-19-diary-version-2-January-2022.pdf)
- [Harskamp RE and others: Performance of popular pulse oximeters compared with arterial oxygen saturation, BMJ Open Respiratory Research 2021](https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjresp-2021-000939)
- [Leeb G and others: The performance of 11 fingertip pulse oximeters during hypoxemia, eBioMedicine 2024](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105051)
- [Martin DS and others: Impact of skin tone on pulse oximeters used by the NHS England COVID Oximetry @home scheme, BMJ 2026](https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2025-085535)
- [Medaval: Contec CMS50D-BT assessment (example of a budget oximeter with no peer-reviewed validation)](https://medaval.ie/resources/EN/devices/Contec-CMS50D-BT.html)
- [Kinetik Wellbeing: Finger Pulse Oximeter PO6L](https://kinetikwellbeing.com/respiratory-devices/finger-pulse-oximeter-spo2-po6l/)
- [Medino: Kinetik Wellbeing Finger Pulse Oximeter (price check)](https://www.medino.com/product/kinetik-wellbeing-finger-pulse-oximeter)
- [Beurer UK: Pulse oximeter PO 45](https://www.beurer.com/uk/p/45434/)
- [PriceSpy: Beurer PO 45 (price check)](https://pricespy.co.uk/beauty-health/health/health-care-meters/pulse-oximeters/beurer-po-45--p5764252)
- [Nonin: Onyx Vantage 9590](https://www.nonin.com/products/9590/)
- [Nonin: Summary of the 11-oximeter study](https://www.nonin.com/resource/the-performance-of-11-fingertip-pulse-oximeters-during-hypoxemia-in-healthy-human-participants-with-varied-quantified-skin-pigment/)
- [St John Ambulance shop: blood pressure monitors and oximeters (Nonin price check)](https://shop.sja.org.uk/products/kinetik-wellbeing-finger-pulse-oximeter)
- [Apple: watchOS feature availability](https://www.apple.com/watchos/feature-availability/)