My consultant advised me to get a Kardia monitor to track my heart while I was experiencing symptoms. You can get a 1-Lead monitor, but the 6-Lead version makes more sense if you already own a smartwatch capable of the ECG function.

I questioned why my Apple Watch is not enough and she suggested that it was good enough, but that the Kardia is a better option and it is a ‘medical grade’ device which I guess means something to someone.

My Apple Watch (Ultra 2) shows ectopic beats very accurately and I was surprised to see just how accurate the heart rate tracking is. I had an exercise test last week with an ECG attached and the lady running the test noticed how close the Apple Watch was to the tracking on the hospital monitor. As I compared the two they were literally identical and both changed in real-time.

Anyway, I followed my instructions and purchased the Kardia 6-Lead option for a not so inconsiderable £149. I suspect I have become desensitised to high prices now that my private medical insurance has hit its limit and I have spent north of £1,000 in the last week alone on tests.

The packaging is very basic, but quite professional and all you have to do is remove the device from the box and then sit there marvelling at how small and light it is.

Even better, the quality of materials and finishing is superb. It somehow feels substantial which being tiny in every other respect.

A quick download of the app, a battle through the ‘constant’ reminders to sign up for the premium subscription and away you go, sort of…

You see, you have to buy the premium subscription to see all of the metrics because if you don’t you only really get heart rate and an indication of the rhythm.

This irks me because it feels like when my wife asked to have bluetooth enabled on her Audi a few years ago and she was advised that it would cost approximately £400 to do. This for a feature that is ‘already’ built into the car.

I hate this kind of tactic because it is blatant up selling and it would appear that Kardia is doing it here as well. It’s an unlocking of some software for £120 / year on top of the £149 you have already spent. To be fair, the cost of any test through private health is very high (example- a 24 hour blood pressure monitor this week was £366) so you could get your money back if you have a specific condition.

Using the device is not as easy as it should be, at least it wasn’t for me. You have to put two fingers on each pad on the top and then rest the bottom pad on your ankle. I found that it was inconsistent at best with no problems on the finger sensors and a weird fidgeting to get a connection on the ankle.

The process is not natural and hard to do in many circumstances, and this does not compare well to running an ECG on an Apple Watch which can be done anywhere and at any time providing you can stay still.

I have no doubt that the Kardia produces the results that are needed for some health professional to use, but the impractical nature of taking a reading using the ankle method may lead many people to not take readings when they should, such as when they are having symptoms.

For 98% of people an Apple Watch is a better solution, but for the other 2% the Kardia likely will have a place in their lives.

Categories: Health, Reviews