How to Buy Oxygen Saturation Monitor

How to Buy the Best Oxygen Saturation Monitor (A.K.A. Pulse Oximeter) for Your Needs

“Help!”

Your store carries many Oxygen Saturation Monitors. What are the differences between models? How do I find the right one I need?

This is the most common question we receive about Oxygen Saturation Monitors also known as Pulse Oximeters. Here, we have listed all the important purchasing decision making criteria in one single page. Please read the article carefully. You can become the expert to pick the best suited Oxygen Saturation Monitor to use. (The Oxygen Saturation Monitor can read SpO2 and Pulse Rate by clipping itself onto people’s finger. To learn more, please check out this LINK.)

First, let’s compare Oxygen Saturation Monitors from our vendors, ChoiceMMed and Berry Medical:

	C1X	C2X	C5X	C6X	BM1000C	BM1000
SpO2 Accuracy	+/- 2%	+/- 2%	+/- 2%	+/- 2%	+/- 3%	+/- 3%
PR Accuracy	+/- 2bpm	+/- 2bpm	+/- 2bpm	+/- 2bpm	+/- 2bpm	+/- 2bpm
Display Type	LED	OLED	OLED	OLED	OLED	OLED
Direction in Display	2	4	4	4	2	2
Pleth	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
PI	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Battery Type	2 X AAA	2 X AAA	2 X AAA	2 X AAA	2 X AAA	2 X AAA
Battery Life	30 Hrs	30 Hrs	30 Hrs	30 Hrs	Unknown	15 Hrs
Bluetooth	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Target User Type	General	General	Kids > 6 Mths Old	Sportsman	General	General

How to read the comparison list:

Oxygen Saturation Monitors from ChoiceMMed can be separated into four groups, based on the last digits after the “C”.

• C1X, includes MD300C11 / MD300C13 / MD300C19
• C2X, includes MD300C21C
  
• C55, includes MD300C55
• C6X, includes MD300C63
  

Oxygen Saturation Monitors from Berry Medical can be put into two groups:

• BM1000C (in orange or gray body color)
• BM1000 (in orange or gray body color)
  

The Performance criteria for all models are:

SpO2 Accuracy: The accuracy of the oxygen saturation level reading, when the SpO2 reading is between 70% - 100%. According to vendors, FDA requires the tolerance of Oxygen Saturation Monitor SpO2 reading to be less than +/-3% in the specified range. European regulation body requires it to be less than +/-4% (by ISO 80601-2-61). All models from the two vendors can meet the requirement.

Pulse Rate Accuracy: The accuracy of the pulse rate reading, when the PR reading is between 30 – 99bpm. All models from the two vendors perform the same.

Display Type: LED or OLED. OLED display is latest and the brighter technology.

Direction in Display: How many directions can the Oxygen Saturation Monitor output display rotate.

Pleth: Can the device display Pleth (Plethysmograph). This is one way to check if the Oxygen Saturation Monitor sees strong enough signal from the person under-test. If the Pleth wave tends to be flat or exhibition irregular shape, it might indicate low blood perfusion on the person under-test, unproper usage of the Oxygen Saturation Monitor or the need to clean the device. Being able to show Pleth on the device gives the user more useful debugging information, especially when there is no output on the Oxygen Saturation Monitor or seeing low SpO2 reading. Among the models, only the C1X series from ChoiceMMed is not built with Pleth display.

PI: Perfusion Index - usually between 0.2% (very weak signal) to 20% (very strong). PI is another indicator of good Oxygen Saturation Monitor reading. Berry Medical BM1000C and BM1000 both come with PI display.

Battery Type: All models use two AAA batteries and include two AAA batteries in the package.

Battery Life: A fresh set of two AAA batteries can sustain ChoiceMMed models for 30 hours continuous operation. We do not have related information on Berry Medical BM1000C. The Bluetooth version of BM1000, the battery life time is shorter – about 15 hours, due to the Bluetooth connection.

Bluetooth Technology availability: The only Bluetooth available Oxygen Saturation Monitor we carry is Berry Medical BM1000. The model can record and send data to cell phones via OxyCare App. Please check out this Link for the review of the OxyCare App.

Target Users: For ChoiceMMed models, C1X and C2X are for general users – including adults and kids. C5X is with cartoonish case design and is for kids over 6 months old. C6X is built with more ruggedized material and can be wear during exercise. All Berry Medical models are for general users.

Also, for ChoiceMMed models, each series has part numbers designed with diverse look. For example, C1X has C13, C19… and C2X has C21C and C23. The only difference among the part numbers in the same series is cosmetic.

In addition, we have noticed a slightly faster measuring time on ChoiceMMed C2X, C5X and C6X models. However, the vendors could not confirm our finding. They said the measuring time of the Oxygen Saturation Monitor is largely affected by the perfusion index of the person under-test. A stronger blood flow can always generate a faster response.  
Some further suggestions:

If you want a basic budget friendly solution, go for ChoiceMMed C1X series or Berry Medical BM1000C.

If you are looking for clearer display – with a brighter and more colorful screen, pick the models with OLED display. We do not recommend ChoiceMMed C1X series.

If you believe brand reputation, pick ChoiceMMed – although Berry Medical is gradually gaining the brand awareness.

If you plan to buy a cute Oxygen Saturation Monitor intending to encourage the usage from your kids, select ChoiceMMed C5X series.

If you seek an Oxygen Saturation Monitor which you can use during exercise with a more durable case design, please consider ChoiceMMed C6X series.

If you have the need to record test results, transfer the data to computer for further analysis or to review the data in the doctor visit, the Berry Medical BM1000 Bluetooth enabled series best suits your needs.

If you like a device with better specs on the datasheet, pick ChoiceMMed C2X series.

If you demand high build quality and performance, please purchase ChoiceMMed C2X, C6X or Berry Medical BM1000 series.


If you still have questions, please contact us. We are happy to go through the process with you to help you select the best Oxygen Saturation Monitor to use with you.