Overnight oximeter picker

How the ranking works

Three answers are requirements: what you want to record, Bluetooth if you marked it required, and PulseOxTracker if you said yes. A device that fails one of those moves to the second list. The other two answers, how it is worn and the vibration alert, are preferences. They change the order but do not rule a device out.

When two devices meet the same answers, the ones PulseOxTracker reads are listed first, then the rest by name. Three of the 5 entries are Wellue devices because those are the ones PulseOxTracker reads. The fingertip entry is a category, not one product.

Ring, wrist or fingertip

A ring recorder holds the sensor, battery and memory in one band on the finger. A wrist recorder puts the battery and memory on the wrist and runs a short cable to a sensor on the finger. A fingertip clip has a display and is read while it is on your finger. The basic kind keeps no record, so it suits a spot check and not a night.

The O2Ring fits fingers 55 to 80 mm around, according to Wellue. Measure before you choose a ring. The O2Ring, Checkme O2 Max and SleepU comparison covers how the three Wellue devices differ in wear.

Memory and battery

All three Wellue recorders are listed with 4 sessions of up to 10 hours each. Sync or export at least every four nights so no session is lost. Battery life is where they differ: up to 16 hours for the O2Ring and SleepU, and up to 72 hours for the Checkme O2 Max.

Nonin lists up to 1,080 hours of memory for the WristOx2 3150 at a 4-second sampling rate, and about 44 hours on two AAA batteries.

Getting the recording off the device

The Wellue devices send recordings to the ViHealth app, which exports PDF and CSV. The CSV export guide shows the steps and what is in the file. The Bluetooth export tool downloads nights from the device in Chrome or Edge and saves a CSV without the app. The Nonin WristOx2 3150 produces reports through Nonin's nVISION software.

Once you have a file, the free session viewer charts the night and shows ODI, T90 and the lowest SpO2, and compare nights puts up to four recordings on one axis.

The vibration alert

The three Wellue devices can vibrate when a reading crosses a threshold you set. The picker counts it as a device feature and nothing more. If you turn it on, keep the setting the same on every night you plan to compare, because being woken changes the recording.

What the picker leaves out

Price, accuracy and comfort are not scored. Accuracy depends on the sensor, the fit and the person wearing it. The oximeter accuracy range tool turns a stated accuracy figure into a range, and the guide to pulse oximeter accuracy lists what throws a reading off.

Smartwatches, smart rings and other recorders are not listed. A device goes in the catalogue only when its memory, export and alert can be confirmed from a published specification.

Questions

Can a fingertip pulse oximeter record a whole night?

A basic clip with a display and no app keeps no record: it shows a reading while it is on your finger and nothing afterwards. To log a night you need a device with its own memory, such as the ring and wrist recorders in the table. If you are looking at a clip that claims to record, check its memory and export on the maker's page.

Which oximeters does PulseOxTracker read?

The Wellue O2Ring, SleepU and Checkme O2 Max. You can import the CSV that the ViHealth app exports from any of the three. Chrome and Edge can also sync from the device over Bluetooth. Safari, Firefox and every browser on iPhone and iPad have no Web Bluetooth, so use the CSV there.

What is the difference between the O2Ring and the Checkme O2 Max?

The O2Ring is a self-contained ring. The Checkme O2 Max is a wrist unit with a ring sensor on a short cable. Wellue lists the same memory for both, 4 sessions of up to 10 hours each, and a longer battery life for the Checkme O2 Max: up to 72 hours against up to 16.

How many nights do these devices hold?

The O2Ring, SleepU and Checkme O2 Max are each listed with 4 sessions of up to 10 hours. Nonin lists up to 1,080 hours for the WristOx2 3150 at a 4-second sampling rate. With a Wellue device, sync or export at least every four nights so no session is lost.

Is an overnight oximeter a sleep study?

No. A pulse oximeter records blood oxygen and pulse. It does not measure airflow or breathing effort. Home oximetry is not a sleep study. If you are worried about your sleep, talk to a doctor.

Why are there no prices or buy links?

Prices differ by retailer and country and change often. The picker ranks on features only and carries no store links.

Sources

Every figure in the table comes from the pages below. The Checkme O2 Max, O2Ring and WristOx2 figures are from the makers' own product pages. The SleepU figures are from MedM's device specification page. The pages are named and not linked, because some of them are store pages.

1. Wellue Checkme O2 Max: product specifications, getwellue.com.
2. Wellue O2Ring: product specifications, getwellue.com.
3. Wellue SleepU: product specifications, medm.com.
4. Nonin WristOx2 3150 (Bluetooth model): product specifications, nonin.com.