A spirometer monitors lung health and helps diagnose or manage a number of respiratory diseases such as asthma, COPD and restrictive lung disease.
If you have a respiratory condition or suspect that you might have one, you can get a spirometry test at your doctor’s office. You can also do a self-test at home using an over the counter spirometer.
Consumer spirometers are designed for easy home testing. You can use a spirometer to track your lung health, especially if you suffer from a respiratory problem.
A spirometer is also a handy tool for managing asthma and other lung conditions. Your doctor may ask you to take frequent tests at home and share the results to determine the effectiveness of treatment.
In this buying guide, we review the best spirometers for personal heath on the UK market. Note that our top picks include peak flow meters. A peak flow meter is not exactly a spirometer, but the two tools are closely related in function.
Key Considerations When Buying A Spirometer
1. Types of Measurements
A spirometer offers two key measurements: FVC and FEV.
FVC refers to forced vital capacity. FVC is the amount of air you are able to exhale after taking a deep breath.
FEV refers to forced expiratory volume. FEV is the amount of air you can exhale within a specific period like one second (FEV1), two seconds (FEV2) and so on.
Both FVC and FEV help diagnose any obstructions or restrictions in your airways. FVC measurements tell if there’s any obstruction while FEV tells the severity of the obstruction.
Another measurement you’ll find in many spirometers is PEF or peak expiratory flow. PEF is a measure of the speed of air coming out of your lungs. It tells how fast you are able to exhale after taking a deep breath.
PEF measurements are essential in asthma management. Taking regular PEF measurements can help you detect narrowing airways before serious asthma symptoms occur.
A device that only offers PEF measurements is technically not a spirometer. It is a peak flow meter.
Many spirometers have an integrated peak flow meter, allowing them to offer both FVC/FEV and PEF readings.
2. Reusable Mouthpiece
To save costs, make sure the spirometer you get has a reusable mouthpiece. After taking a measurement, you can clean and reuse it instead of using a new mouthpiece every time you use the spirometer.
Note: Only one person should use a single mouthpiece, even if it is a reusable one. If multiple people will be using the spirometer, buy a separate reusable mouthpiece for each person.
3. Smartphone Connectivity
An increasing number of spirometers now come with wireless connectivity, usually Bluetooth. This allows you to connect the device to your smartphone and get real time readings on an app.
Smartphone connectivity is helpful if you want to track your readings and perhaps share them with your doctor.
4. Data Trends for Health Tracking
If you get a spirometer that connects to your phone, check whether it offers the ability to track measurements over time. Most connected spirometers offer this feature.
Data trends can help you track your lung health and see if it’s getting worse or better. More helpfully, you can check whether there’s something such as your environment or a habit like smoking that correlates to low measurements.
Many spirometers even include helpful in-app graphs for easy visualization of your health progress.
5. Data Sharing
Another feature to look for in a connected spirometer is the ability to share health data with your doctor. Most spirometers let you share measurements via email, fax or printed copies.
Some spirometers also let you share data with other health apps like Apple Health Kit.
Read also: How To Choose The Best Pulse Oximeter?
6. Price
The price of a spirometer can be as low £10 and as high as £200 or more.
Budget spirometers are really peak flow meters. They only measure PEF, with the cheapest ones showing readings on a non-digital scale.
Most budget spirometers also don’t offer any connectivity. If you want to track measurements or share them with your doctor, you only option is pen and paper.
Higher priced spirometers offer at least two measurements: PEF and FEV. You also get extra features like data storage, smartphone connectivity, app tracking and data sharing.
So, how much should you spend on a spirometer? It depends on your health needs.
For asthma management, a simple low-price peak flow meter is enough to help you track your health condition.
For other respiratory conditions and general lung health management, a more expensive spirometer that offers multiple measurements and data tracking will be more helpful.
If you are not sure which kind of spirometer to get, ask your doctor for advice.
Best Spirometers: Top 5 Reviews
1. MIR Smart ONE Personal Pocket Spirometer Review
The MIR Smart ONE is our top pick for anyone looking for a good quality personal spirometer. It measures two things: PEF and FEV1.
The device does not have a display. The only way to see your readings is by connecting it to your smartphone via Bluetooth. Thankfully, Bluetooth connectivity works without a hitch.
It takes a few minutes to download the MIR Smart One APP (free for Android and iOS) and connect Smart ONE to your phone.
You can then see real time readings on your phone as you blow into the spirometer. A health indicator (green, yellow or red) provides a quick visual interpretation of your results.
The app offers more than just basic readings. You can make notes for each test and keep a diary to track measurements over time.
The app also lets you export measurements into a PDF document for easy sharing with your doctor. For iPhone users, you can integrate the MIR Smart ONE app with the Apple Health app.
The Spirometer itself is small and easy to carry around, so you can take measurements wherever you are. It comes with a plastic reusable mouthpiece. For power, it uses two AA batteries.
What we like about it:
- Easy to use.
- Multi-functional smartphone app.
- Easy data tracking and sharing.
- Measures both PEF and FEV1.
2. Spirohome Personal Spirometer Review
Spirohome is the most expensive of our top picks. It is also the most advanced one. It takes three main measurements: FVC, FEV and PEF.
For FEV, it can measure FEV1 and FEV6.
In addition to the three main readings, Spirohome also measures FEF or forced expiratory flow. FEF is a measure of the speed of airflow during a certain portion of FVC. For example, FEF25 is the speed of air when you have expelled 25% of your FVC.
Spirohome takes measurements for FEF25, FEF50, FEF75 and FEF25-75. Spirohome is the only spirometer among our picks that measures FEF.
Another measurement unique to Spirohome is BEV or back extrapolated volume. BEV is not exactly a health indicator. It’s more of a measurement to make sure other readings are accurate.
BEV is the measure of the amount of air you expel slowly at the beginning of the spirometry test. For an accurate measurement of FVC, FEV and PEF, BEV should be less than 5% of the total capacity of air expelled during the test (FVC).
If it’s more than 5%, it means you exhaled too slowly and should repeat the test.
As expected for a spirometer of this price, Spirohome is Bluetooth-connected. You can see real time results on the free Android or iOS app.
The app will show you the main readings as well as the FEV1/FVC ratio (in percentage), an important indicator of lung health. For each reading, the app will tell you whether your results are normal or abnormal.
You can track measurements over several days, complete with a graph showing the trend. You can also share results with your doctor directly from the app or by printing them.
If you are using an iPhone, you can integrate Spirohome with the Apple health app.
Spirohome uses a reusable plastic mouthpiece. The manufacturer recommends replacing the mouthpiece every three months or after you’ve had a flu or cold.
What we like about it:
- More measurements compared to other personal spirometers.
- Easy to use.
- App has additional features including data tracking and sharing.
- Ultrasonic technology – more accurate and longer lasting compared to traditional turbine spirometers.
3. Philips PersonalBest Maximum Flow Meter Review
Both the MIR Smart ONE and Spirohome are relatively pricey. If you are looking for a cheaper spirometer, we recommend the Philips PersonalBest flow meter.
Philips PersonalBest is a peak flow meter. It only measures peak expiratory flow (PEF) within a range of 60 to 800 litres/min.
Philips PersonalBest is designed mostly for asthma sufferers to help them monitor their respiratory health. It even comes with a asthma zone management system that makes it easier to tell when things are okay and when you need to take action such as seeking medical help.
The asthma zone management system consists of markers that establish green, yellow and red zones that represent the severity of your respiratory symptoms. Have your doctor set the markers for you. You’ll likely need to take a spirometry test to determine the normal peak flow levels for you.
Philips PersonalBest is a simple device that’s easy to use. It has none of the digital features in other spirometers. It displays readings on a graduated scale.
A protective cap covers the meter when it’s not in use and makes it safer to carry around in your bag. It also includes a foldout arm that holds the meter upright for easier reading.
What we like about it:
- Accurate peak flow meter.
- Includes an asthma zone management system.
- Easy to carry around in your bag or pocket.
- Easy to use.
4. Clement Clarke Mini Wright Standard Peak Flow Meter Review
The Clement Clarke Mini Wright flow meter is another great choice if you are on a budget. It is a peak flow meter, so it only measures PEF.
Like the Philips PersonalBest, the Mini Wright flow meter is designed mostly for asthma management. It shows flow readings on a graduated scale in litres per minute. The scale goes from 60 to 800 L/min.
The meter comes with a chart that shows the normal readings for different genders, ages and heights. You can compare your readings against the chart to check if your lungs are functioning normally.
Note: The chart is undoubtedly helpful, but we recommend getting a spirometry check at the hospital to determine normal readings specific to you.
The Mini Wright flow meter includes a reusable plastic mouthpiece.
What we like about it:
- Inexpensive
- Easy to use.
- Small and lightweight – you can carry it in your bag or pocket.
- Includes a helpful reference chart.
5. Microlife Pf-100 Microlife Peak Flow & Asthma Meter Review
The Microlife PF-100 is a slightly cheaper alternative to the MIR Smart ONE spirometer. They both measure the same two aspects: PEF and FEV1.
The biggest difference is that the Microlife PF-100 lacks wireless connectivity. Instead, it shows results on a small screen integrated in the device.
If you don’t want a smartphone-connected spirometer, Microlife PF-100 is a great choice. That’s not to mean that you can’t view results on an external device.
Microlife PF-100 comes with software that you can load onto a laptop. Once you install the software, use the included USB cable to transfer readings from the spirometer to your PC for storage and analysis.
The spirometer itself has internal memory. It stores up to 240 measurement values, with a data and time for each. This makes it easier to analyse readings and determine trends once you transfer data to a computer.
Note: If the software disc doesn’t work, you can download the analyser program directly from Microlife’s website.
What we like about it:
- Measures PEF and FEV1.
- Stores several readings.
- Integrated display – no need to connect your smartphone.
- Data can be transferred to a computer for analysis.