Customer Reviews
Good unit...bad seller 
2008-10-02
I tried out one of these units at REI and liked it, so I ordered one for my girlfriend last week. It was suppose to arrive today... instead, I received an email that the order was canceled. When I finally reached a live person at Amazon.com, she said DHMedical had canceled. I think its because they raised the price by $2.50. The Amazon service was nice and gave me a $3.00 off coupon, but I can't wait another 5-7 days, there is no next day shipment, so I will pay the $160.00 at REI. I don't blame Amazon... but I do blame DHMedical for bad business practices.
SPO Checkmate Oximeter disappoints 
2008-07-28
I couldn't get consistent readings with this unit. It also did not
match readings very well with a hospitals professional meter.
I therefore returned it and give Amazon kudos for a seamless easy
return program
Great little device 
2008-06-21
This oxygen monitor works just great and is inexpensive. My father is very happy with it.
pulse oximeter 
2008-04-21
very well satisfied with this product, especially like the automatic on and off of the oximeter.
Don't bother with this one. 2008-04-03
This was the biggest waste of money. It works.....sometimes. Most of the time, you have to stick your finger in the finger slot at least 5 to 6 times to get a reading of the O2 Sat. It usually reads the heart rate just fine, but it takes many, many tries before it will read the oxygen level. It is definitely over priced.
Not accurate enough 2008-01-08
Check Mate is based on SPO Medical's uniquely patented algorithms that use reflective pulse oximetery technology for accurate oximetry measurement. It also addresses problems typically associated with motion artifacts, ensuring accurate and reliable readings. The unit is designed to utilize very low power for extended usage, eliminating the need for frequent battery replacement. SPO Medical's Check Mate offers the features of a conventinal pulse oximeter in a compact, user friendly, configuration. Check Mate answers the sports and aviation markets' demand for a lightweight, inexpensive monitor for measuring blood oxygen saturation and heart rate during physically active and high-altitude activities. It offers the user a greater ability to monitor these vital signs under motion and is less expensive than most available devices. SPO Medical's patented reflectance pulse oximetry (RPO) technology is what allows Check Mate to effectively monitor an athlete during such activities as: mountain climbing, high-altitude street cycling, light jogging, speed walking and running. Check Mate will monitor SpO2 in almost any physical activity that does not include significant arm swinging (e.g., jumping jacks). For most athletes, a little learning goes a long way: after a few hours of experimenting with various movements, athletes quickly learn how to use Check Mate in almost any activity. Pilots love Check Mate because it allows them to quickly assess their SpO2 while flying at high altitudes. Hypoxia can be a pilot's worst enemy, and Check Mate is a low-cost product which gives pilots peace of mind.
Outstanding PulseOx 2008-01-03
Coming from the medical field (R&D) and intimately familiar with Pulse Ox I am very pleased with its performance, insensitivity to motion artifact, size, battery life and price.
Junk 2007-12-11
My first ever 1 star rating. I always read ratings before I buy, and the ratings on this unit were good. I paid the premium cost for the unit, and it did not work well, and stopped working in a matter of weeks.
It is really hard to get it set well on your finger. It takes a number of tries to get a reading. It also is really hard to get it to redo a reading (it ignores the button push until it has given up on the previous reading).
The button is recessed, and is hard to push, and eventually got to the point where I had to use a pen to push the button, and then pretty much stopped working. It really, really is not worth the money.
NOT a sports instrument for use during activity 
2007-12-01
This unit simply does not work for the sports or active market it claims to address. My experience is there is simply no possible way to use this unit while physically active. It will not obtain readings while in motion. This temperamental unit makes it difficult to simply get any reading ... even while perfectly still and carefully aligning your fingertip inside the unit. The unit is not junk, but the claims to work while doing almost anything short of jumping-jacks are not based on reality. Finger alignment takes time, since the unit takes 10-15+ seconds to respond to each new position you try.
The very frustrating minuses:
- Forget about doing any movement while trying to get a reading. You will have to stop all activity.
- The unit is slow and unresponsive. The lag time between changing positions/fingers and perhaps getting a reading is at least 10 seconds and oftentimes more.
- The "Sensor Off" indicator frequently displays for no apparent reason, and readings are lost. This is consistently true, even on different fingers of different sizes.
- The "Weak Signal" icon frequently appears and readings are lost, even when there is no detectable movement of the finger or the unit.
- "Model is not water resistant" and should not be used on wet fingers. Sports instruments need to work when the user is sweaty.
The pluses:
- The digital display is easy enough to read for people with normal reading vision.
- The battery life is very impressive.
- The readings correspond well to other medical units.
Oximeter tips:
- Warm your hands. This and other oximeters have a hard time obtaining readings from cold fingers.
- Persons with CHF, COPD or other medical conditions may need a device that will take readings from the ear. Find out from your care provider what type of device you need.
Bottom line: Accurate, but temperamental. Anyone wanting to use this as a heart rate and O2 saturation monitor during exercise should avoid the unit. The Check Mate works about as well and as accurately as medical oximeters made by others. But, this is NOT a sports instrument for use during activity.
If you want an OK oximeter, this is not a bad choice. If you want a sports instrument, save your money and avoid the buyer's remorse I experienced.
Great for heart rate and oxygen level 2007-11-12
I bought this for my father who has asthma and a heart condition. He absolutely loves it! He has it nearby all the time. With asthma, the oxygen level is very important, and with his heart condition, his heart rate is equally important. Yes, I realize it is a weird gift, but one that was greatly appreciated.
I had previously purchased one to use with my son, because in the book Is This Your Child Doris Rapp talks about how the pulse will change after eating an allergenic food. It is a fairly accurate way to determine food allergies, instead of doing all the testing with needles. Some people say if your pulse increases by 10 points you're allergic, some say it has to be 20 points. But either way, it's a starting point, and much less traumatic to a child.
