Microlife PF 100 Peak Flow Meter for Spirometry With FEV1

Comments

1. Bradley Lemmond says:

   June 17 at 00:00

   I like it…
   Rating:4 out of 5 stars
   I’ve never used another Peak Flow Meter, but this one works just like it’s supposed to. When I first opened it, it didn’t seem to work. I called tech support, the call was answered immediately by a person. We figured out what was wrong right away (the tube wasn’t lined up right), and it has worked right ever since.
2. Walter Shelburne says:

   June 18 at 00:00

   I highly recommend the Microlife PF 100 Peak Flow Meter
   Rating:5 out of 5 stars
   The peak flow meter is easy to use. It is also of very high quality. The traffic light color code system makes it easy to know when your in trouble.
3. R. Wiese says:

   June 19 at 00:00

   Not sensitive enough to register any reading for someone with emphysema.
   Rating:1 out of 5 stars
   I purchased this item to help determine how well a person with emphysema was breathing and although I could easily register a reading using it the patient could not budge it. When I called the manufacture they could provide no help or alternate item. Patient was tested in a breathing chamber and was at 17% anticipated capacity therefor the need for the meter.
4. Peter Thurmes says:

   June 19 at 00:00

   flawed design
   Rating:2 out of 5 stars
   Ordered one of these 4/10/10 and just (accidentally) destroyed it this morning.
   
   My complaints about this unit:
   
   1. You MUST push in a little recessed set button 4x after replacing the batteries. This is for date setting, used only for date-stamping the data storage, which you may or may not care about.
   
   2. The unit is awkward to use. This is because it is rounded and slippery, so that you have to wrap your hand around to use it without risk of dropping while violently exhaling (the gist of the test). The power button is centered on top and is large and flush with the surface, so if you tighten your grasp during exhaling, you will power the unit off. I consider this a bad mechanical design.
   
   3. FEV1 for a test stays displayed for about a second after the double beep indicating test end, and then you can never see it again. Only PEF (which I don’t really care about) stays displayed. Apparently nobody else cares about FEV1 (but then why measure it?)
   
   4.If I wheeze during exhale (I’m asthmatic!), it usually aborts the measurement in less than a second. This happens to me every 5th or 6th test. Then the PEF is reasonable but the FEV1 is meaningless. It sometimes will repeat the error until I let the unit sit unused for a couple minutes.
   
   5. The unit is rounded on all external surfaces except the snout (no edges or corners) and is made of slippery plastic, w/ no rubber grips. It is designed to slide if placed on a hard tilted surface. This morning I picked up my training log (spiral-bound w/plastic cover)with the unit sitting on top of it. As I began walking it slid off the notebook and hit the floor, expelling the batteries. After replacing the batteries and finding a toothpick to “set” the date/time, the unit beeped ready but refused to measure – it is now dead. While I don’t expect a delicate mechanical meter to survive such a crash, I DO expect instruments intended for home (rather than clinical) use to be designed in such a way as to avoid rather than facilitate such mishaps.

   It’s too bad this unit does not have a better mechanical design. It appears to have been designed for an “ergonomic” look, but is in fact just the opposite.
5. Diane Rinard says:

   June 20 at 00:00

   It’s ok..
   Rating:3 out of 5 stars
   I’m not quite sure how accurate this is yet. I haven’t been able to compare it to the one at my doctor’s office. Just doing it myself, and knowing my ‘usual’ numbers, I would say it is way off. But, like I said, haven’t had a chance to compare yet.
6. Erik M. Moeser says:

   June 22 at 00:00

   it works…
   Rating:4 out of 5 stars
   A good product. The mouthpiece part is not a secure fit, so one needs either to keep it oriented correctly, or possibly “tighten” with a layer of tape. Othewise it works as advertised
7. Snow says:

   June 22 at 00:00

   problems
   Rating:3 out of 5 stars
   1. Somehow 7 out of 10 times this device can’t record properly. For example, after my son blows in it, it shows 200 and the FEV but then when it’s ready for the next blow, instead of zero, it shows Hi. From there, my son’s previous reading and all the following attempts will be recorded as Hi instead of any numbers. When it shows Hi, I have to turn it off, and then turn it on again until it shows zero. 2. I didn’t purchase the program to analyze the readings but didn’t realize without the software I can’t transfer the data to my computer either. For the price of this device, I think Microlife should allow users to download data to the computer. 3. the interval between different readings is too short. It makes reading previous records difficult and manually recording previous readings impossible.
8. Zia Texas says:

   June 23 at 00:00

   MicroLife PF100 Peak Meter and Software
   Rating:2 out of 5 stars
   The Unit is bulky and the USB connection is placed under a plastic cover that must be removed before the unit can be attached to the computer for downloading. The software does not provide a way to eliminate errant data. Consider the nSpire Health Piko-1 and PikoNet software as an alternative.
9. Ticos says:

   June 24 at 00:00

   Easy to use, much better than any of the mechanical options
   Rating:5 out of 5 stars
   This digital device is far superior than any of the mechanical options in the market and anything we’ve tried before. Great value for the price, my 12 year old uses it on a daily basis and we could not be happier with the purchase. It is very easy to use and convenient.
10. Arizona User says:

    June 25 at 00:00

    Not easy to figure out
    Rating:1 out of 5 stars
    Maybe I’m a dummy, however, I am 70 years old and tech smart. Couldn’t figure this gadget out at all. Amazon’s price is good if you do decide to try.
11. reviewer says:

    June 27 at 00:00

    Best Peak Flow Meter I have tried
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    This meter is accurate in comparison to others I have tried and to “disposable” ones.

    I love it’s ability to track previous readings as well as it calculating what percentage you are from your best peak flow. You can only compare your numbers to yourself so a peak flow of 380 could be good or bad, depending on what YOUR best peak flow is. This is really important and why I am glad it does its calculations automatically and easily displays for me whether I am in a danger zone for myself.

    This also has the ability to keep track of peak flows from different people but I am the only one in my house that uses it so I haven’t tried that feature. There are different color mouthpieces for different people.
12. J. Masters says:

    June 28 at 00:00

    microlife PF 100 delivers
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    I have moderate allergic asthma and found it very interesting that this product measures FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 second) in addition to PEFR. As I understand it, FEV1 is considered the more important reading on Spirometers when looking at Asthma, so I am more interested in monitoring my FEV1 levels than PEFR. In any event, upon receipt I found this product easy to set up, and quite simple to use. It’s designed well in that the tubing separates from the body of the device for easy cleaning as does the mouthpiece. I took the unit to my Pulmonologist’s office and they thought it appeared to be quite accurate. I can definitely see my FEV1 level change when I’m having a bad day, and need to use my rescue Inhaler. I can also see how much the FEV1 increases after the rescue inhaler is used. If you get a printout of your spirometer readings at your doctor’s office, you can use that info to compare against FEV1 readings on this unit at home. No more mechanical meter. I don’t bother with the computer software stuff, I just write things out. Others who are more interested in PEFR readings will likely find this unit quite helpful. I can highly recommend this product, and the price seems right.
13. Nana says:

    June 30 at 00:00

    Excellent
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    This product was exactly was I wanted. I am surrounded by golf courses and mountains and hills. This really helps me!
14. Madeline J. Ingram says:

    July 1 at 00:00

    Extremely accurate
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    This meter is the best personal meter I have ever used. It is extremely accurate. I have compared the readings with those at my doctors office, and they are right on the money. Very easy to use. Great value.
15. Madeline J. Ingram says:

    July 1 at 00:00

    Extremely accurate
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    This meter is the best personal meter I have ever used. It is extremely accurate. I have compared the readings with those at my doctors office, and they are right on the money. Very easy to use. Great value.
16. Myron R. Arttus says:

    July 1 at 00:00

    Microlife PF 100 Peak Flow Meter
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    Good product. Is as advertised. Easy to use. Software makes it easy to keep track of progress. Easy to clean and keep clean. Would highly recommend the product.
17. Myron R. Arttus says:

    July 1 at 00:00

    Microlife PF 100 Peak Flow Meter
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    Good product. Is as advertised. Easy to use. Software makes it easy to keep track of progress. Easy to clean and keep clean. Would highly recommend the product.
18. Umpqua Bank says:

    July 1 at 00:00

    Works fine and it’s fun
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    This is the first time i’ve used one of these and it’s fun..i just ‘blow’ into it and get a PEF reading, e.g. 550 and a FEV1 reading, e.g. 3.3..as of yet i’m not into studying all the terms and values but i intend to take readings to see if they’re ‘consistent’ and don’t go down, how the readings are when i get up, after i eat, walk etc. … i do admit i don’t clean ‘after each’ use as suggested but i keep an eye on it to see if it looks like it needs cleaning and probably will do so once a week or so..i wipe the mouthpiece each time , though..nifty little gadget and as important with me to play with as a blood pressure cuff.
19. Umpqua Bank says:

    July 1 at 00:00

    Works fine and it’s fun
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    This is the first time i’ve used one of these and it’s fun..i just ‘blow’ into it and get a PEF reading, e.g. 550 and a FEV1 reading, e.g. 3.3..as of yet i’m not into studying all the terms and values but i intend to take readings to see if they’re ‘consistent’ and don’t go down, how the readings are when i get up, after i eat, walk etc. … i do admit i don’t clean ‘after each’ use as suggested but i keep an eye on it to see if it looks like it needs cleaning and probably will do so once a week or so..i wipe the mouthpiece each time , though..nifty little gadget and as important with me to play with as a blood pressure cuff.
20. James Stock says:

    July 2 at 00:00

    Great Tool for Asthma Management
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    We bought this spirometer when our son was having intermittent asthma bouts. It is a great tool for monitoring breathing and need for Xopenex, etc.
21. Tray says:

    July 3 at 00:00

    Works good
    Rating:4 out of 5 stars
    Bought this for my eight year old son with asthma. We kept going through the plastic cheep ones and the numbers would all rub off so we decided to go digital. He loves it, and it makes it easier to not have to write down his numbers all the time. we also bought the software package, which is nice. The problem with the peak flow meter is that it can only be for ONE user. You can not differentiate between two people. Our daughter also needs to use a peak flow, but even though this one comes with different colored mouthpieces, their scores cannot be separated. Overall we are happy with it. We plan to buy our daughter one as well – It’s just too bad they didn’t make it multi-user.
22. Ev says:

    July 5 at 00:00

    easy asthma management
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    This is my first peak flow meter and it works beautifully. It comes with three mouthpieces and is easy to snap apart and clean. It feels solid and durable. It comes with a large booklet and a carrying case. Best of all, it stores the measurement in memory along with the time and the date it was taken, in case you don’t have time to log it right away. It gives an immediate red, yellow, or green indication on each measurement also. The Microlife also measures FEV1, although this seems to vary proportionally to Peak Flow so I don’t know what use it has.
23. Kirk Wahl says:

    July 6 at 00:00

    1 of 2 did not work
    Rating:1 out of 5 stars
    I purchased 2 of these meters. One of the two did not work properly. The readings were over 100 points higher than my mechanical meter. I kept getting a new “HI” reading just about each time I took readings. During an attack, I took my readings, and received a new “HI”(reading over 685). I then used my mechanical meter, and found I was in the red zone (actual reading 370).

    The second meter I purchased is for my son, his ‘appears’ to be working properly. I will monitor this closely. As far as I am concerned, this meter is a piece of garbage.
24. Wayne A. Seltzer says:

    July 7 at 00:00

    Nice design
    Rating:4 out of 5 stars
    I tried a Pico electronic peak flow meter and it never gave consistent measurements.

    The Microlife is a big improvement. It uses a fan/propeller to measure flow, via an
    
    optical sensor. The part you blow through can be removed for cleaning without getting the electronics wet.

    The Windows software is so-so. If you aren’t running as a user with Administrator privileges, the program pops up an error message.
25. Tracy L. Eastridge says:

    July 8 at 00:00

    Great product
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    This device is wonderful for people with asthma. My doctor recommended it and provided me with individual guidelines, then I just call him with the results as needed. It has resulted in much less medication than in prior years and an added sense of security.
26. G. Miller says:

    July 9 at 00:00

    Simple to use, easy to understand
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    If you are interested in taking control of your asthma, this is really a great tool.

    This monitor is very easy to use and gives a clear reading of lung function. I find it way better than the old manual ones. The ease of use has made it easy to become part of my day. I check my numbers just after taking my vitamin in the morning. Getting a steady look at lung flow has helped me to minnimize my use of medicine, but still get advanced warning of when to start using my inhaled steriods. My doctor thought it was great when I took it in as well.
27. Margaret T. Attaya says:

    July 10 at 00:00

    Peak flow meter
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    The microlife spirometer and peak flow meter is the only one I have found on the market that not only measures the flow, but stores the results.
    
    My husband is battling COPD which manifested itself as a residual to major surgery which required a lengthy period on a ventilator. He is progressing well now, and the peak flow meter is a great tool for measuring his progress.
28. S. Chiu says:

    July 11 at 00:00

    It actually works
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    This meter works very well. I bought it for a friend of mine, because of the fact it has the Peak Flow measurement(large airway) and the FEV1 Measurement (small airways). Although this is not as good as the spirometry units pulmonologists have, this unit is portable, and can be used anywhere. You no longer need to go to your pulmonologist every week to see if your medication/lifestyle changes are working for you now.

    You can track your readings using the software they sell at the site (this unit does not come with it) and you can take the print out to your doctor after 256 measurements. It really helps to give peace of mind, and to see if you are actually improving or getting worse in certain environments, at certain times, after a cold, flu or bronchitis.

    You can use it anytime as much as you want, that is the best thing about it.

    I do not know about the actual accuracy of the calibration, but my friend says that the Peak flow of this unit is inline with other meters, and it is pretty close to the FEV1 readings of the Hospital Models.

    You can always take it with you to your doctors when you have a spirometry test and then use it there to see how far off it is anyway.

    It is great to have all the readings there stored in the unit at your fingertips without having to write down the time and date and readings.

    Just make sure you upload it to your computer before you get to the limit or it erases your initial measurements

    The unit is great.
29. Julie says:

    July 12 at 00:00

    Great Peak Flow Meter, Blows out the Competition!
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    Before I bought this peak flow meter, I had the Piko-1 meter, and there is really no comparison between the two; the Microlife definitely blows out its best competitor (the Piko-1).

    Although this peak flow meter costs a bit more money, it’s well worth it because you’ll have a peak flow meter for life. Yes, the Piko-1 meter does store ratings, shows you wear your peak flows are, and is digital, but the mouthpiece is angled, making it difficult to achieve an accurate reading. The straight vertical angle of this peak flow meter makes it much more accurate. It also stores many more ratings than the Piko-1. Another advantage is that it uses easy-to-find batteries rather than having to find a foreign watch battery (or whatever strange size the other one uses).

    The package that Amazon sells for the Microlife is excellent! The carry case is well-made, keeping the peak flow meter safe from damage, and the extra mouthpieces allow you to either clean the others while you’re using one or have spares. (Incidentally, having the mouthpiece break was what happened to my old Piko-1.) These rubbery mouthpieces are also much more comfortable on the Microlife. I’m taking my peak flows more regularly now than I did with any other peak flow meter (manual or the Piko-1) just because it’s easy to use. And you know if you have a breathing condition, this is VERY important!

    The Microlife is definitely a peak flow meter for life. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a quality FEV1 meter!
30. Central Scrutinizer says:

    July 13 at 00:00

    PF 100 great gadget. …Poor software
    Rating:2 out of 5 stars
    The PF-100 is a great gadget for checking a few values that can indicate general lung health -> Asthma. Its easy to use, inexpensive, light weight. For a stand alone device it works great as a spot check.

    Software? Toss it. It looks like it should work great for managing the data recorded. But it locks up on WinXP and is pretty much worthless as you cant get the data from the device. Attempts to resolve this with Microlife were not productive as they stated ” we have not heard of this problem”. I Find it hard to believe. This is most likely due to support for Win98 as indicated. Who still uses this Win98? Its 2007.
31. Winter Aura says:

    July 14 at 00:00

    Great design, easy to use, and maybe even a little fun…
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    This is my first meter, and I’m really glad I picked it up. It’s quite simple to figure out and use. I haven’t had my values checked before, but the meter seems accurate in that the results are closely repeatable. I may even pick up the software to track my progress, which is only $25 from the company’s web site. It’s comforting to make an objective measurement of something that seems so subjective. I look forward to determining whether or not Singulair actually affects me, because it’s honestly hard to tell if it’s working or not.
32. Jean says:

    July 16 at 00:00

    Review of Spirometry with FEV1
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    I’ve been using a peak flow meter for years and this gives better and more information than any I’ve used. I also bought the Peak Flow/FEV1 Analyzer Software with USB Cable that works with it and it gives beautiful graphs and excellent information to pass on to my physician. Even without the software, though, the Spritometer has a memory and makes it much easier for me to keep track of my fluctuations.
    
33. Gerald F. Govin Jr. says:

    July 17 at 00:00

    Replaced My Mechanical Meter
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    This meter is really nice. It also has optional software and a USB cable available and / or a small printer available from the manufacturer. Amazon’s price is competitive.

    Without the software the machine takes your peak value from your trials and bases the zone system on this value.

    With the software you can set a known peak flow reading (PEF). The meter automatically calculates whether subsequent readings are in the “green”, “yellow” or “red” zone. Syncing the device with the software the first time was a bit tricky. You set a patient number for each unit which isstored internally. I eventually got it. Subsequent readings are automatic. Plug it in and it reads and plots both Peak and FEV1 values. The software would be especially convenient for a physician’s office as it recognizes each unit and plots tracks the data for multiple devces. Plug a device in, the software recognises the owner and plots the data for them. You assign a patient number to each unit in the software and upload it to the unit. Next time you plug in the unit analysis and plotting is automatic. Easy.

    FEV1 is an indicator of obstruction. As I understand it one should be able to expell the vast bulk of the air from one’s lungs in one second (FEV1). If one were to know the total amount of air one could expel one would have a measure of vital capacity, VC. The ratio of FEV1 to VC, (FEV1/VC), is a primary indicator of obstruction. Values above 75%, as I understand it, are not so obstructive. Increasingly smaller values indicate increasing obstruction. In short, one can tell lots from this little brief case or purse sized meter.

    For about $100 you can get print outs via the optional printer, or if you have your own computer, via the USB link and software. If you have lung trouble that requires monitoring you should get this or a similar device. It works great. If you fall into that category and are modestly computer literate you might well invest in the software too. A manual unit can cost upwards of $20. This is a better value.