What is the best blood glucose meter

Worried about diabetes or being pre-diabetic? Read on about the importance of a blood glucose monitoring system, and how to use a blood glucose meter to manage blood sugar levels at home.

Reasons to Own a Glucometer

Regularly monitoring your blood sugar levels can help you take better care of your diabetes. Checking your blood sugar helps you learn how food, activity levels, stress, medicine and insulin affect your blood sugar levels. Having a regular blood glucose monitoring system enables you to stay healthy and prevent or delay diabetic complications such as blindness, nerve problems or kidney failure.

How to Select a Blood Glucometer

•Ease of operation

• Speed and accuracy of results

•Minimal taking of blood

•User safety

How to Interpret Blood Glucometer Readings

Home glucose meters provide blood sugar level results in either plasma or whole blood values. Laboratory tests provide plasma glucose level, which is 10 to 15 percent higher than whole blood value. Know which type of value your blood glucose meter provides so you can compare your home test results with tests done by your doctor.

Accu-Chek Active — results reflect those of whole blood glucose level. Default setting of unit is in mmol/dl.

Optium — results reflect those of plasma glucose level. Unit can change to mmol/L or mg/dl.

Source: HPB

Interpretation of Readings

For those whose blood glucose falls in the unacceptable range, consult your doctor as soon as possible as your condition requires immediate assistance.

For those whose blood glucose often falls in the range of suboptimal, consult your doctor for advice on dietary or medication modification.

How to Use a Blood Glucometer

•Code the meter whenever a new box of test strips is used

•Select your preferred unit of measurement i.e. set the glucometer to mmol/L or mg/dL

•Disinfect finger with alcohol swab

•Obtain blood sample from the disinfected finger by using the lancet to prick the tip of the finger and hold a drop of blood to the edge of the strip

•Place the test strip with the blood sample into the meter (this depends on the model used; refer to instruction manual for details) and the blood glucose result will be displayed in either mg/dl or mmol/L

•Record the reading

•Remove test strip from the glucometer

Different Types of Glucometers

This article was last reviewed on Thursday, February 7, 2019

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Anyone that checks their blood sugar regularly can tell you that the right glucose monitor can make all the difference. Whether you’re prediabetic, Type 2, or Type 1, or have another type of blood sugar issue, more than accuracy, the best glucometers offer a variety of features that help make managing blood sugars a bit easier.

For many in the U.S., health insurance plays a large role in what blood sugar meter you can use. Though, people with any type of diabetes can tell you it’s the test strips that get really expensive. “The best glucometer really varies from one person to the next,” explains Deena Adimoolam, M.D., endocrinologist and obesity specialist. “For those people who are not tech-savvy, it’s best to avoid complicated glucometers as it’s easy to get lost with all the different functionalities—a simple glucometer that checks fingersticks and records values might be the best option in this case.”

Noticeably left off of this list are Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs), as these differ from glucose monitors. Continuous glucose monitors offer continuous readings (and are worn 24 hours a day) and are used often in addition to glucose monitors as a way for diabetics to incur fewer finger sticks. This helps for a more real-time and holistic view of someone’s blood sugar. Most CGMs still require some fingersticks, and in my experience as a type 1 diabetic who wears a CGM and uses a glucose meter, a glucometer is still needed as a backup (and to double-check the CGM’s accuracy).

So, to help you find the best glucometer available (or even help you choose the best option from the ones covered by your insurance provider), we’re sharing glucose monitors worth considering.

How we chose

We tested countless glucometers, we also spoke with Dr. Adimooolam, Brian Fertig, M.D., F.A.C.E., founder and president of the Diabetes & Osteoporosis Center in Piscataway, N.J., chair of the Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology at Hackensack Meridian Health, JFK University Medical Center, and author of Metabolism & Medicine, and poured through countless online reviews to help you find the best glucose meter available.

Our top picks

• 1

  Best Overall

  Contour Next One Blood Glucose Monitoring System Ascensia

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• 2

  Best for Tech-Savvy

  Blood Glucose Monitor Kit DARIO

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• 3

  Best Compact and Lightweight

  FreeStyle Lite, Blood Glucose Monitoring System Abbott

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• 4

  Best for Visually Impaired

  Glucose Monitor Kit PRODIGY

  Read More

• 5

  Best Basic

  EZ Diabetes Testing Kit Contour Next

  Read More

1

Best Overall

Ascensia

Contour Next One Blood Glucose Monitoring System

2

Best for Tech-Savvy

DARIO

Blood Glucose Monitor Kit

3

Best Compact and Lightweight

Abbott

FreeStyle Lite, Blood Glucose Monitoring System

4

Best for Visually Impaired

PRODIGY

Glucose Monitor Kit

5

Best Basic

Contour Next

EZ Diabetes Testing Kit

6

Best User-Friendly

One Touch

Ultra 2 System Kit

7

Best Budget

Walmart

ReliOn Premier CLASSIC Blood Glucose Monitoring System

How can I tell if my glucose meter is accurate?

If you’re wondering if one type of glucometer is more accurate than another, experts aren’t quick to point to one brand in particular. Most meters on the market should read accurately. But if you’re not sure if yours is accurate, Dr. Adimoolam says, “You will have an idea if they are accurate based on when you visit your doctor and have your hemoglobin A1C [a number reflecting your average blood glucose levels over three months] checked.”

But what can you do in the moment if readings are feeling particularly off? “The best way to ensure your glucometer stays accurate is to use the control solution that comes with your glucometer to check it for accuracy,” Dr. Adimoolam says. If the control solution reading does not match with the number on the solution bottle/directions, then that is an indicator something is wrong with your meter, she says. “It’s also important to make sure the testing strips you use are the appropriate ones for your glucometer, and to ensure testing strips are not damaged or expired.”

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