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Tracking your health-related metrics at home is easier now than ever thanks to a variety of affordable and efficient devices. There are at-home pulse oximeters that monitor blood oxygen levels, heart rate, and blood pressure, while digital thermometers accurately assess our temperature in seconds.
For diabetics, owning a glucose meter is vital.
Glucose meters (or glucometers) are considered mandatory for anyone living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. In order to stay healthy, those individuals must keep a close watch on their blood sugar throughout the day, altering their activities and diet to maintain consistent and safe levels as needed.
Below are five of the best glucometers currently available, perfect for a variety of users and use cases. We've also included answers to a few FAQs, as well as tips on how to pick out the correct glucometer, at the end of this guide.
Note: Consult with a healthcare professional if you're unsure if you need a glucose meter or not.
Here are the best glucose meters
Best overall: Freestyle Freedom Light, $21.99 on CVS
Compact, easy to use, and requiring the smallest sample size of any personal glucose meter, the FreeStyle Freedom Lite is the perfect option for most people.
Best budget: True Metrex Self Monitoring Glucose Meter, $8.99 on Amazon
If all you need is a reliable and easy-to-use glucose meter without any frills, the budget-friendly True Metrex model is a solid all-around choice.
Best all-in-one kit: Contour Next EZ Diabetes Testing Kit, $69.99 on Walmart
With everything you need in one complete package, the Contour Next EZ Diabetes Testing Kit is the simple solution to get started monitoring your blood sugar levels.
Best for travel: iHealth Smart Wireless Gluco-Monitoring System, $29.99 on Amazon
Compact, lightweight, and offering some travel-friendly features, the iHealth Smart Wireless Gluco-Monitoring System is a great option for those on the go.
Best least-invasive: FreeStyle Libre, up to $65 on FreeStyle
The FreeStyle Libre provides outstanding convenience and continuous glucose monitoring in a slightly invasive system that works around the clock to monitor blood sugar levels.
Amazon
Compact, easy to use, and requiring the smallest sample size of any personal glucose meter, the FreeStyle Freedom Lite is the perfect option for most people.
Pros: Requires small sample size, easy-to-read screen, test results populate in seconds
Cons: Can be hard to place the needle into the tester
Whether you're looking to control Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, or you simply want a way to monitor your blood sugar levels to improve your all-around health, the FreeStyle Freedom Lite needs to be on your shortlist. This unit offers everything you could ask for, including a large easy-to-read screen, accurate results delivered in seconds, and simple operation. It's so easy to use that you'll be taking your first sample almost immediately after taking it out of the box, making it extremely beginner-friendly, too.
Perhaps the best feature of the Freedom Lite is that it requires a very small sample size. That means less pain and smaller pinpricks on the end of your finger, something to keep in mind if you'll be using the device several times a day. Despite requiring just a tiny drop of blood, this model provides accurate results in about five seconds, allowing you to get on with your day more quickly.
The one limiting factor of this particular glucose meter is that it doesn't have much onboard memory, which may make it challenging to track your data over extended periods of time.
FreeStyle does offer a free online storage solution that helps to overcome this issue, providing an easily accessible website to upload your data. The site — dubbed LibreView — offers a number of ways to view and assess the information gathered from your blood samples, making it a useful tool for identifying patterns and fluctuations to your blood sugar levels.
The FreeStyle Freedom Lite ships with everything you need to get started, including the glucose meter itself, a lancing device, ten test strips for data analysis, and a carrying case. If you'll be using it on a daily basis, you'll immediately need to order more test strips, so keep that in mind when purchasing. Thanks to its already-affordable price, however, that shouldn't be a major deterrent.
Amazon
If all you need is a reliable and easy-to-use glucose meter without any frills, the budget-friendly True Metrex model is a solid all-around choice.
Pros: Usually on sale for less than $10, stores up to 500 test results, supplies date stamps for each result, can download data to an external source (i.e. computer)
Cons: Sometimes has a hard time reading a sample
If you're looking to start monitoring your blood sugar levels but don't want to spend much money, the True Metrex glucose meter is the device for you. Available for less than $10 at a number of outlets, this unit proves you can still get accurate readings without breaking the bank.
Don't let the low price fool you, too, as the True Metrex still offers a number of handy features. For instance, not only can it store up to 500 test results, complete with a time and date stamp but that data can also be downloaded to a computer for long-term storage and analysis.
The device displays 7-, 14-, and 30-day averages and it comes with the ability to set up to four daily reminders for when it is time to take a test. Fast enough to provide results in under 4 seconds yet still accurate and reliable, this glucometer proves that a low-cost device doesn't have to come with a lot of compromises.
This model offers sufficient performance for diabetics, but its entry-level price makes it a great option for others as well. The True Metrex's feature set is perfect for those looking to gain valuable insights into their overall health or serious athletes searching for a way to improve their performance. It even comes with all of the accessories needed to get started, including a lancing device, carrying case, and logbook, making it a complete solution at a highly valuable price.
Amazon
With everything you need in one complete package, the Contour Next EZ Diabetes Testing Kit is the simple solution to get started monitoring your blood sugar levels.
Pros: All-in-one kit comes with test strips, lancets, cleaning solution, and a carrying case, has plenty of on-board storage, displays data for an entire month
Cons: Expensive
While most glucose meters ship with the bare minimum of accessories, forcing users to immediately purchase more sample strips or lancets, this all-in-one kit comes with everything you need right in the box. This eliminates the need to find compatible strips and removes the uncertainty that accompanies first getting started.
The kit comes with 100 test strips, 100 lancets, a lancing device, cleaning solution, a detailed user manual, and a carrying case. That's enough to keep most users well stocked for a month of testing or more. It also provides plenty of supplies for additional tests when first learning how the device works.
The glucose meter included in the kit provides plenty of functionality, is a simple to use and easy-to-understand device, and features a fair amount of onboard data storage. The unit can also analyze and display that data for the past week, two weeks, or even a whole month. That is a handy feature to have and not one often found on the glucose meter itself.
Compared to the competition, the Contour Next EZ kit may seem expensive at first glance, but when you factor in that it comes with so many necessary components that are typically sold separately, you'll likely find that it is more than competitively priced. Just for the sheer convenience that it delivers alone, it's well worth having on your radar when shopping.
iHealth
Compact, lightweight, and offering some travel-friendly features, the iHealth Smart Wireless Gluco-Monitoring System is a great option for those on the go.
Pros: Perfect for travel use, accurate glucose meter, can pair with iPhone or Android devices and share data to health apps
Cons: No LCD screen, minimal amount of readable information
Frequent travelers searching for a small, easy to carry solution for testing their blood sugar levels while on the road should look no further than the iHealth Smart Wireless model. Its small size makes it easy to carry with you wherever you go, even when traveling light. Despite its diminutive stature, this model still manages to provide some outstanding features, including a few not found on bulkier devices.
The glucose meter included in this kit is fast, very easy to use, and offers a solid level of accuracy. It also features a compact form factor that's small, slim, and lightweight. iHealth was able to achieve this svelte design in part because this glucometer lacks the large LCD screen found on most other models. Instead, this device offers only a minimal amount of information using a series of small lights, but pairs with a smartphone for more insightful information.
While the unit functions independently, by pairing it with an iPhone or Android device and using the iHealth app (iOS/Android), all of the collected data is stored in a single place. The app provides daily and weekly tracking of blood sugar levels, displaying the highs, lows, and averages over a given period of time. It can also compare those levels from before and after a meal, along with a number of other useful metrics.
This glucose meter has the added benefit of using a built-in rechargeable battery. That means that when it starts to get low on juice, you can just plug it into a USB charger to power it back up again. That can come in handy when traveling as well, eliminating the need to track down batteries at inopportune times.
iHealth Smart Wireless Gluco-Monitoring System includes 50 test strips, 50 lancets, a lancing device, USB charging cable, and a travel case to go along with the glucometer itself. Just pair it with your mobile device to get started.
FreeStyle Libre
The FreeStyle Libre provides outstanding convenience and continuous glucose monitoring in a slightly invasive system that works around the clock to monitor blood sugar levels.
Pros: Not nearly as invasive as other meters, provides continuous monitoring, doesn't require a doctor for insertion
Cons: May require a prescription before being able to use it, expensive
As previously mentioned, noninvasive glucose meters — which don't require a blood sample — remain mostly in the early stages of development. But, there are a handful of models that have begun to work their way out to the public, providing viable alternatives to the SMBG units that have been in use for decades. One of those models is the FreeStyle Libre, which can be attached to the body to provide continuous glucose monitoring.
It's worth noting that the Libre isn't entirely noninvasive, and the term "noninvasive" can be a bit of a misnomer regarding blood sugar monitors. According to a clinical study done in 2018, the Libre uses "subcutaneous, wired enzyme glucose-sensing technology." This line is important because the term subcutaneous means beneath your skin. While the Libre may not be as invasive as other monitors, it still does require some amount of injection (as opposed to not breaking the skin at all and being truly noninvasive).
Unlike previous CGM models, the Libre doesn't require a doctor to embed a sensor inside the body of a patient. Instead, the system uses its own proprietary sensor, which applies to a user's back or upper arm. Once installed, it can be worn for up to 14 days before it needs to be replaced, providing continuous blood sugar level readings at all times. In order to see those readings, the user simply waves the glucose meter over the sensor whenever they feel the need.
The sensor transmits its current readings to the device where the information is displayed, stored, and documented in the same way it would be on a more standard glucometer. But because there's no need for lancing devices or test strips, it's all very easy, tidy, and painless. It also gives the user the ability to quickly determine their blood sugar levels at any given time, offering a level of versatility and tracking that simply hasn't been possible before.
Unsurprisingly, this level of tracking and sophistication comes with a few drawbacks. For starters, the Libre is considerably more expensive than other monitors on the market, selling for hundreds of dollars depending on the configuration.
Because it's so new, it usually requires a doctor's prescription to obtain as well. That means you can't just login online and order one for yourself and casual users looking for a way to check their blood sugar levels are not likely to be able to get their hands on one — although diabetics have a strong chance. We recommend asking your doctor about your options.
There's no question that the FreeStyle Libre is a glimpse of the future when it comes to monitoring glucose levels. The system manages to take a mundane and often annoying task and make it as quick, easy, and painless as possible.
The 5 best glucose meters to easily track your blood sugar at home
Source: Kalayaan News
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