Types of Blood Glucose Meters

If you or someone you care for has diabetes then you know how much of a hassle it can be to make sure your blood sugar is staying within a healthy range. Diet and exercise are important to keeping the condition in check but the only way to monitor whether your blood sugar level is actually in the appropriate range is with a blood glucose meter. For many people choosing the right one can be overwhelming, there are at least a dozen models available and when choosing something that could potentially be a life-saving device it is important to pick the right one. Picking the wrong meter can also mean carrying around a large monitor that requires expensive and painful test strips. To help you make informed, educated decisions about the options available, we have outlined four of the top competitors below: EasyTouch HealthPro The EasyTouch HealthPro Glucose Monitoring System is approved for use by caregivers (CLIA certified) and can be used to test blood glucose levels from the fingertips, palm, or forearm. It is extremely accurate and offers results you can depend on. It features a backlit screen to help you see what you’re doing even in low light situations. You can get your test results in five seconds from a tiny .5 microliter blood sample. Contour NEXT The Contour NEXT was originally designed by Bayer but is now manufactured by Ascensia Diabetes Care. The Contour NEXT is a very popular design due to several key features. A lot of people prefer this model because it is relatively affordable but also has a feature that allows the user to reapply blood to a test strip if it cannot get a reading with the first attempt. This results in fewer wasted test strips and can save some money over the life of the device. In addition, it calculates 7, 14, 30, or 90-day averages and tracks trends in glucose level when fasted, pre-meal, and post-meal. Dario Smart Meter The Dario Smart Meter is different from your standard glucose meter in that it integrates directly with your phone. It comes in a light, easy to carry shell which holds your test strips, the tester, and a lancing device. The shell measures only 4.1 inches in length and can easily fit in a pocket or purse making it one of, if not the smallest blood glucose meter available right now. When you are ready to use the device you put your test strip into the tester and connect the tester to your phone using the headphone jack. The Dario Smart Meter then communicates with an app that you put on your phone and will measure and record your blood sugar level. Abbott FreeStyle Freedom Lite Lastly, we’ll take a look at the Abbott FreeStyle Freedom Lite. This meter is very similar to the Contour NEXT, however, it is slightly scaled down in almost every way. It does not keep a 90-day average like the Contour NEXT, nor does it track trends on its own. It also can only record 400 results rather than the 800 the Contour NEXT boasts. That being said it is a smaller and cheaper alternative to the feature-heavy Contour NEXT for those looking to minimize the amount of stuff they need to carry.