The Best Glucometers for 2020 – Manage your Blood Sugar/Glucose Levels

Glucometers are essential to anyone needing to keep track of their glucose levels. While this often primarily refers to individuals with diabetes, glucometers can also be vital to people practicing the keto diet, pregnant women with gestational diabetes, and pet owners with diabetic animals.

Let’s investigate more into how glucose meters work and find the best glucometer on the market!

What Is a Glucometer?

Glucometers are commonly small, electronic devices that determine the amount of glucose in an individual’s blood.

Keeping track of glucose levels is vital for those with diabetes because when levels get too low, it can be challenging to focus and stay awake, and when levels are too high it the body can begin to suffer internal damage.

What Are The Benefits of Using a Glucometer?

Diabetic individuals are likely to experience a multitude of benefits from using a glucometer. While a glucometer primarily performs only one function, determining glucose levels within the bloodstream, being aware of those levels is vital for anyone with diabetes.

Using a glucometer can save lives. Consistent usage can reduce complications of acute hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.

Features To Look For in a Glucometer

There are several key features to look for when choosing the best glucose meter. Of course, the importance of each feature will depend on your specific requirements, preferences, and needs.

A consultation with your doctor or physician can help you to determine the best blood sugar monitor for you, and this guide can help lead you the rest of the way.

Simple Maintenance

Glucometers use lancets to draw blood. Before purchasing a glucometer, be sure to look at the lancet system that the device uses.

Some glucose monitoring kits include several lancets of a single size or gauge, while others provide only a few lancets but with a greater variety of use and volume. The lancing device should be easy to clean and handle. The same should be true of the testing strips.

It can be awkward, and plain gross, to manually remove a used testing strip from a glucometer. A glucometer that can eject used testing strips can be far more convenient and easier to keep clean.

Ease of Use

Another thing to consider before making a final purchasing decision is how easy it is to use your preferred glucometer. If setup requires several steps, or if the device is difficult to read or calibrate, you may find yourself more annoyed than helped.

Several of the best glucometers on the market are non-coding, so users don’t have to spend time manually typing batch codes into the device every time they open a new batch of testing strips. They also typically feature large, easy-to-read digital displays.

Affordability

Glucose monitoring kits typically cost between $20 and $70, although this is just the initial cost of a glucometer. Standard usage will consume the lancets and testing strips included in the kit, requiring users to order more of these items.

The glucometer that you’ve got your eye on may only take a specific brand of testing strip. Be sure to see how expensive the ‘refills’ for your preferred diabetes testing kit are.

Testing strips and lancets naturally end up being the long-term cost of glucose testing, so it’s essential to check that your budget is ready to handle that responsibility. Also, some glucometers come with an abundance of testing strips and lancets, enabling users to go an extended period without purchasing more components.

Data Storage

Many modern glucometers can store quite a lot of data. This means that users can save the records of their readings onto the device for easy review.

Some glucometers can save 300 readings or more! That’s a great source of data for anyone wanting to track their levels more carefully.

Quick Results

Sitting and waiting for your glucose results is not only dull and tedious, but it can also be dangerous in emergencies.

While most glucometers give speedy readings, there are still some out there that can take nearly half a minute to display results. Though this may not seem like a significant amount of time, it adds up. Especially for those who test their glucose levels multiple times throughout the day.

The Best Glucometers

We scoured the market to find the best glucometer and arrived on five exceptional candidates. The best diabetes testing kit is just ahead!

Features and Specs

The Care Touch Diabetes Testing Kit is another affordable option that includes a surplus of test strips and a nifty carrying case.

The kit includes an electronic monitor, 100 test strips, 100 30-gauge lancets, lancing device, an instruction manual, and the carrying case. This system is non-coding, which saves users valuable time but also restricts the types of test strips that can be used as refills for this kit. Only Care Touch test strips work with this system.

The monitor features an easy-to-read display and two large buttons that make using the device straightforward and simple. Users can save up to 300 readings onto the monitor, which is a convenient way to keep track of glucose levels.

The auto-eject feature ensures that users will never have to remove used test strips manually. Also, users of the Care Touch Diabetes Testing Kit can test their glucose levels using multiple test sites, such as the wrist, palm, arm, and fingers.

Requiring only 0.5µg of blood and taking five seconds or less to generate a reading, this glucometer is both fast and efficient. Unfortunately, this kit does not include the control solution necessary to keep glucometer readings accurate. The control solution is sold separately, and prospective buyers should be aware of the extra cost. Also, batteries are not included.

 Pros

  • This system provides accurate and consistent readings.
  • Multiple testing site compatibility.
  • Non-coding for ease of use and general convenience.

 Cons

  • It does not include the control solution, a necessary component.
  • It does not include batteries.

Features and Specs

The Oh’Care Lite Blood Glucose Monitor Kit is the most affordable option included in this list. It’s also the most economical, with an included set of 110 testing strips and 125 lancets.

The lancing device handles well and has five settings to ensure user comfortability. The lancets are easy to change and install into the lancing device. Used testing strips auto-eject from the device, making cleanup a breeze. Batteries, control solution, a logbook, and a carrying case are all included in this kit.

Also, users can find helpful manuals and a video guide to get them started. The device only needs 0.5µg of blood to function, and readings are generated in five seconds or less, so there’s very little wait time. The system is non-coding, which is convenient, but it does mean that users can only use Oh’Care Lite Strips with this system.

The only real negative about the Oh’Care Lite Blood Glucose Monitor Kit is that it tends to generate readings that may be too high. Proper maintenance and use of the control solution may lessen the chance of receiving inconsistent readings, but this device may still give inflated readings.

 Pros
  • An affordable option for those on a budget.
  • It comes with an abundant supply of test strips and lancets.
  • The lancing device has multiple settings for better comfortability.
 Cons
  • May generate readings that are higher than actual glucose levels.
  • Users can only use Oh’Care Lite Strip refills with this device.

Features and Specs

The rise of the keto diet has led to an increase in related products, and the KETO-MOJO Bluetooth Blood Ketone and Glucose Testing Kit is no exception. Capable of reading both glucose levels and ketone levels, this hand device is an excellent choice for anyone currently tracking those measurements.

Also, this glucometer is one of the most technologically-advanced on the market, featuring a Bluetooth-integrated display monitor that can relay readings to your cellular device via an app.

Anyone dependent on their phone for information or communication is likely to find the Bluetooth feature especially attractive. Those who aren’t keen to use the Bluetooth function can rest comfortably knowing that the device can store up to 1,000 readings for long-term monitoring.

The monitor is incredibly easy to read, especially when using the back-lit function. Ejecting used test strips is a snap with the one-touch ejection feature. Unlike other blood glucose testing kits, the KETO-MOJO Bluetooth Blood Ketone and Glucose Testing Kit does not include an ample supply of test strips and lancets. The kit only comes with 20 total test strips and 10 lancets.

However, the combined ability to measure glucose levels and ketone levels make this glucometer both unique and practical. Perhaps the greatest disappointment of this kit is the fact that users need to purchase a separate Bluetooth adapter to take advantage of the Bluetooth feature.

 Pros
  • Determines blood glucose levels and blood ketone levels.
  • It comes with Bluetooth, allowing users to sync data to their phones.
  • It can store up to 1,000 readings.
 Cons
  • Users will have to purchase refills for lancets and test strips soon after making this initial purchase.
  • Users will need to purchase batteries, a Bluetooth adapter, and a control solution separately.

Features and Specs

The Contour NEXT EZ Diabetes Testing Kit is the most expensive glucometer on this list. It includes an electric monitor, 100 test strips, 100 30-gauge lancets, lancing device, a control solution, a logbook, a manual, and a carrying case.

The features included within this kit make it an excellent option for seniors, as it is a non-coding device with multiple alarms to remind users to test. Also, users can review previous readings and generate averages of their readings.

The digital display features large, easily readable numbers and buttons. Besides, results are generated quickly in five seconds or less. The readings that the Contour NEXT EZ Diabetes Testing Kit makes are consistent and reliable. The included control solution is only ever necessary in the event of strange or unlikely readings.

The most significant negative quality this kit possesses is its lancing device. The included lances tend to stick inside of the lancing device, not allowing the needle to puncture the skin. In general, the lancing device is challenging to handle and use.

 Pros
  • Consistent, reliable readings.
  • The kit includes everything you may need to use this glucometer.
  • Alarms are an excellent feature for elderly users.
 Cons
  • The lancing device is not as capable as it should be.
  • The price may make this a less attractive option for some.

Features and Specs

Made specifically for use on cats and dogs, the AlphaTRAK 2 Blood Glucose Monitoring System Kit can give pet owners a little peace of mind. The testing strips and the monitor are both calibrated for animal use, and this kit should not be used for human blood testing.

Before using this testing kit on a pet, it’s essential to consult with a veterinarian about the best testing site. Typically, a cat or a dog’s ears are preferred. 

The kit includes 25 testing strips, an electronic monitor, a lancet device, five lancets, control solution, a diary for recording glucose levels, and a user manual. 

Unfortunately, the lancing device can be challenging to handle when attempting to use it on a fidgety animal, and initial attempts may fail to draw enough blood for testing, requiring repeated attempts, which can be frustrating for the pet and the owner.

Pros
  • It can be used to test the glucose levels of your cat or dog.
  • It includes a notebook for glucose reading recordings.
  • The simply-designed electronic monitor is easy to use.
 Cons
  • The lancing device needs a significant redesign.

Our Pick for Best Glucometer

To determine the best glucometer, we weighed a multitude of pros and cons. After a considerable amount of thought, we narrowed our five candidates down to one ultimate champion device.

In our opinion, the best glucometer is the Care Touch Diabetes Testing Kit. Though it may not contain batteries or a control solution like Oh’Care Lite Blood Glucose Monitor Kit, it is just as affordable. And unlike the Oh’Care Lite Blood Glucose Monitor Kit, the Care Touch Diabetes Testing Kit is known for producing consistent, reliable results.

The Care Touch Kit may not have Bluetooth function, but it can save up to 300 readings, which is plenty of data for users tracking long-term glucose levels. Also, users can choose multiple sites for testing, saving sore fingertips from constant pricking.

Overall, the Care Touch Diabetes Testing Kit just can’t be beaten in terms of affordability, quality, quantity, maintenance, and ease of use, which is why we think it’s the best glucometer on the market today!

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