What are the Top Blood Glucose Meters? - 2015

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If you have diabetes you know how careful you have to be with your health. You have to watch what you eat to ensure you have a healthy diet free of things that can make you sick. You also have to visit the doctor regularly to check on your progress and make a plan for your health. Of course you need to take your medications as needed to stay healthy.

Another important part of keeping up with your diabetes is regular testing of your blood sugar levels, and this can be done easily at home with a blood glucose meter.

Compare: The 10 Top Rated Blood Glucose Meters of 2015

Picture	Name	Brand	Price	Rating
	Bayer's Contour	Ascensia	$	4.9
	Prodigy AutoCode Talking Blood Glucose Monitoring Meter Kit	Prodigy	$$	4.8
	TRUEResult Blood Glucose Starter Kit	TRUE	$	4.7
	Active1st Diabetes Testing Kit	Active1st	$$$	4.7
	ACCU-CHEK Compact Plus Meter Kit	Accu Chek	$$$$	4.7
	One Touch Ultra2 Blood Glucose Monitoring System	Lifescan	$$	4.6
	Bayer's Contour Blood Glucose Monitoring System	Bayer Contour	$$$	4.6
	FreeStyle Lite Blood Glucose Monitoring System Diabetic Meter Kit	Abbott	$$$	4.6
	Bayer Contour Next Ez Blood Glucose Monitoring Kit	Bayer Contour	$	4.5
	Slight Touch Contour Next Diabetes Testing Kit	Slight Touch	$$$	4.5
Picture	Name	Brand	Price	Rating

What is a Blood Glucose Meter?

Contents

A blood glucose meter is a medical device that allows you to test the amount of glucose, or sugar, in your blood. Those who live with diabetes have to keep up with their blood sugar to avoid becoming very sick. With these meters, a sample of blood is used with the meter to determine whether the person is at a safe glucose level.

What are the Advantages?

If you have diabetes, a blood glucose meter is an essential part of your daily life. With these meters, you can test your blood to make sure your sugar levels are where they should be. Sugar that is too low can cause you to feel dizzy, weak, or even lead to fainting. Sugar levels that are too high can be very dangerous.

These meters allow you to stay at a safe level and maintain your diabetes without daily visits to the doctor. You can easily use these yourself to not only maintain a safe glucose level but also detect any problems that you may want to address with your doctor.

What are the Different Types?

If you have diabetes, you’ve probably talked to your doctor about monitoring your blood sugar. You may have been told that you need a glucose meter, and when you go to make your purchase, you might even find that it’s a little overwhelming, as there are so many on the market. Whether you’re buying for the first time or trading out your old monitor for a more modern piece of equipment, the first step in making your purchase is to identify the types of equipment available to you.

Traditional monitors

With one of these systems, you prick your skin to get a small blood sample and use that sample to test your sugar. These are very common monitors, and they come in all price ranges. The drawbacks of these are that you have to remember to test your sugar, they can be invasive as they require a prick every time, and testing strips can get very expensive.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems

These systems are designed to continuously monitor your sugar levels and track different trends. This is ideal for identifying when problems occur to identify the causes. These are used with a sensor that is inserted under the skin, and each sensor is worn for several days or weeks before replacement. You don’t have to remember to test your sugar, you can track it over longer periods, and it doesn’t require pricking the skin often. The drawbacks are that these may not be as accurate as traditional monitors, and they are also extremely expensive.

Which Blood Glucose Meters are the Best on the Market in 2015?

TRUEResult Blood Glucose Starter Kit – If you’re looking for an affordable but accurate meter, this is a great choice. This model requires only a small sample, works quickly, and can be used on alternate testing sites. It also comes with built-in memory and everything you need to get started.

Prodigy AutoCode Talking Blood Glucose Monitoring Meter Kit – You don’t have to squint at a tiny screen to see your results with this meter that has audible results for those with vision impairments. This meter requires just a small sample, works quickly, and doesn’t require coding.

Bayer’s Contour – This model has everything you’d find in less expensive meters, including fast testing time, small sample requirements, and no coding required, with the addition of personalized features that you can use to ensure you’re getting the most from your meter. Choose from basic or advanced features and no matter what you pick, you’ll always get accurate results.

Features to Evaluate

Now that you have an idea of what to look for in your purchase, it’s time to start looking at the features that differentiate each meter. These four features are important to many consumers, and you can add your own criteria to find the product that best fits your needs.

Price

Our Blood Glucose Meter Reviews

Best Cheap: TRUEResult

With TRUEResult, you can trust that you’re getting a great product at an affordable price. This meter doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles, but it is easy to use, has a low price tag, and is extremely accurate, making it a top choice for the budget-minded shopper. You even get 10 strips to get you started, all at one low price.

This unit requires only 0.5 microliter sample for fast and accurate results. Results are processed in as little as 4 seconds. Alternate test sites can be used, and this has a 500 reading memory recall that lets you keep up with your readings.

Best for the Money: Prodigy AutoCode

You want your meter to be small and handheld, but sometimes, this is a disadvantage if you have to struggle to read the numbers. With this model, you won’t ever have to squint again, as it has audio that speaks your reading to you – no more eye strain!

This unit boasts other great features too, including large, raised buttons that are easy to use, memory recall to track test results, a low sample size, and alternate test sites. You can even have your results in 6 seconds. It is easy to set up, a breeze to use, and can also be used with the free web software offered by the company so you can keep better track of your health.

Best Overall: Bayer’s Contour

Worrying about accuracy is the last thing you need when dealing with diabetes and with this meter from Bayer, you won’t have to worry about accuracy, as this is one of the highest-rated on the market. This unit has a simple design that makes it easy to set up, but it also has more advanced options that allow you to personalize your meter to best fit your needs.

Standout features include requiring a low sample size, alternative site testing, and no coding for ensured accuracy. It tests in just 5 seconds, has pre- and post-meal testing markings for better tracking, and 480 reading memory that can provide you with a 14-day average to track your sugar over a longer period of time.

This unit is small, lightweight, and very easy to use. It has a variety of features not found on cheaper units, along with accuracy that you can count on and a limited lifetime warranty for your protection.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to your health, you don’t want to pick products that won’t work for you. If you have diabetes, having an accurate meter that works quickly and is easy to use is a must. One of the top choices in blood glucose meters it Bayer’s Contour. This product comes from a brand that is trusted in the healthcare industry, and it provides you with everything you need to ensure accurate blood sugar readings to keep your body in tip-top shape.