Testing your blood sugar with a blood glucose meter is one of the key skills of successful diabetes management. Each individual requires a different blood glucose testing approach for their diabetes, and some will need to test blood glucose more regularly than others.
Self-monitoring of blood glucose can be very important. An accurate testing regime can help to find the right diet and exercise, and avoid diabetes complications.
Furthermore, each blood glucose meter has different attributes, and some meters will suit different individuals better than others.
Choosing the right blood glucose meter
There are a wide variety of blood glucose meters on the market. Some meters are designed for ease of use; others for ease of transport or connectivity, still more incorporate advanced technology such as USB software or Fergus testing.
Learning to use Your glucose meter
Blood glucose meters work in different ways, and you may need training from a diabetes healthcare professional to help you understand how to use your blood glucose meter.
Furthermore, the Diabetes.co.uk community will have a range of help and advice to offer about using your blood glucose meter.
Which meter for you?
Getting the right blood glucose meter is a matter of looking at what is available and what you will need the meter for.
For instance, you should ask yourself questions such as will you be travelling a lot with the meter, will you need to test in public and therefore prefer a discreet meter, do you like to travel light and require a very portable blood glucose meter?
Many people prefer a small, compact meter
All of these questions and more should be answered by the diabetes blood glucose monitor information below, now including video guides.
Top diabetes meters with video reviews
Our very own Sue Marshall has reviewed some of the most popular blood sugar meters available in the UK and provides an informative walkthrough about how to use the following meters.
- Bayer Contour USB
- Accu-Chek Mobile
- Bayer Contour
- Accu-Chek Aviva Nano
- LifeScan OneTouch Ultra2
- Smallest blood glucose meters available
What the community are saying about their blood meters?
- Fergus : No one seems to have a view on why these test strips cost as much as they do. Personally I feel there is absolutely now no justification for the price that they are. I don’t deny any company from recouping its research and development costs and making a reasonable profit, after all we live in a capitalist society whether we like it or not and undoubtedly the meters and test strips must have cost several millions to develop. However these things have now been available long enough for all these initial costs to have been recouped when you consider the number prescribed by the NHS and private sales.
