The 5 Best Glucose Monitors and Meters of 2023

FreeStyle Libre - Bloodless Readings

4.7 / 5

What We Like Most:

• Updates every 60 seconds
• No painful finger pricks
• Option to set alarms and reminders
• Among the most affordable options
• Easy application

Cost: $151 per month without insurance

The FreeStyle Libre is a needle-free glucose monitoring system that offers real-time blood sugar readings via a quarter-size sensor you attach to the back of your upper arm. The sensor works 24/7 for 10 to 14 days, depending on which version it is. With the sensor in place, a mere one-second scan over the sensor with your reader or smartphone will give you your current blood glucose reading, an arrow telling you the direction your blood sugar is trending, and your eight-hour history.

A monthly FreeStyle Libre kit includes a reader and two disposable sensors meant to last 28 days. The Freestyle Libre automatically updates every 60 seconds and is approved by Medicare experts, but it doesn’t offer the peace of mind that real-time high and low alerts provide and only a handful of insurance companies cover the system. Nevertheless the system is still fairly affordable. It is ideal for individuals who prefer to get their reading with a smartphone, anyone who places a lot of importance on having a discreet and easy-to-use sensor, and veterans whose systems are covered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Many prescription discount cards, such as SingleCare, offer steep savings on the Libre.

Care Touch Blood Glucose Monitoring System - Fast Results

4.5 / 5

What We Like Most:

• Stores 300 test results
• Affordable and minimalist
• Highly accurate
• Senior-friendly buttons and screen

Cost: $39.99 for a kit without insurance

The budget-friendly and minimalist Care Touch Blood Glucose Monitoring System is classified as a blood glucose meter, and it is a great choice for beginners or people paying out of pocket for diabetes supplies. It requires a finger prick, but the blood sample size required is only 0.5 microliters — much smaller than most well-known blood glucose meters.

Its battery lasts for up to 1,000 tests and the monitor can store as many as 300 tests, so it’s easy to refer back to months of tests with your doctor. To save additional tests, simply sync your meter to your computer via a USB cord.

The Care Touch kit includes the Care Touch monitor, 100 Care Touch testing strips, a three-volt lithium-ion battery (Cr2032), a lancing device, 100 30-gauge lancets, a carrying bag, instructions, and a log book. The kit’s test strips are precoded, eliminating any need to worry about batch codes.

To use the system, you prick your finger with the lance and release 0.5 microliters of blood onto the designated space on your test strip. When inserted, the strip automatically turns on the monitor. The monitor will give you a blood glucose reading in no more than five seconds. You then remove the testing strip with a convenient ejection button. Once it’s been out of use for a short time, it automatically turns itself off.

Rite Aid TrueMetrix Meter - Most Affordable

4.4 / 5

What We Like Most:

• Speedy results
• Stores up to 500 tests
• Most affordable
• Excellent customer reviews

Cost: $19.99 for the meter, $34.99 for 50 strips, $10.99 for the lance device

Rite Aid’s TrueMetrix Meter is best known for its affordability and speedy four-second results.

The blood glucose meter kit comes with a TrueMetrix reader, a three-volt battery, three lancets, a lancing device, instructions, and a carrying case. You will need to purchase lancets and strips separately.

You begin using the blood glucose meter by ensuring the monitor and strips have been at room temperature for at least 10 minutes. Take a test strip from the vial and recap it, then insert the contact end of the strip into the meter’s test port, which will turn on the meter. Leave the test strip on the meter until your glucose test is complete, then use a lance on your finger and place a drop of blood on the strip. The meter will beep when it’s finished, and your result will be displayed.

Dexcom G6 - Most Accurate Readings

4.3 / 5

What We Like Most:

• Consistently accurate readings
• Works seamlessly with insulin pumps
• Readings every five minutes
• Outstanding app support

Cost: $299 per month without insurance, but coupons are available through discount services and the manufacturer also helps reduce your out-of-pocket costs.

With a Dexcom system, you wear a sensor on your abdomen and your updated blood glucose levels arrive automatically every five minutes. Factory-calibrated, the Dexcom G6 is free from finger pricks and has excellent app support that provides your glucose levels through a smartphone, watch, or tablet.

Every Dexcom G6 kit includes an auto-applicator, under-skin sensor, and transmitter. You can view the data gathered on both Apple and Android devices. The popular CGM also allows you to share your glucose data with as many as 10 people, including professionals on your health-care team. It has also been clinically proven to increase daily time in your ideal glucose range, lower hyper and hypoglycemia, and reduce your A1C.

Dexcom G6 is a great choice if you think you’d benefit from automatic alerts when outside your ideal glucose range and if you’re comfortable using its compatible devices, such as smartwatches, Google Fit, and Apple Health. Despite its many desirable features, Dexcom G6 sensors must be changed every week and a half, and its hefty $300 monthly price tag makes it difficult for some to afford. Fortunately for Costco members, deep discounts are available through the wholesale retailer’s free pharmacy program.

Guardian Connect System - Varied Data Set

4.3 / 5

What We Like Most:

• Detailed glucose tracking data
• Directly connect with smartphones and watches
• Function with or without an insulin pump
• Option to manually log your insulin, food, exercise

Cost: $400 per month without insurance

Guardian Connect’s glucose monitoring system is the most sophisticated among the five systems on this list. As you may expect, however, the wealth of information Guardian Connect provides is evident in its cost, which is a steep $400 per month without insurance. The 30-day free trial offered by Medtronic, the company that sells the device, helps offset the costs for new users.

This smartphone-compatible CGM functions with or without an insulin pump, and offers detailed time-in-range data for your glucose levels and trends via your mobile device. The system employs smart technology to analyze the direction your levels are headed and predicts upcoming highs or lows up to 60 minutes ahead.

A recent data analysis of real-world Guardian Connect users found that its predictive technology helps the system’s users avoid 65 percent of low and 44 percent of high episodes. Each kit includes an insertion device, sensor, transmitter, tape, Skin Tac patch, and charger. With the sensor attached to your arm, Guardian Connect measures your glucose levels through interstitial fluids. The kit comes with a sleek Bluetooth receiver, but many of its users enjoy the ease of using their smart devices to view their glucose info.