Best blood glucose meters

Our tests found differences in accuracy

Today's blood glucose meters are smaller, faster, and come with more features than ever before. Our latest tests of 17 models (available to subscribers) turned up 12 that performed well enough to earn our Recommended designation, including three CR Best Buys. They're also more accurate than blood glucose meters of years past. That's good news for the approximately 26 million Americans with diabetes.

Controlling blood glucose is key to managing diabetes and preventing complications. Test results help patients make adjustments to their diet, exercise routine, and diabetes treatment plan, which can help lower the risk of seizures, blindness, kidney disease, and nerve damage related to low blood glucose levels.

To find the best blood glucose meters, our lab technicians took blood samples from 15 staff members, some who had diabetes, and compared multiple readings from each tested home meter with a standard laboratory glucose analyzer to determine accuracy and repeatability, our measure of a meter's consistency from test to test. In addition, a panel of six staff members with diabetes helped rate the blood glucose meters for ease of use.

Current Food and Drug Administration standards require that blood glucose meters be accurate within 20 percentage points of lab readings. We think the standard should be tightened, an improvement the FDA is considering. Our Ratings allow you to compare the accuracy of various models above and beyond current guidelines. All the models we tested were well within current accuracy regulations, but only those with Very Good or Excellent scores earned our recommendation.