How to find the best blood glucose meters

Chances are you or someone you care about has diabetes—about one in 10 of us do. The disease multiplies the risk of heart attack, stroke, possibly cognitive decline, and certain cancers. But routinely measuring your numbers with a home blood glucose meter can help keep the condition under control, which can help keep you alive.

"Patients get immediate feedback, and they can see if their medications or lifestyle changes are working," says Marvin M. Lipman, M.D., Consumer Reports' chief medical adviser. That can have many health bene‡fits.

For example, people with diabetes who track their levels may lower their risk of diabetes-related complications. Our latest tests found some blood glucose meters to recommend. Here's what you need to know. 

Find the best blood glucose meters. Learn more about  how to manager diabetes and which medications are best to treat it.

How we tested blood glucose meters

Fifteen staff volunteers, some with diabetes, fasted for at least 3 hours, then had blood drawn in our labs. To measure accuracy, drops of fingertip blood were distributed among test strips for each model and compared against readings taken on a standard lab analyzer. Other factors we considered were how easy the meters were to use and how consistent they were from test to test.

The Food and Drug Administration requires that all home glucose meters be accurate within 15 percent of lab readings. All of the meters we tested had average scores that met that standard. But the ones we recommend do even better: They had average measurements within 6 percent of lab results. All can also display readings as averages and put date and time stamps on the ­results. Some highlights:

Don't focus on the meter's price

Our top meters range from $15 to $75, but the real cost is the test strips. They can add $2,410 per year if you test yourself four times per day, and health insurance does not always cover the cost. Our two Consumer Reports Best Buys have an annual test-strip cost of $525.

Look for these features

Certain models require you to enter the test-strip codes or insert a chip to calibrate the meter. Our top models do that automatically. Also check whether a model can store at least 360 readings and whether it offers a meal marker that allows you to add notes.