Buying a glucose meter can seem like a daunting task but with our guide it will be a lot easier.

What do blood glucose meters do?

Effective management of your diabetes often requires regular testing, especially if you are aiming for tight control. Blood glucose meters are small portable meters which accurately measure glucose concentrations in finger prick blood samples.

Measuring your blood glucose can provide useful information for you and your carers to

· assess 'trends' in your day to day glucose levels
· evaluate factors causing high or low blood sugars
· assess the impact of diet, exercise, work and stress on your blood sugar
· take decisions when you are sick
· take decisions on changes in treatment

Which meter is the most accurate?

All the meters we stock are the same in accuracy. No one meter is more accurate than any other, as long as they are used correctly to the manufacture's instructions.

What are the units I need to measure in?

There are some countries, including the UK, where blood glucose is measured in millimoles per litre (mmol/L) whilst in others, such as in America, where it is measured in milligrams per decilitre (mg/dl). The important thing is to know what unit of measurement your machine is measuring in!!!

It is easy to convert from mmol/L to mg/dl, all you do is multiply the mmol/L reading by 18.

The table below shows more conversions

All our meters measure in mmol/L only

How often should I measure?

How often you measure your blood glucose levels really depends on the recommendations of your physician. Some diabeteic may need to monitor their levels more often then others.

What should I be looking for in a glucose meter?

A glucose meter is an item you may well have to use regularly throughout your life. It is important the meter you choose meets your needs. Here are some key points to consider:

Size: If your going to be on the move it may well be handy to choose a small meter to fit snugly into your pocket, the One Touch Ultra is one of the smallest meters available.

Alternative site testing: With most glucose meters you need to prick your finger tips to measure your blood glucose. However, with the One Touch Ultra and Accu-chek Aviva you can test on your arm too, giving those precious finger tips a rest.

Note: results taken from the arm may differ significantly from the results taken from the finger tips. When blood glucose levels are changing rapidly, finger tip samples show these changes more quickly then arm samples

Accessories: All the blood glucose meters we keep come with everything you need to start testing your blood glucose levels:

10 test strips
10 Lancets
Pricking device
Batteries
Control solution

Be careful many of our competitors sell the meter by itself without the accessories!!!!

Special features: If you like your gadgets with your meter then the Accu-chek Compact Plus is a good choice. The meter comes with a drum which carries test strips within the machine. All you have to do is turn on the meter and it automatically produces a strip to start testing with. Handy when on the move.

If you like the idea of being able to draw graphs and record your blood glucose readings on a PC then with the One Touch Ultra you can send off for the appropriate software and connection lead. They do charge for this.

Complexity: The technology features we discussed above are great if it helps you but if you're looking for ease of use choose a simple straight forward meter without the gadgets, such as the Accu-chek Aviva which is easy to use.

Amount of blood: Meters can vary with the amount of blood needed to test with. The less blood required by a meter means that it should be less painful. One of the best meters in this area is the One Touch Ultra which requires only 1 microlitre of blood.

Manufacturer support: Both Roche and Lifescan who manufacture the two main brands of meters have excellent customer support. Depending on the country you live in you may be able to get a lifetime warranty for your meter, free controls solutions and free batteries for life.

Time: All the meters we sell give you very fast readings but some are faster then others. If speed is important to you then the One Touch Ultra can give you a reading in 5 seconds!!

Safety: The Accu-chek Aviva has one of the safest pricking devices of all the meters. The needle is hidden within a drum and only exposed when the finger is pricked with the device. Once used the needle returns back into the drum. This is a great feature and should reduce accidents especially for those with poor sight or with difficulty in handling small lancets.

Always remember decide what's important to you and choose your meter according to your needs.

Have a look at our comparison table to see the main features for each meter.

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