best blood glucose monitor for price?

[sarahatl]

Greetings:
I am looking to purchase a blood glucose monitor for a reasonable price. This is something that insurance will not be available for but needs to be reliable and easy to use. Can any one help me out with this? Seems like amazon would be a good place to start. Can someone send me a link for a good one? Thank you so much for your help!

[amundson]

In the long term it is the cost of the strips that matters. Check out Consumer Reports magazine (can I recommend that?) For an analysis of the yearly costs. Diabetes educators sometimes give away meters but those tend to be the meters with high priced strips. Think about total cost rather than just the cost of the meter.

[sarahatl]

thank you amundson, that is a very good point. Anyone using one that they can recommend with reasonably priced strips?

[Irishgirl57]

I purchased a secondary monitor at Walmart, the Relion Prime, with the cheapest test strips @ $9 for a box of 50. The monitor was about $15. I received a One-Touch monitor from the doctors office and a prescription for test strips and lancets. The prescription only allows for two testings per day. I wanted to really figure out what my readings were throughout the day, not just fasting and one additional reading.

It's the cost of the strips that I wanted to find the lowest price possible. Occasionally I compare to the One-Touch monitor and they are within a point of each other.

[sarahatl]

Thank you Irishgirl (love that name!!). I just went to target and bought their brand. I did look into Consumer Reports and they recommended it. I bought the monitor for $23 and 50 strips for $50! I got home all ready to check and wouldn't you know I need some kind of testing solution I need to use first. Now I need to go all the way back to Target to get the solution to use first! So frustrating! Did you need to do that with your monitor before you used it?

[Dede66]

I use the walmart brand relion prime too because the test strips are 9 bucks cant beat that !

[Irishgirl57]

Originally Posted by sarahatl

Thank you Irishgirl (love that name!!). I just went to target and bought their brand. I did look into Consumer Reports and they recommended it. I bought the monitor for $23 and 50 strips for $50! I got home all ready to check and wouldn't you know I need some kind of testing solution I need to use first. Now I need to go all the way back to Target to get the solution to use first! So frustrating! Did you need to do that with your monitor before you used it?

No, the Relion brand didn't require the testing solution and was much less expensive...and results are almost the same as the one the doctor gave me. I like that the strips are only $9 for 50!

[sarahatl]

Originally Posted by Irishgirl57

No, the Relion brand didn't require the testing solution and was much less expensive...and results are almost the same as the one the doctor gave me. I like that the strips are only $9 for 50!

Thanks ALL for the information! I returned the one at Target, because they did not have control solution, and the strips. The Target strips were $50 for 50!! I ran to walmart to get their brand! Thank you both for saving me a ton of money (insert GEICO commercial here) Thanks!

[NAT&RD]

Originally Posted by Dede66

I use the walmart brand relion prime too because the test strips are 9 bucks cant beat that !

WalMart also sells a mail in A1C test that is very accurate for $9.
I've used it on the same day I had lab tests, same results

[sarahatl]

Originally Posted by COOLCRUISER

WalMart also sells a mail in A1C test that is very accurate for $9.
I've used it on the same day I had lab tests, same results

Thank you coolcruiser! I am going to do that. How does that work? Do you put blood in a vial and mail it it?

[NAT&RD]

Originally Posted by sarahatl

Thank you coolcruiser! I am going to do that. How does that work? Do you put blood in a vial and mail it it?

Not a vial, you stick your finger like for regular testing, put the blood drops on what looks like a circle of gauze in a cardboard frame, mail the whole thing in in the prepaid envelope. Get the results on line in about a week.

[Vilya]

You don't need control solution, unless you're ever using strips that you think might be expired.

I have the ReliOn Confirm, and I really like it. It's accurate, and the strips are $36 for 100. The Prime has cheaper strips, but my fellow diabetics report lower accuracy than the Confirm.

I also buy Walmart's disposable Sidekick meter, which I use as a backup. That one is $20 and comes as a unit with the meter and 50 strips together. You throw the whole thing away when the strips run out.

My first meter was a OneTouch Ultra2, which I liked very much, but the strips were killing me.