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Glucose meter kit

By the Life in Good Form editors. Updated 2026-10-15.

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What is in a glucose meter kit

The FDA describes a blood glucose meter as a small, portable machine used with test strips. You prick your fingertip with a lancet, place the drop of blood on a strip, and the meter shows the amount of glucose in your blood, in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) adds that the meter shows how much glucose is in your blood at that moment.

A starter kit is a convenient way to get the meter, a lancing device and a first supply of strips together. Strips and lancets run out, so plan for refills that match your meter.

Who checks at home

NIDDK says that if you take insulin or other diabetes medicines, checking your blood glucose level at home may help you avoid high or low levels. Even if you do not use insulin, home checks can help you manage diabetes, and the results may help you and your health care team change your meal plan, physical activity or medicines. NIDDK notes home checks give a level of detail you do not get from office blood tests such as the A1C test.

People who take insulin may benefit from a continuous glucose monitor, NIDDK says, but you may sometimes need to compare CGM readings with a standard meter, for example if you doubt the CGM readings or it gives a warning alert. See our continuous glucose monitor guide.

What to compare

The FDA says your health care provider may have a recommendation based on your needs, and lists things you may consider when choosing a meter:

• Accuracy and how much blood each test needs.
• Ease of use, testing speed and overall size.
• Alternate site testing other than the fingertip, for less painful testing when glucose is not changing rapidly.
• Stored results and the ability to send data to a computer, mobile phone or cloud service.
• Interfering substances, meaning medicines and supplements that may affect the test.
• Technical support from the manufacturer.
• Features for people with low vision, such as a large display, spoken instructions or spoken results.

Talk to your health care provider about the right meter for you and how to use it, as the FDA advises.

Test strips and lancets

• Match the strips to the meter. The FDA says to check the instructions for your meter and test strips, so buy the strips your meter's manual calls for.
• New and authorized only. The FDA says to always use new test strips that are authorized for sale in the United States, and has warned about the risks of previously owned strips or strips not authorized for US sale.
• Store them as directed. The FDA says improperly stored meters and strips may give less accurate results, so store them as the maker instructs and keep a strip vial tightly closed when not in use.
• Never share. The FDA says your device should not be shared, to reduce the risk of bloodborne pathogen transmission; over the counter systems are for single patient use.
• Wash again afterward. The FDA says to wash your hands after each check too.

How to get an accurate reading

• Read the instructions first. The FDA says you must read and understand your meter's instructions before you test.
• Wash and dry your hands before testing, as the FDA advises.
• Know what can interfere. The FDA lists severe dehydration or anemia, extreme hematocrit and conditions with high uric acid such as gout, and substances such as vitamin C, acetaminophen and xylose absorption therapies. High altitude, extreme temperature and extreme humidity can also affect results.
• Use your fingertip at key times. Some meters allow sites such as the palm, upper arm or forearm, but the FDA says not to use them when glucose may be changing rapidly. Use the fingertip if you are ill, just ate, are under stress, just exercised, just took insulin, think your glucose is low, or your result does not match how you feel.
• Never use alternate site results to calibrate a CGM or for insulin dosing calculations, the FDA says.

Target ranges and keeping a record

NIDDK says many people with diabetes aim for 80 to 130 mg/dL before a meal and less than 180 mg/dL about 2 hours after a meal starts, and that your goals may differ, so talk with your health care team. For most people with diabetes, NIDDK says glucose is too low below 70 mg/dL, and symptoms can include feeling shaky or jittery, headache and cold sweat.

Keep a record of each check, with the date and time, the result, and notes such as what you ate or what activity you did. NIDDK says a chart or smartphone app can help, and to take the record to your visits. A home blood pressure monitor can help track another of the diabetes ABCs.

What to look for when you buy

Questions people ask

How does a glucose meter work?

You place a drop of blood from a finger stick on a test strip, and the meter shows your glucose in mg/dL.

Can I use test strips from another meter?

Use the strips your meter's instructions call for, and only new strips authorized for US sale, per the FDA.

What blood sugar level should I aim for?

NIDDK says many people with diabetes aim for 80 to 130 mg/dL before meals; ask your team about your target.

Can I test on my arm instead of my finger?

Some meters allow it, but the FDA says use the fingertip when glucose may be changing fast or you feel low.

Why do I need control solution?

The FDA suggests a control solution test with each new strip container and whenever results do not match how you feel.

Sources

• Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices (fda.gov), U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• Managing Diabetes (niddk.nih.gov), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Sources checked 2026-10-15.