 Constant False Readings |
| Review Date: July 16, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Wayne L. Schmidt, Seattle,WA USA |
I have had two new Contour meters in the past three weeks. Neither one would give me a true reading. I have a tendency toward low blood sugars so I check three times a day.
I attend a rehab class where you must meet standards of 100 - 300 before being allowed to exercise. When my BS reads below 100 they recheck with their tester. The Contour will often read between 10 - 40 points below the results from the Drs meter.
This meter just doesn't work for me so I am going back to my AccuCheck Avivia. |
Good, simple to use product
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| Review Date: June 15, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Prakash Arjunan, Orlando, FL USA |
I had purchased this for my mother who has to do constant blood checks because she is diabetic. The few things that works for this monitor are -
1. Very easy to use - I skimmed through the manual once and was able to relay the instructions to my Mom and Dad, who aren't especially gadget savvy, but they picked up the usage pretty instantenously
2. Quite accurate - I took a reading and the blood sugar level for my Mom was pretty accurate to what it should've been at the time. Yet to compare it with an actual lab report
3. The prick level can be adjusted to a small amount, medium and high. Try out which option works best for you and then use that prick level going forward. The prick was quite painless and barely hurt after the fact.
4. Small, portable and quite handy. Operation and measurement are very quick, with the entire process not taking more than 5 minutes
The only that I would say is something you'll have to keep in mind is that you'll need to purchase extra lancets and test strips for you to continue using this machine in the long run.
Otherwise, good quality, quite reliable and easy to use. Definitely recommend the product. |
NICE METER. I HAVE HAD NO ISSUES WITH IT SO FAR.
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| Review Date: April 25, 2010 |
| Reviewer: D. Blankenship, The Ozarks |
I have been using this meter for at least three months now; quite frequent usage at that. While I certainly have not had the opportunity to test it over a long period, my experiences so far have all been quite positive.
This meter does have many very nice features; far more than I actually need, but it is nice to know they are there if I want them. Absolutely no coding is required and the results of each test are as advertized...within five seconds. The meter does have a 480 test result memory, which to be honest I don't use as I prefer to track on a written chart, and it does give you a 14 day average which I do use.
I have tested this meter against three others and the results are about the same. There are so many variables at any given time; you never really get an absolute reading on any monitor that I know of. Yes, I have had some minor fluctuations from time to time but nothing to ever get overly excited about.
I suppose the main attraction to this particular unit for me is the ease of use. It is extremely simple; simple to the point that you could almost use if for the first time without even reading the directions...something I am prone to do with putting together BBQ grills, but hesitate doing so with an instrument such as this, so I read them, understood them and was rewarded with knowing that I really did not have to read them if I had chosen not to; childish, I know, but I enjoyed it anyway. It is also extremely fast. I am not overly fond of the constant monitoring but you have to do what you have to do and it is nice to be able to the quick about it.
On the down side, the test strips for this machine are sort of on the high end so you had better check first with your insurance company to see if they will cover...same holds true for the lancets. Mine does cover (Medicare covers as does my supplemental insurance). I understand some folks have had trouble in this area though, so do check first. Also, use the test solution provided from time to time. The only people I personally know who have had major problems with this machine are the ones that failed to follow proper checking from time to time.
Another feature I like about this machine is the cost. Hey it is inexpensive and even if it goes belly up on me tomorrow, I still have gotten my monies worth.
Worth the cost...so far it works well for me. I have to give this one five stars and do recommend it.
Don Blankenship
The Ozarks
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Its ok, I like Lifescan One Touch Ultra Mini better.
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| Review Date: March 12, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Johnny Guitar, Carmichael, CA USA |
I received a free contour meter and tried it out a couple of times. I have been a user of the Lifescan OneTouch Ultra Mini meter for about 4 months and several hundred samples.
What I liked least about Bayer Contour system:
- I didn't care for the shape of the meter. It felt awkward in my hand and like the shape was not conducive to operating it with one hand.
- I didn't like the functionality and shape of the lancet device which felt less "sure" when it fired the needle. This sounds dumb but feeling in control of the "stick" is important, especially for brand new users. That alone could really change how much you test.
- I also found by comparison to the Onetouch lancet, it had 1/2 as many available settings for depth of the stick, and those were not numbered on the lancet. I find the numbering useful on my onetouch as I can get good samples with very different depths of sticks depending on which finger or alternate test site I'm sticking.
- The general form factor (size and shape) of the carry case, and contents is too large for me. I am a guy so I don't carry a purse around. Mine goes in my pocket or in a laptop bag when at work. I like that I can stick it in my pocket without too much bulk. The Bayer Contour would be too bulky for that, in it's case.
- The diameter of the test strip bottle is too large, making the case "fat".
- Operation of the meter was not intuitive to me. I had to read the manual to figure out how to turn it on and cycle through 5 readings.
- The basic and "advanced" modes were a joke. Advanced just meant I could set customized high and low markers, basically.
- I did not review any software but the meter appears to have a data port.
- meter read 20 points lower than my other meter, out of the box, on first 3 tests. My other meter has been compared to 4 lab tests and been within 2 points of the lab every time. So I believe this contour meter is not very accurate. Reading 20 points low is kind of dangerous and certainly could cause you to eat when you shouldn't. It might also give you a false sense of what hypoglycemia feels like.
What I liked best about Bayer Contour system:
- I like the idea of the adjustable alarm for post meal testing. I would use this if my one touch meter ultra mini had this.
- I liked the more advanced adjustability of the high, low, etc.
- no test strip coding - although honestly, that has never EVER been an issue with my ultra mini which is coded.
-It has a data port. And if I could try that out without buying cables and software, I might try it but I have low faith bayer's product is any better than the onetouch product.
In short, if you are new and choosing a meter, I recommend the OneTouch Ultra Mini because of its size, shape, and simple functionality. Also the software that you can buy (and cable to connect it) works "decently". Its not great, but not bad. I was not really a fan of the Contour meter from Bayer. Its ok, but I liked the onetouch better.
On a related note, what I do really like from Bayer is their A1C NOW self check for A1C home testing. I find I can buy that on sale for about half of the "retail price" if I shop around online. It appears to work well, though I have not calibrated an A1C NOW reading with a lab A1c reading, yet.
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Great Blood Sugar Monitor!
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| Review Date: February 21, 2010 |
| Reviewer: KC South Park, San Diego, CA United States |
| I've used many blood sugar monitors. This has the plus of the strips being less expensive for my company to cover, but I was impressed with how inexpensive the machine was, too. It is a very simple, basic machine. Easy to use, accurate. Couldn't ask for more. |
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