Active ForwardContour Next EZ Diabetes Testing Kit, Contour Next EZ Blood Glucose Meter, 100 Contour Next Blood Glucose Test Strips, 100 Lancets, Lancing Device, Log Book and Carry Case

So, I was told by a health screen person at work that my blood glucose was higher than normal, and that my sedentary habit is the likely cause. I was told to be more active, exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, and cut down on sugar/carbs. To help me understand what affects blood glucose, I decided to buy a testing kit. After looking at a few options on Amazon, I purchased the Bayer Contour NEXT test kit, because it appeared to have everything one needs to do the test. I was leery because there was no review for this product, but it was a great deal with a name brand manufacturer.This kit didn't come with directions, which is not a big deal, since I was able to find it online easily. However, if you never used a blood glucose test kit, then you will probably need more instructions. You will find some good instructions on Youtube.All the components appear to be top quality and fits neatly into a zippered case that came with the kit. The electronic meter is well designed and simple to operate. The meter keeps a record of all tests with time stamp, displays the average value in mg/dL and number of tests performed. The test strips have an expiration date of about 1 year.Pros:This kit does not require the user to enter a code for different batches of test strips.Repeated tests done immediately give fairly reproducible numbers (within +\- 8).Comes with everything you need to run 100 tests.Nice zippered pack that can hold enough for 50 tests.Very economical at less than $40.Cons:You have to lance your finger every time you want to check your glucose level (same with all other kits, so maybe not really a con).No directions came with the kit.No reference glucose solution came with the kit (you can buy one separately), but the meter is accurate so you may not need one.Here is the sequence of running a test:Sterilize a finger tip with an alcohol pad (best to use your ring finger, since you don't use this finger that much).Insert a new lance into the spring loaded lancing device, twist off the cap of the lance, close the device and set puncture depth (I use almost the maximum setting).Insert a new test strip into the meter to turn it on.Your finger should be dry by now, so put the loaded lance device on the sterilized area and push the button to produce a small drop of blood.Touch the blood port of the test strip with the drop of blood on your finger to load the test strip and automatically start the test.Wait 5 seconds for the result to be displayed (normal is about 100mg/dL).Wipe your finger tip with the alcohol pad you used before the test, stick the sharp tip of the used lance into the center of the cap/disk before discarding with the used test strip.Over all, I'm very happy with this kit. Now I can test how different food or activity changes my blood glucose.

This is the second blood sugar unit I have ever purchased. The first, a OneTouch brand is nearly ten years old by now and it still functions. This unit, however, has several big advantages over that unit:1) The supplies are cheaper. The strips cost about $.25 each compared to almost $1.00 each in the old unit2) The strips operate with a little less blood. Furthermore, if one makes a stick that produces too little for these strips the unit will sometimes wait patiently until one completes a second stick. This reduces the cost of the strips even further.3) I find the display to be higher contrast and therefore easier to read.4) There is no 'calibration' number to enter. The OneTouch requires one to enter a calibration number at least one strip in 25. Furthermore, it requires one to tell it that the calibration number displayed corresponds to that of the strip. Trouble is, the button on my unit that does this is either very slow or far less than 100% reliable. So I have an ongoing problem of starting the measurement before the unit has decided to accept it. This inevitably wastes a strip. I cannot say how many times I've had to resist the impulse to throw the unit against a brick wall because of this problem, but I can say that while thinking about this I'm a little surprised that the unit has lasted nearly a decade.As we've just explained, a big advantage to this unit is that it requires no calibration. Consumers Reports rates its accuracy to be among the best in the units it reviewed. If one is trying to make a large number of minor changes of diet and lifestyle to adapt well to diabetes, great accuracy and repeatability are of utmost importance. So, too, is low test-strip cost.I have two quibbles with this unit. I find that when I use it, the display is always upside down. I have no difficulty reading it when it's upside down, I just wish the engineers who designed the unit had tested it more broadly. Once those orientation devices used in iPhones and iPads become really cheap, this will be an easy problem to fix. As it is, this is a minor inconvenience, at most. The second is that the lance unit requires one to replace the lance with every use. And this is not a trivially easy thing to do. I find myself using the lance unit from my old kit instead. I understand the reason for making users change lances with each use: I just think that this 'feature' has not been implemented very thoughtfully.Despite these minor drawbacks, I can recommend this kit without reservation.