Contour NEXT

UPDATING MY REVIEW: Upgrading my review to 5 stars. (TIP: Don't throw away the plastic cover for the meter - it makes a nice, convenient tray to use when out and about.) I ordered this a month ago (March 22) and originally had a problem with the test solution. OWell took care of the problem VERY quickly, making sure I had everything I needed. I have been very happy with both this product and OWell's response and customer service. I've been using this meter several times a day, and have not seen any wild "out there" results, and even though there is a variation allowed in these machines, my readings have been quite consistent. I like that one can designate what the reading is (pre or post meal) and that it has a timer to help you remember to test post meal. The only thing I would change is to make the alarm a bit louder and to have a fasting blood sugar designation. Using this machine has indeed helped me determine the effectiveness of interventions in diet and supplementation. Through testing, I have quickly learned what foods to avoid, even when I thought they would be ok. Using the glycemic index can be a bit tricky because actual glycemic loads can vary quite a bit depending on how you pair your foods. I discovered some food combinations, which I thought would have lower glycemic loads, actually would elevate my blood sugar much higher than I was comfortable with because I was so conveniently able to test. Several years ago, the American Diabetes Association used to have a full page dedicated to the use of cinnamon (1/4 to 1tsp/day) to help prevent and control type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, this page is no longer accessible. I'm not sure why, as I found cinnamon, in the past, to be a very effective in controlling my blood sugars. Now, as before, with testing, I find cinnamon brings down my blood sugars fairly quickly. I recently learned stacking Berberine and Cinnamon together are much more effective than either alone if taken at different times during the day. I had already been taking a supplement with Berberine in it, so I started taking cinnamon at the same time and found that instead of needing to take Cinnamon at various times throughout the day, I seem to only need to take it once a day. I usually add about 1/4tsp cinnamon to some hot water and drink it. I use the Ceylon Cinnamon (known as "true cinnamon") as the more common Cassia Cinnamon (found under different names) is fairly high in coumarins (blood thinners) and can be toxic to the liver. In contrast, ceylon cinnamon is extremely low in coumarins and has no known toxicity to the liver. Nothing helps one take charge of their health better than having a dependable tool to monitor one's progress. Having this tester has been very helpful in discovering what works for me to bring down my daily blood sugars, I hope to bring down my A1C, which has already dropped from 6.4 to 5.7 in one month, even further. This machine is fast enough for me, and easy to use. I like that you hardly need any blood and can reapply to the same strip if needed. I'm not having any trouble with the lancets, they stay in and work just fine for me, just have to have the right depth chosen. The kit bag would be better if it had stiffer walls (it's pretty floppy), but this is a small machine compared to the one I used to use 15 years ago, and much easier to take with me. In addition, the test strips come in a thick walled container (I assume to protect against light) and are very cost effective. I'm very happy with my decision to buy this kit.

I love this testing system. Bayer has proven to be the most reiable system I've tried to date. My first Contour meters were fantastic and consistent when compared to doctor prescribed blood test results and other meters. My first NEXT meter was a little high. It would consistently give readings higher than other meters by 10mg/dl or more. I decided I wasn't happy with the new NEXT strips and tried the OneTouch sync. That meter was even worse, often reading 20-30mg/dl higher than other meters. This Contour NEXT has restored my faith in the NEXT system. Readings match my older Bayer meters usually within 2-3mg/dl. Those meters were already checked against other meters as well as blood glucose tests performed by my PCP. This is a nice starter set or replacement set. It comes with 100 test strips, testing meter, lancing device and lancets, testing solution and a convenient pouch for storage. The pouch can easily hold the lancer, extra lancets, meter, test strips and alcohol swabs (not included). The expiration on my meters isn't until 06/2018. That's on par with the strips I was buying from the store. If you want a complete and reliable starter set with a decent amount of strips, look no further.

Updated 12/9/17: Be aware if you will be downloading readings to computer, you must purchase a "data cable" separately. This kit does not include the $20+ data cable and a standard "micro-USB" doesn't work. Just be aware if you want to upload/download data to a PC for tracking purposes that you have to have a data cable for the Contour Next EZ model. New owner of the Bayer Contour NEXT Diabetes testing kit. I found the product to work well and have easy setup (there is a calibration solution needed for first use and each time a new container of test strips is used). But that was in the description. I'm a home user (not diagnosed with Diabetes) and I don't have a doctor's office reading to compare the results to, but they are consistent and seem to be reliable (I've tested a couple of times a day over several different days, testing at the same times, in the same condition whether fasting or having eaten) and see nothing that leads me to believe the readings are erratic. I found the lancet that came with this kit a little hard to use at first (has 5 settings for "soft" to "harder" skin) and it took a little practice to get a prick that didn't hurt like h*** but made enough blood come out. But even if you "miss" the blood quantity, you have 60 full seconds with this model to "re-prick" and finish the reading without wasting a strip. Overall this product is a good value for the money in my opinion and I would recommend it for others.

I ordered the Bayer Contour NEXT Kit after checking out the Amazon reviews. I'm very happy with it. The OWell Kit had everything needed to begin and was sent super quickly. The lancets are not Bayer but fit perfectly no problem. I wish Bayer had better directions for a first-timer, but I'll be fine after stumbling around with it all with my engineer husband's understanding and help the first time. Do not attempt this when you are already tired. Better yet have someone else show you. Hint: The strip is placed in the meter first because you will be suck up the drop of blood from the other end of the strip. This will also keep the machine clean.

Consistently gives results 10-20 points higher than my previous Contiur model.....every single time.....just a few minutes ago I got 117 on this model vs 106 on older Contour.....yet my A1C is 5.3........I understand range can be + or - 20.....but between the two models.....why such a difference....and the higher reading is the Contour Next model 100% of the time....is more accurate or leading one to test more often? and why is A1C okay?

Before i got this meter i had the prodigy meter that i got for 10$. Well you get what you pay for. The measures were completely different when i checked a few times with the same blood. I would get 66,78,93,114- makes no sense! So i did a research and saw many recommendations for this one and decided to invest in order to get accurate resolts. So far I have been using it for a few days and it's very accurate! Plus there is a quiet mode which in the prodigy i couldn't silent it completely. This is definitely a good investment.

The sibling meter The Contour Next One gives you a lot more bang for the buck with a light so its easy to read and a ton of data you can get from pairing it to a smartphone and app. It will give similar readings. I think this as the name states is just a stand alone easy to use meter. But why no backlight?

I bought this to replace another meter which was not performing accurately. I really like the OWell Bayer Contour NEXT because it's quick and very accurate (tested 2x each with included test solution, as well as another test solution I own, well within range each time). The strips are designed for quick/easy handling: the bit that absorbs the blood sample is exposed only on one tiny edge, so the strip won't be contaminated by touching most surfaces. The case it comes with is poorly designed, but that is really the only negative I could come up with.