Metene TD-4116 Blood Glucose Monitor Kit

I like this meter mainly because it is easy to use, reliable, and I think very affordable for what it does. The display is nice and easily readable. Mine came with 2 batteries (only 1 is needed), 100 testing strips and 100 lancets along with the automatic plunger. It also has a test solution to confirm the meter works correctly, and a zippered bag to keep everything together.
The meter comes with software so you can upload the data to your computer, add notes, calculate averages, follow trends over time, etc. I use my meter and upload the data to my laptop every day. I then make adjustments in the foods I eat from my data log, and watch how I can reduce blood sugar spikes. There is something both satisfying and very educational about all of this.
While I like the meter, there are a few issues that I don’t like about the software. First is that I cannot erase data points in the meter itself. If you are playing around with it when you first get it (like I was) and you now want to erase the bad data from the good data, you can’t do it (there is a way, but it involves resetting the meter). Now you can omit the bad data from entering into calculations in the software, but this is not the same as totally erasing the data. I just find it very annoying that I can’t erase obviously bad data easily from the meter itself, or go back and reassign test solution data that was accidentally marked as general data. A second issue I have is that the software is very limited in what it can do. You really can’t change any of the displays to perform custom calculations or make personalized plots of the data. I can move the data into another software package to do these things, but it is a hassle to do that. In any case, the software is free and it is helpful. But if you want more sophisticated analysis and graphing, you will need to use Excel or SPSS, or something similar. Most people will not need to analyze their blood glucose in such detail, but it is a shame the software is so limiting. I definitely recommend that you learn to use the free software to get the most from the meter.

I will always start with the positives and then recommend potential changes or alert consumers to possible issues, so here goes. First, the price is good and there are many testing strips (2 bottles), and lancets, to keep you going for a month or two. The glucometer is super easy to use too. The case is compact and allows you to carry all the supplies. I got this glucometer for an EMT class (for testing) and I trained my 10-year-old granddaughter on how to use it. She now openly invites everyone that comes in, a great chance to know their blood sugars. Perhaps I have my medic in the making. She even did her own, which was impressive, when grown adults whimper at getting a small stick that could alert them to possible health issues. Now for my recommendations. Get the orange square, self-retracting, lancets. This kit uses a manual loading pen that you must physically load and have the sharp exposed, even when removing. The sharp has a twist-off plastic cap. This increases an accidental stick tenfold, plus you need your own sharps container, whereas the self-retracting orange lancets allow you to simply discard, although you should try to at least find a bottle to use or even a sharps container. You have no option on this kit. I found cork to stick mine into and then disposed of in our sharps container. This is super important around kids and new users. You have to load the sharp sticking out, not in, and then the pen cap covers that. It is risky for sure, but once you know how to use it, you just pay closer attention. It is also time-consuming as you have to break the pen apart, load the lancet, cock a hammer, rotate to the depth gauge (a nice feature for infants to large adults), and then remove a live sharp. I know how to use these kits as a former EMTI and Firefighter, so I wanted one as I regain my EMT to go back into teaching. I will use this kit for home and then buy another for my kit as this simply takes too long with patients in the back of the rig or on scene. Don’t let that stop you from buying as you can simply buy the self-retracting lancets and exchange them for this kit. You will also need sterile wipes or alcohol pads. It’s a nice little kit for daily users or people who are well-versed. For the occasional user, get the self-retracting lancets and exchange them for these skinny blue ones. you will thank me. I never used the pen and wanted to try as I thought everything would be protected, but I now know better.

I suspected I might be pre-diabetic so I got this machine, and was able to confirm I was juuuust mildly starting to be. Setting up the machine, calibrating it and using it are all simple and easy to understand and the nice and unexpected thing was there was zero pain or even discomfort. You can change the depth of the lance, I think I used “3” and it draws enough blood to test and I barely felt a thing. Not at all unpleasant. Nice design and the price is great.

Scans in reasonable time. Had a problem with inaccurate readings, customer service got back to me and now I’ll be purchasing a replacement unit free of charge