Freestyle lite vs Contour Next

[Sapien]

I have seen the Freestyle lite and Contour Next as two of the most recommended blood glucose meters. Does anyone have personal experience with one being more accurate than the other?

Dr Bernstein recommends the Freestyle freedom lite for accuracy in normal blood glucose ranges. I saw a video in which he said that he sees the Contour Next One read consistently high in the normal range but is more accurate than the Freestyle at high blood sugars. He doesn’t care about accuracy at high blood sugars because he tries to keep himself and his patients as close to 83 mg/dL (4.6 mmol) all day as possible.

Where I live the Contour Next strips are much cheaper and easier to find than the Freestyle lite.

 

[Deleted member 308541]

I have both makes of meters and I prefer the Freestyle Lite over the Contour Next, as the Contour reads a lot a higher than what my bgl is on the Lite.

The Freestyle Lite has been checked against another Lite, and also at the pathology shop I go to for my blood tests as being a lot more accurate than the Next...

 

[Jordi77]

I've used both and found the lite to be out by a bit more than what he is saying as I have been using the contour next one meter and I find it more accurate and my readings that are at that number are right on my meter and the lite out by 0.3 and that I had to give it the old heave ho and I am more confident with the contour next one meter and app and I have tried the accu-chek meters to and they are way out to

 

[EllieM]

I've used both and found the lite to be out by a bit more than what he is saying as I have been using the contour next one meter and I find it more accurate and my readings that are at that number are right on my meter and the lite out by 0.3 and that I had to give it the old heave ho and I am more confident with the contour next one meter and app and I have tried the accu-chek meters to and they are way out to

But if you're just comparing two meters how do you decide which one is "right"? Wouldn't you need 3 meters and then take the one in the middle? Or hope that 2 of the 3 meters agree....

 

[Jordi77]

I used 3 meters and I chose the middle one which was the contour next one meter which was the lowest one out of the 3 meters so I am only using the contour next one meter with the app and I have the others for spare if needed but that I will ask for a new contour meter to save time and money and the test strip's I get on prescription so I am able to use that one or the others without a problem

 

[Sapien]

But if you're just comparing two meters how do you decide which one is "right"? Wouldn't you need 3 meters and then take the one in the middle? Or hope that 2 of the 3 meters agree....

I was thinking for accuracy a comparison of a finger stick at the same time as a draw at the laboratory. I would think that would be a only way to have checked accuracy. Ideally at several lab tests.

Consistency could be consistently high or consistently low.

I haven’t had a lab test since I started measuring at home. I plan to test next week at the same time as the blood draw at the lab. I am not sure if I want to get a Freestyle lite (or Neo) before the lab so I can test it too.

I have a Contour Next and Contour Next One. Both use the same strips and read almost the same on the same blood drop. I have also a bought ReliOn Premier for which the strips are a lot cheaper. When I check both the Contour and Relion on the same blood prick the ReliOn usually reads a bit lower than the Contour Next, but sometimes also a bit higher. Usually they are within 9 mg/dL (0.5 mmol) of each other. I mostly test with the cheaper ReliOn and double check with the Contour when I see a really unexpected reading.

The Freestyle lite seems very popular but getting strips at a reasonable price without a prescription under insurance seems quite difficult. It seems Abbott is now pushing the Freestyle Neo for non-prescription use. Both are more expensive than the Contour so I have my doubts regarding even trying the Freestyle unless it really is much better.

 

[Rustytypin]

I recently compared the Contour Next with three other meters over about 30 readings each. The Contour in each case averaged about 0.5 mmol higher than the other meters. I settled on the Tee 2 as the strips are the cheapest. About half the price of the Contour strips.

 

[Deleted member 308541]

The strips for both the Contour Next and Freestyle lite cost approx $65.00 per 100 box over the counter. With a NDSS membership they are available for approx $6.00 per 100 box, or $1.20 with a PBS concession card.

As I have just hit the PBS safety net all my prescriptions and strips are now free for the rest of the year.

 

[Jordi77]

My prescriptions are free as I use insulin and I have been working with the NHS and used a couple of their machines to which I have been able to tell them that they were out by a few mmol/ml and that I would be using my meter for my readings as I am able to get a proper reading from as I have also been attached to a meter that reads the vein on your arm and my meter and that were correct and the other 2 were not and that is how I was able to check my contour meter to the others

 

[vic hill]

what ever meter suits you
try 60 years back only a urine test 5 does of urine 10 drops ao water in a tube wait seconds the conpair colours on chart on chart blue goodish orange run for the hills
the magic of meters keeps on the narrow band just try and keep at 4.5 that from would be impossible .
he ho
vic on insulin 63 years drink plenty today bye

 

[EllieM]

try 60 years back only a urine test 5 does of urine 10 drops ao water in a tube wait seconds the conpair colours on chart on chart blue goodish orange run for the hills

Happy days (or not). I remember attempting to dry the test tube after washing it out being the most annoying part of the process.... Getting my first glucometer in the early eighties was simply life changing.