Our Experts
Written by
Mercey Livingston
Written by
Nasha Addarich Martínez
Article up to date on August 12, 2025 at 11:42 AM PDT Mercey Livingston CNET Contributor Mercey Livingston is a well being and wellness author and authorized Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. She’s written about health and wellness for Well+Good, Women’s Health, Business Insider, and Prevention.com amongst others. When not writing, she enjoys studying and making an attempt out exercise lessons throughout New York City. Nasha Addarich Martínez Managing Editor Nasha is a Managing Editor for CNET, overseeing our sleep and wellness verticals. She is a vitamin, psychological well being, health and sleep science fanatic. Her ardour for conscious and holistic practices transcends her private life and profoundly influences her editorial strategy, as she weaves evidence-based insights with sensible recommendation to encourage readers to guide more healthy, extra balanced lives. Throughout her profession, she’s lined varied matters together with monetary providers, expertise, journey and wellness. Expertise Sleep | Mental well being | Personal Care | Fitness | Nutrition | Medical | Wellness | Vitamins and Supplements | Vision Health | Longevity Credentials Sleep Science Coach Certification from The Spencer Institute. Consider whether or not you wish to join your steady glucose monitor to your cellphone, to a receiver (a small system that reads and shows your information), or each. Look at how typically the continual glucose monitor scans and transmits your glucose ranges to your cellphone or receiver. Consider the place in your physique the CGM’s sensor might be positioned, the way it’s inserted, and the way typically the sensor must get replaced. This can differ from every week or two to some months. You could wish to restrict your search to steady glucose displays that your insurance coverage, Medicare or Medicaid will cowl. Save your finger from a number of pricks a day with a steady glucose monitor. These wearable units are caught to your arm and connect with an app in your smartphone or Apple Watch to simply take a look at your glucose ranges. This takes a whole lot of stress and trip of the method and permits you to see for those who’re dropping on the contact of a button. While every monitor gives totally different options, all of them present real-time readings that can assist you make higher each day selections about meals, exercise and medicine. To make it easier to discover the fitting CGM, we consulted docs and researched the preferred fashions. Just remember to discuss to your physician about diabetes monitor choices so you will get the choice that is best for you.Best steady glucose displays of 2025 Pros
Real-time monitoring, shareable with as much as 10 folks
Customizable alerts
Discrete sensor
Editor’s observe, June 25, 2024: Since this text was first revealed, Dexcom has launched the G7. This sensor is smaller than the G6 and has an improved alert system, together with a couple of different variations.”I find continuous glucose monitoring to be a valuable tool in the management of both type 1 and 2 diabetes,” mentioned Dr. Josh Emdur, medical director of SteadyMD. “CGM data provides actionable insight to help patients track their glycemic response to dietary choices and activity levels.”The Dexcom G6 does not require you to manually scan to get a glucose stage studying; as an alternative, you get a wi-fi studying both on a devoted receiver system or to your cellphone or Apple Watch. The Dexcom G6 reads your blood sugar each 5 minutes, protecting monitor of your blood sugar stage so long as you are carrying it evening and day. You can set a customized vary for the place you want your blood sugar to be, and if it goes into low blood sugar or excessive blood sugar ranges you set, you’ll get notified. “For patients on an insulin pump, the Dexcom G6 may connect with your pump and offer a closed-loop system to turn off your insulin if you are going low. The Dexcom monitor is also approved in pregnancy and offers continuous monitoring that you can see on your phone at all times,” mentioned Dr. Rebecca Fenichel, an endocrinologist at Westmed Medical Group. Pros
No prescription required
Real-time glucose monitoring
Painless utility
HSA/FSA eligible
Cons
No security alerts for top or low blood sugar ranges
Not supposed for insulin-dependent customers
Stelo was the primary over-the-counter CGM obtainable within the US when it obtained FDA approval in 2024. The small sensor sits on the again of your arm and tracks your glucose ranges 24/7. You can view your blood sugar ranges inside the app, and in case you have an Oura ring, it pairs seamlessly and ranges are additionally viewable inside the Oura app. Each sensor lasts as much as 15 days, it is fairly low upkeep and it is a simple method to see how your stress, meals and each day habits affect your glucose ranges. One pack of two will price you $99 (lasts a few month), however for those who subscribe that worth will drop to $89 a month. The pack comes with all the things you want: the sensors, applicator and overpatch to safe the sensor in place. Over the 2 weeks I examined the Stelo, I seen which habits (like taking a stroll after dinner) affected my blood sugar essentially the most. I discover this instrument useful for these inquisitive about their general well being and doubtless not for these with a diabetes analysis because it does not ship security alarms when your glucose ranges are too excessive or too low. If you could have a analysis and wish to strive Stelo, I like to recommend chatting with your physician to make sure it provides you with the insights and alerts you want. Of the 2 OTC CGMs on this listing (the opposite one is Lingo), our employees most popular the Stelo CGM. Pros
Affordable and simple to search out
Optional blood sugar alarms
Connects to cellphone, however not required
Cons
Stores solely 8 hours of information (the Libre 3 shops as much as 14 days of information)
Editor’s observe, June 25, 2024: Since this listing was first revealed, the Freestyle Libre 3 has launched. This sensor is smaller than the Libre 2 and has readings despatched on to your smartphone each minute, together with different perks.This meter is really helpful by Fenichel and was beforehand really helpful by Dr. Nate Favini. “For people who are interested in deeper insights into their glucose levels, I’ll often recommend the Freestyle Libre for continuous glucose monitoring,” Favini mentioned.”By placing a sensor on your arm, you can track your glucose constantly through the day and develop your understanding of what makes your sugar levels go up and down,” he mentioned. “People will often be surprised that foods that they assumed were good for their glucose levels may be causing spikes in their sugar. Although continuous glucose monitors are more expensive, they can help you understand what types of food and exercise are best for you.” To learn your blood sugar on the Freestyle Libre, you do a fast scan with the CGM system to get a studying. There are additionally non-compulsory alarms in case your blood sugar will get too excessive or too low. Pros
Very lengthy sensor life
Easy-to-use app
Customizable alerts
Cons
Requires insertion by a well being skilled
Requires frequent calibrations
If you need a system you can arrange and haven’t got to fret about reinserting for a whole 12 months, Eversense 365 is a superb possibility for diabetes administration. A well being care supplier will insert the sensor and you then place the transmitter above that. Once the sensor is in place, you do not have to alter it out for about 12 months, a protracted sensor life. The transmitter itself can provide you with a warning in case your blood sugar is just too excessive or low, and it’s also possible to have wi-fi readings despatched to your cellphone by way of an app. You can share your blood glucose information out of your app together with your physician or anybody else who needs to verify your blood sugar readings. Pros
Affordably entry worth (two weeks)
Gamified, user-friendly app
Water-resistant design
Great for behavior monitoring
Cons
Only obtainable for iPhone customers
Around 20% of sensors could not final the complete 14 days
No security alerts for top or low blood sugar ranges
Lingo is without doubt one of the two over-the-counter continous glucose displays we examined on this listing. Like the Stelo, Lingo is worn on the again of the higher arm and you may view your glucose information inside the Lingo app, the place it is translated into a simple to learn chart. The app additionally contains habit-building challenges and progress monitoring, making glucose monitoring really feel extra like a recreation than a chore. Right now, the Lingo app is barely obtainable for iPhone customers.What I appreciated most was how light-weight and low-maintenance the sensor is. It’s fairly smooth and you do not have to fret about carrying a reader with you. I do advocate shopping for an overpatch as this sensor does not include one and the primary time I examined I unintentionally yanked it off whereas dressing myself. An overpatch will make sure the system stays securely in your arm. A single sensor prices $49 (will final you as much as 14 days), a two-sensor pack prices $89 (a few month’s provide) and shopping for in bulk (six sensors for 12 weeks) will prevent essentially the most cash and can price $249. Pros
Predictive alerts
Stand-alone system
Past information as much as 24 hours
Cons
Requires calibration each 12 hours
The Guardian Connect System is a CGM that may inform you your present glucose readings rapidly by way of a related app and in addition enables you to simply entry tendencies and information about your blood sugar over time. One function that stands out with The Guardian is the “predictive” alerts you will get about your sugar. Unlike different CGM techniques that provide you with a warning when your sugar is already excessive or low, The Guardian makes use of expertise that predicts when your blood sugar would possibly get excessive or low earlier than it occurs. Another function that comes with the monitor is the Sugar.IQ diabetes assistant app for diabetes administration, which makes use of your information that can assist you determine what food plan, train and insulin works greatest for you. When selecting steady glucose displays for this listing, we have a look at which fashions had been beforehand really helpful by docs. We additionally look to incorporate a CGM that has a longer-lasting sensor life and embody fashions which can be in style selections for folks with diabetes. The solely two sensors examined on this listing are Stelo and Lingo, that are additionally the one two over-the-counter CGMs. “Continuous glucose monitors offer more intensive monitoring of a diabetic patient’s sugar levels,” Fenichel mentioned. “They are particularly well suited to patients who have to check multiple times a day or to patients who want to get more frequent feedback during the day.”While anybody should purchase an everyday blood glucose meter, you may want a prescription out of your physician for a CGM system. Doctors could advocate a steady blood glucose monitoring system for causes tied to your distinctive well being circumstances and life-style, to trace your glucose tendencies and carry on prime of your insulin ranges, however a CGM system could not work for everybody’s distinctive diabetes care plan.CGM units also can offer you and your physician extra details about blood sugar ranges than an ordinary meter — like in case your blood sugar begins to drop too low, the system can warn you about your dropping blood glucose ranges, “which can be a very helpful feature in helping patients avoid hypoglycemia,” Fenichel mentioned. “They can tell you not only what your current sugar level is but also whether it is on the way up or on the way down.” Here are some issues to take note of when purchasing for steady glucose displays:Scan frequency: Real-time CGMs repeatedly scan your glucose ranges and robotically transmit the info to your cellphone or receiver, sending common alerts about your blood sugar. By distinction, with intermittent-scan CGMs, you must scan them together with your cellphone or receiver to see the info. Some CGMs additionally measure your glucose extra regularly than others.Connectivity: Consider whether or not you wish to join the CGM to your smartphone or to a receiver. If you are utilizing a cellphone, look intently on the app and whether or not it is easy to make use of or gives particular options.Test sort: Consider the place in your physique the CGM’s sensor might be positioned, the way it’s inserted, and the way typically it must get replaced. Insurance protection: Check whether or not the CGMs you are desirous about are lined by your insurance coverage, and the way a lot the components will price to keep up and change over time. Can I get a steady glucose monitor with no physician? Yes, there are two steady glucose displays which can be obtainable with no prescription. You also can get an everyday glucose monitor with no physician.
Show extra
Is steady glucose monitoring lined by insurance coverage? Many insurance coverage, together with Medicaid and Medicare, will cowl a steady glucose monitor, though they might require prior authorization.
Show extra
Which CGM is the most affordable? The Abbott Freestyle Libre 2 sells for simply $103. The least expensive method to get a steady glucose monitor is to undergo your insurance coverage, Medicaid or Medicare; you could possibly doubtlessly get one free of charge.
Show extra
Where ought to I put on my steady glucose monitor? It’s really helpful to put on your CGM on the again of your higher arm. Some fashions enable placement on different areas, just like the thigh, however at all times verify the producer’s directions. Avoid inserting it on scars or different pores and skin irregularities.
Show extra
The data contained on this article is for academic and informational functions solely and isn’t supposed as well being or medical recommendation. Always seek the advice of a doctor or different certified well being supplier relating to any questions you’ll have a few medical situation or well being aims.
About the Author