10 Best Blood Glucose Monitors in the Philippines 2025 | Buying Guide Reviewed by Pharmacist

When it comes to blood sugar monitors (glucose meters or commonly called as "glucometers"), speediness is an important factor. After all, you wouldn’t want to experience hypoglycemia while waiting for your test results now do you? That way, you can anticipate and prevent your blood sugar from crashing or spiking.

And if you test your blood sugar levels several times a day, you know it can be a nuisance if you have to wait long for a reading. Hence, we recommend looking for one that delivers results in 10 or even 5 seconds. 

Glucometers specify how much blood sample is needed to get an accurate reading. The minimum amount of blood sample required per test strip is 0.5 µl (microliters). While this does not seem like much, it can strain your fingers, especially for those who conduct tests multiple times a day or those with poor blood circulation. 

Also, note that more blood samples do not necessarily mean a more accurate test result. So, this is something to keep in mind when selecting blood glucose devices.

Apart from using a conventional logbook to record your results, it will be very convenient if you find a device that can record your results. It will come in handy should you accidentally forget to record it. 

When looking at their specifications, always check for the memory capacity, which is expressed in the number of tests it can record. Depending on how often you conduct tests, we recommend aiming for one that can record at least 100 to 300 tests.  

Nowadays, more advanced glucometers do more than just display your test results. Some even allow you to view, track, download, and share your results through Bluetooth and USB connectivity or synched with their proprietary mobile and web apps.

It shows graphs or charts of your blood glucose results in a specific time frame. This makes self-monitoring easier, faster, more convenient, and more accurate. Through this, you can better monitor and take care of yourself and help your doctor make better decisions about your medications. 

The majority of glucometers are sold as an entire kit in which everything you need is already included, from the lancet to the test strips. This makes monitoring easier because you only need to buy lancets and test strips when they run out. 

However, there are quite a few instances wherein only the device is included. And you would have to buy the lancets, lancing device, and test strips separately, so be sure to read the labels and descriptions carefully! 

Since glucometers are portable, handheld devices, it is natural they are battery-operated, though the more sophisticated units can be rechargeable. For this, we recommend checking if it can last up to quite a number of uses. This can usually be found in the product’s specs on the manufacturer’s website. That way, you’ll have an idea of whether it is time to replace its batteries or charge it. 

Measuring your blood sugar can be tedious and a bit of a hassle, especially if you are outdoors. And while blood glucose meter kits are portable, no one wants to lug around a device that’s bigger and heavier than your smartphone. It should be compact enough to carry without being too bulky that it would inconvenience you.  

Consider a glucometer that can do more and better. For instance, there are devices that can also measure your ketones, chemicals produced by the body if you don’t get enough glucose. For instance, there are devices that can also measure your ketones, chemicals produced by the body if you don’t get enough glucose. 

Plus, there are also devices that can calculate the averages of your results every 7, 14, or even 30 days, and there are also those that alert you if your blood sugar is too high. These added functions can help you monitor your glucose levels better.