A relatively new glucose meter was sent to me to try out and let you know what I think, and I’m being paid a small fee to do so. I tell you that in full disclosure: I did not seek out the meter nor pay for it or the 50 strips it came with. The company is Auvon, a Chinese manufacturer of various medical devices like TENS muscle stimulators and tech-household goods, in addition to this glucometer.

Since I use the Dexcom G6 CGM, I don’t use a meter very much anymore. That said, I do use it whenever I think my CGM might be off, or when I take a few days off from my CGM in between sensor sessions.

• 

Although the wording on the box, “Blood Glucose Monitoring System” is a bit of a hype, as it’s just a glucose meter with the usual paraphernalia, Auvon does have reason to hype something – the highest accuracy among meters – 10%; most meters come in at within 15% of laboratory tests.

This released from the company – Auvon exceeds International standards functioning within ±10%, or ±10 mg/dl of laboratory values over 95% of the time. This is beyond the ISO passing standard  of within ±15% or ±15 mg/dl. The manufacturer is certified with CE mark, GMP, ISO 13485:2016, and ISO 15197:2013 without having any recall on the market in the past 14 years.

Of course there’s no way for me to test its accuracy. I can only say it always did seem accurate for what I’d expect, and when I checked it against the meter I own, it was always within 10 points. I’m not setting up my own meter as the better point of accuracy, only as another data system. Right off the bat I like the assurance that greater accuracy gives me.

Then there’s the advantage of simple for those of us who, tired of messing around with our devices, crave simple. Like (almost) all meters today, this meter needs no coding, it turns on when you insert the strip and off when you take it out, it takes a small drop of blood (0.7 ul) and 6 seconds to give you your result. It comes with an inexpensive ordinary lancing device and lancets, (I don’t remember if meters include lancing devices anymore) a little paper diary to record your blood sugar numbers, and of course an instruction booklet for the meter. How nice it’s only 35 2”x4” pages instead of the encyclopedia most manufacturers enclose. 

The Avon glucometer does what I basically want my meter to do: tells me my blood sugar, stores my recent blood sugar values, and gives me a 7, 14 and 30 day average. Mind you, there’s only one function button on the meter. You have to cycle through to reach whatever you’re looking for. Still, pretty easy. I feel Auvon may have kept the cost down on functionality and materials in order to invest in the strip technology that provides the greater accuracy. That may also be why this meter does not come with a hard case, but satiny-like little carry bag.

• 

The last thing I really like about this meter is the really quick, almost magnetic feeling of how speedily the strip pulls up the drop of blood. I don’t know if there’s special technology that causes that, I imagine there is. Also the channel for the blood to enter the strip is wider than it is long so I’m thinking this may also enhance the quick blood suck. Forgive my draconian language 😉

If you want a meter with bells and whistles, and one you can charge, Auvon is definitely not it. You cannot charge this meter. Instead, you get a pre-packed disc shaped (3-volt lithium) battery that we all remember meters once used. But it you want a small, quite light, easy to fit in your hand, more accurate and simple meter, I think you’ll be pleased.

The Auvon includes 50 test strips and costs about $20 on Amazon. Additional strips cost about $.15/strip.