Illustrative picture. We confirm the exact model with your price.
Blood glucose test strips
Test strips made for a specific meter. Always buy the ones that match your meter.
Good forPeople with diabetes who test at home
- Price and delivery confirmed first
- A nurse can advise before you buy
- Set-up help when it is needed
What it is, and who it helps
Glucose test strips are the single-use strips that go into a glucose meter and take the drop of blood. They are made to work with a particular meter, and the wrong strip gives wrong readings or none at all.
For people with diabetes who test regularly, strips are the running cost, so it is worth checking how easily they can be bought, how long a box lasts once opened and whether they have a long shelf life.
How to choose
- Always match the strip to the meter by brand and model.
- Check the expiry date on the box, and how long strips stay good once the pot is opened.
- Buy from a trusted seller, since fake or damaged strips give unsafe readings.
- Ask your doctor how many strips your parent needs each month, and keep a spare box.
Using it safely
- Store strips in their original pot with the lid tight, away from heat, damp and sunlight.
- Never use strips past their expiry date or ones that have been left open.
- If a reading does not match how your parent feels, retest and call the doctor.
Before you buy
Can I use any brand of strip?
No. Strips are not interchangeable between meters.
Why do strips expire quickly after opening?
Moisture and air damage the chemicals on the strip. Keep the pot closed.
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General information, not medical advice. Ask a doctor, nurse or physiotherapist what is right for your parent.
Often chosen together
Blood glucose meter with strips
Easy-to-read meter, lancets and test strips.
Lancets and lancing needles
Single-use needles for the finger-prick device that comes with a glucose meter.
Continuous glucose monitoring sensor
A small sensor worn on the arm that tracks sugar levels day and night and sends them to a reader or phone.
Not sure this is the right one?
A nurse can suggest the right choice, arrange delivery and show how to use it.