KetoMojo Ketone and Glucose Meter Initial Impression Review

(Marla) #1

I attended the LowCarb USA Conference in San Diego last month and it was a great conference. One of the vendors was a new company, KetoMojo, selling what they are promoting to be the Ketonian’s dream meter. Although there was not an actual meter on hand at the booth to touch and play with, the founder was really enthusiastic and really convincing so I ordered the meter. What “sold” me was the promise of its improved accuracy over other meters and the price of the ketone strips. I got a special $.99/strip for life deal for ordering so early but even at regular price, the test strips are still much cheaper than even what I’m paying through a Canadian pharmacy for the strips for my Abbott Precision Xtra (around $2.20/per strip). In summary… better accuracy? Cheaper strips? And the glucose strips will also give me a read for hemoglobin and hematocrit? Sign me up!

The meter arrived yesterday and, I have to be honest, I am underwhelmed. I’ve been following keto for a while so I’m in that place where my body is actually using the ketones and my numbers tend to run low. My fasting ketones run .3 or .4. The KetoMojo meter just read “Lo” while my Precision gave me the .4 read. This made me read all of the small print that came with my meter and test strips that wasn’t available at the conference. It turns out that the increased accuracy over other meters is really at ketone levels above 2.0 mmol/L. For someone like me who tends to run on the low side, that’s not especially helpful.

I appreciate that the initial kit came with 10 ketone strips but it includes no glucose strips. The hemoglobin and hematocrit readings are part of the glucose reading, not the ketone reading, which means that if you’re actually interested in those numbers you need to be testing your glucose. This fact also gives me concerns about the “sell” on this meter. Part of the accuracy claim the company made was that BECAUSE it takes hemoglobin and hematocrit into consideration, that is what gives the more accurate glucose and ketone reading. However, the machine doesn’t give you the hemoglobin and hematocrit readings with the ketone strips which makes me wonder if that claim is only relevant to the glucose test. I have glucose strips on order and I’m anxious to see how the numbers compare across machines for this one.

At the conference, the founder talked about how the second version of this meter is already in the works. If I had it do do over again, I’d probably wait for the next generation machine… or the one after that. It seems like a great company and the owner seems like a hard-working, legitimate-intentioned guy so I hate the idea of hurting his business in any way by not recommending the first version of this meter. Nonetheless, so far I can say I wouldn’t recommend this meter.

Keto Urinalysis?
#2

Thanks for this review. I received mine, too, but haven’t dove in yet. I was somewhat miffed that the directions told me about calibrating with test solution, but such solution wasn’t included and I can’t find it on the website? I wonder if I’m looking in the wrong spot.

I’m also not thrilled to hear you got a .4 on your other meter and a “LO” on this device. Hm.

(Marla) #3

There was a reference in the instruction booklet to information about the solution being under “Maintenance.” I haven’t looked at that yet, either. My testing took an inordinate period of time this morning because I had to figure out that the button for running the settings program is underneath the battery cover… not intuitive but clearly spelled out in the instructions if I had only looked the first time!

Please post what you think of the meter when you get ramped up. I’d be interested in any aspect of my perspective that needs adjusting. I always struggle with what is “realistic” criticism and what is me having my expectations too high to start with. :-(:roll_eyes:

#4

Ah, I saw that button, which I thought would be a “reset” button, but, in fairness to them, I haven’t read the manual in great depth. With a Novamax Plus and Precision Xtra in my arsenal, the $.99 price point is what sold me on this meter, but it’ll have to be functional and accurate. Otherwise, it’ll not be useful to me.

I do recognize the costs and risks of being early adopters of 1.0 technology, so I’m willing to give large benefits of the doubt on this until I can’t/shouldn’t any longer.

(Jim Russell) #5

I got mine yesterday and have tested my ketones 3 times, but haven’t compared it to my novamax or precision xtra yet.

I have gotten 1.1, 1.1 and 1.3. This correlates pretty well with my ketonix reading of 9.2 ppm, I think.

I’m off for the next few days so I will have some more time to do comparisons.

(Mark Rhodes) #6

Mine is being shipped today. I appreciate everyone’s input as it will save me trouble.

(Jim Russell) #7

Precision 0.3 mmol/l
novamax 0.2 mmol/l
ketomojo 0.6 mmol/l
breathalyzer .11%bac
ketonix 4.4 ppm

Do I have enough ways to measure yet? :slight_smile:

(Marla) #8

This morning’s reading was .6 mmol/L on the Precision Xtra and “Lo” on KetoMojo. I’m noticing that the KetoMojo requires a lot less blood than the Precision Xtra. Just an observation… no idea if this is a good or bad thing as far as how/whether it could impact accuracy.

#9

The fact that @jimbo’s KetoMojo is registering values higher 2x than the Precision Xtra, and @CoachMarla’s is measuring some unknown value lower than the Xtra is disconcerting.

(Marla) #10

Yep. When I looked at @Jimbo’s numbers, I thought the same thing. Maybe I have a bad meter or maybe its a problematic pack of strips. Page 30 of the manual does say that you’ll get “Lo” at readings of .6mmol/L or less. Would have been good to know before I bought it. The detailed documentation wasn’t available at the booth at LowCarb and it also wasn’t available on the company’s Website. I was giving them the benefit of the doubt that this was just because it’s a one-man show. Literally… one guy coordinating everything from manufacturing to marketing… but now I’m getting suspicious about intent! :slight_smile:

#11

I just tested .4 on my Precision. I thought this was somewhat low since I’ve been fasted for almost 48 hours.

I just did two back to back tests on the KetoMojo from two different fingers back to back.

1.3
1.0

Hm.

Edit: see note below. Had not calibrated properly. My fault.

#12

Are you getting a “333” code after you insert a ketone strip?

(Marla) #13

OMG! That is crazy!

(Marla) #14

Nope. Did you insert that weird test device that was with in the box with your test strips first? Yes. More reading. The instructions are with the insert that came with the STRIPS, not the meter.

#15

Yes. Just did that. User error before that.

Just got a .2, which is consistent with my Xtra reading.

Where did you see the statement that anything below .6 would read “Lo?” I couldn’t find that reference.

(Marla) #16

Page 30 of the big instruction manual that came with the monitor has the explanation for the error codes.

#17

Page 30 of my book says “Lo” will read if under .1 mmol/L. What does yours say? Are you sure you’re reading the chart correctly?

(Jim Russell) #18

Oh, that explains things. I had not calibrated either. And I threw the box a way. I guess I’ll go look at the trash and see how disgusting it is before I start pawing through it.

(Michael Wallace Ellwood) #19

What would sell this to me would be the accuracy over the cost of the strips…if it truly were really accurate.

But for me, that would have to be over the whole range, not just the higher levels.

You’d think that for the early orderers, at least, they’d include a complimentary bottle of calibration fluid, especially when accuracy is one of its selling points.

Roll on the home insulin tester …

(Jim Russell) #20

I found the box the strips came in, but not any special test strip. :frowning: I had also ordered more ketone strips and a pack of glucose strips, so hopefully the ketone strips will be from the same batch as the ones I already received and I can calibrate when the strips come in on Friday. I’ll hold off on using any more until then.