What are popular Ketone Meters here in 2025?

(Denise) #1

I searched the site for the info but I didn’t see any threads from nowadays.

I’ve been watching Metabolic Minds videos, and find them beneficial, but I don’t want to get on Amazon and shop blindly for one of these things.

I want to know, after almost 6 years on Keto, if I really have a good ketone level. I know there will be info that says the meters aren’t that accurate, but it would be nice, I think, to have some idea :slightly_smiling_face:

I mean eating under 10 grams of carbs a day is great for my glucose levels, but it doesn’t mean my ketones are at a good level. Any help appreciated, Denise PS @ctviggen, @lfod14, and anyone else that may have an idea what I could purchase :blush:

#2

Probably won’t like my vote, it’d be to not get one at all. Really doesn’t do you any good at your carb intake level. You know your ketones are there because you’re not eating the carbs.

Only benefit I’d see is if you wanted to test the waters as far as how you feel at different ketone levels, like if you wanted to take exogenous ketones and see if you get that feeling like you could figure out cold fusion type of mental clarity, then see what your levels were when you felt like that. Downside there, is you’d always have to force your levels up, which could still be nice, but x-tones aren’t super cheap either (for good ones). When I used to use them more the cheap stuff vs the overpriced stuff was noticeable.

But I do like nootropics and the wired up brain feeling, so if you got that and liked it… there could be something there. Just wouldn’t go broke on strips or start a subscription type thing, at least not at first if you do it.

I found as far as recurring stuff the CGM tells me a lot more that’s useful to me. But that’s me.

(Denise) #3

I’ll tell you why I want one @lfod14 and it’s simply because it will help me have some proof I am building ketones. It’s all good that you say if I’m low carb, I must be in ketosis, but I really like and respect Dr. Georgia Ede, and listened to her on my Metabolic Minds channel.

You see, I’m going through some tougher withdrawals for a psychiatric, drug. I decided to do that 2.8 years ago when I felt so good, the pill had to go, only pill I take. I heard the symptoms can get stronger near the end of a taper, and I just want to know what my numbers are, same as with my T2 Diabetes, a little meter will help me to know :wink: PS I forgot to ask you about your experience with Nootropics @lfod14. I just googled them but personal experience is way more help, denise

(Cathy) #4

Abbott, precision Xtra blood glucose monitoring system. It does both glucose and ketones depending on what strips you use. I have used this product for at least a decade. What I like about it so much is that if the actual unit fails for one reason or another (including battery), they will replace it free of charge. Also, I have found customer service to be exceptionally good. Strips can be bought at Costco for a reasonable price (I only use ketone strips).
Wishing you success in your journey!

(Denise) #5

I’ll look into it Cathy, thank you so much! :slight_smile:

#6

I use a ketogenix breathalizer, but I don’t like the crappy app at all. It seems to be accurate though. There are cheaper options like ketoscan, but tbh, if you just want to see if your ketosis works, probably a one time buy of some blood ketone strips is good enough. Those devices are more affordable and quite accurate as they measure the ketone blood levels instead of acetone in the breath, which is just a byproduct (even if also an accurate indicator).

(Bob M) #7

I’ve used a ton of them. I’ve used the Abbott and Keto Mojo, and I believe these were the two that I tested. Oddly, the Abbott one was half of what Keto Mojo said, and that was consistent. Never figured that out. I have a picture somewhere where I have three meters showing results from the same tests, the readings were 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8.

Currently, I’m using Contour Next One, which is supposedly within 10 percent, so if I have a blood sugar of 100 on the meter, my actual blood sugar is between 90-110. Not great, but one of the most accurate ones on the market.

I’m using Keto Mojo now for ketones.

I treat both blood sugar and ketones as general guidelines. For instance, in the last few weeks, I’ve suddenly have lower blood sugar and higher ketones in the morning. I’m still trying to figure out why. I went from 0.2-0.3 mmol/l ketones and 110 or so blood sugar in the morning to 0.6-0.9 ketones and near or below 100 blood sugar.

When I first got these, I put everything in a spreadsheet and tried to figure out what was happening for things like exercise, different foods, etc. The problem is that the errors in these are too high. Plus/minus 10% blood sugar for instance isn’t great to use to test. I now use them as general guides: how deep into “ketosis” am I? What’s my blood sugar look like in the morning and over a day?

I still take them and it’s interesting to see what happens over time.

(Denise) #8

I think that’s smart with any Home-testing. I know my blood glucose is just general, when I cut my doses of Clonazepam. I’d give up tapering if I worried about getting exact amount of Active Ingredient. Even Pharma can’t be perfect.

So if I do get a ketone-type monitor, I’ll do the same as you, just a general idea.

Thanks Bob, with the prices I saw on some I looked at, for all I’d need, they’re too steep for me anyway, denise:wink:

(Brian Dixon) #9

I use KetoBM meter and strips … works great (uses blood) and was only around $30. For more money, you can get one that measures both glucose and ketones. Mine is just for ketones … it’s all I need. Happy customer.

(Denise) #10

thanks @IdahoTaterHead, love your username :grin: So 30 for meter and strips? It must need lances though right? Oh wait, I’ve got my BG kit, and can just use it’s lances. I’ll look into this one, thank you much. All I need is the ketones one :wink: I’ll go check it out, denise :+1:

I’m related to some tater-heads up around Ponderay :nerd_face:

(Brian Dixon) #11
(Brian Dixon) #12

We’re ‘tween towns’ north of Ponderay, a few miles from the Canadian border … :slight_smile:

(Denise) #13

I read some of the reviews that were just 1 star, I don’t always go by those because there are more positives.

How are your readings coming out, usually just within a pretty tight range, or varying too much?

If it’s the one with the highest 4-5 stars and 3.7 k people, it’s the one I looked at. I’ll think about it for sure Brian, thank you again, denise:wink:

(Brian Dixon) #14

Yes, same meter. I just read most of the 1-point reviews and a lot were user error I think. Mine’s been flawless. I record my readings in Carb Manager and have since I started keto 8 weeks ago and it shows a smooth progression from on up. Depending on before/after meals, first thing in the morning, or mid-day etc, the reading will vary a few tenths… but ketone levels themselves vary due to your hydration level, if you’re digesting food, before/after exercise etc, so this is expected. Since being solidly in ketosis, I now average between about 2.5 and 3.0 and it took 4 weeks to get there and to stay there. For $29, I can’t complain. And for managing the keto diet, this is well beyond what’s actually required.

(Denise) #15

Hi Brian, I don’t hold too much with the negative reviews. I agree that those sounded more like people not-reading the directions. It’s not difficult to return something to Amazon if I think it’s not working, doesn’t fit, etc. :nerd_face: I may try it, but I’m not feeling it’s something I have to have right now.

I’ll consider your suggestion first, before spending more money, if I decide I really want/need one, thanks much, and so glad to hear how well you are doing. I started keto, over 5 years ago and never looked back, thank goodness. My HbA1c’s have stayed in the safe zone for my T2 Diabetes, and that, in my opinion, is worth giving up a few foods that were poisoning me :blush:

(Brian Dixon) #16

Just for the halibut, I tested the KetoBM meter on SEVEN different fingers last night to see what kind of variation I got. 6 of 7 were within a tenth of each other, but one of them read quite a bit higher … now I’m not feeling as confident. Is 6 out of 7 a high enough success rate? For managing the Keto diet, I’d say yes. I did also read an article last night that tested several top-brand (of which KetoBM was not) keto meters and noted that even the best had an errant reading now and then. It must be a challenging thing to get an accurate reading every time. The biggest win is just the selection of any blood-based meter … even the worst were better than breath- or urine-based meters. Of the blood-based meters, the second winning decision you can make is to buy one that is FDA approved (I think it was the FDA) because they have to meet accuracy standards. I don’t think the KetoBM meter is ‘approved’, so I’ll back off on my recommendation for that one. From my research, I’d pick the Keto-Mojo or the Precision Xtra meters, and likely between those, the Keto-Mojo would be my final choice … the Precision Xtra didn’t seem to have as much support from the public (e.g. the final capitalism free market vote!)

#17

Hi Dense. Use Keto Mojo once a week and have a keto breath meter GreenWon blow in it few times a day both not expensive right now. Keeping my GKI at 1+/- used the breath meter for a while and pleased I got the Keto Mojo.

(Susan) #18

@Goldengirl52 The point that @lfod14 was making in the very first response to your post is that if you’re truly below 10 net g of carbs a day, and you’ve been there for > 2 wks to a month, you can be certain that you’re in ketosis without measuring it. If you’re below 20 total g of carbs, same. The keto processed foods like the candy bars (which I love and taste way to good to be true) have multiple ways of saying the carbs they’re adding aren’t carbs.

At the beginning of a keto diet, when you’re not ‘metabolically flexible’ (meaning you can’t yet use ketones as easily as the glucose you’ve been using for decades) you have very high levels of ketones because you’re making them but not yet using very much. About 2 weeks to a month later, when you’re body has now been making the enzymes to process ketones for a while, your blood ketone levels decrease because you’re both making and using them. This doesn’t mean you’re no longer in a high ketone burning mode. It’s actually a sign that you truly are in ketone burning mode. Thus low (but present) ketones after the first month are actually a good sign as long as you’re under 20 total g of carbs. For my healthy, lean husband, he can have as many as 50g of carbs and stay in ketosis. My body, after decades of the SAD and Type II diabetes, requires me to be below 20g of carbs to be sure I’m staying in ketosis. In other words, it’s not worth measuring them after a month on a ketogenic diet because low ketones doesn’t mean anything.

(Hugh Walter Jennings) #19

I took delivery of the keto mojo GK+ today. First test result is .5 mmol

I’ll probably return it though. Can’t get it to pair with my phone. I’ve never had a device that I couldn’t get connected.

Edit: got it paired and second reading when I got up this morning is .6 mmol

(Denise) #20

I’ve never had one that didn’t take several tries before they’d connect. Once I get the connected though, they work fine. It never took a special trick either, not that I found,:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: just time-consuming. I know the frustration though, :grimacing: