[admin]

Have you ever tried any of the meters that include test strips inside them like the Ascensia Breeze or Accu-Chek Compact Plus? What are the pros and cons of these meters?

[kmitchell]

I've been using a Compact Plus for about 5 months.

Pros:

- All-In-One is convenient
- SoftClix Plus lancing device is very nice (and detachable)
- Not having to load each strip is nice
- Strips come in multiple of 17 so many times I get move than what is prescribed since I only need 90/month but they come in boxes of 51 or 102.

Cons:

- A bit bulky to carry around
- You need to draw blood before turning the meter on since that's what dispenses the strip. If you have trouble drawing blood and the meter auto shuts off you waste a strip when you turn it back on since it dispenses another strip.
- Strip test area is not as easy to "hit" as some other meters I've tried, particularly if I'm "low" and my vision is a little blurry. Usually not a problem since if I feel low I don't bother to test until after I recover.

If I think of other things I'll add them.

Ken

[peltier416]

I have the Accu-Chek Compact Plus and I like it. The barrels are easy to load and the fine lancets work best for me on setting 2. It is a bit large, but the screen is easy to see. It comes with a log book, carrying case and other stuff.
My insurance covers the test strips for this meter, which is another reason I have it. It requires a tiny sample of blood, and gives a fast read out.

However, I am unable to sync it with my Mac. The software (which you have to pay for) doesn't support Mac, only Windows.

Overall, a good meter.