Blood Glucose Meter in Canada: Compare CONTOUR® Meters
If you’re looking for the right blood glucose meter for you, comparing features, accuracy, ease of use, and smart technology is essential. A reliable blood glucose monitoring system helps you monitor blood sugar levels, track glucose readings, and support better diabetes control.1,2,3 Learn how to choose the right blood glucose meter.
The CONTOUR®NEXT family, recommended by pharmacists9,‡, offers high accuracy, advanced glucose monitoring technology, and ease of use, making it a trusted choice for Canadians managing Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes. Whether you need a simple blood glucose monitor for everyday testing or a Bluetooth-enabled glucose monitoring system that syncs wirelessly with your smartphone, this guide will help you compare options and choose the right meter for your needs.
Compare CONTOUR® Blood Glucose Meters
 CONTOUR®NEXT GEN |
 CONTOUR®NEXT ONE |
 CONTOUR®NEXT EZ |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended for | Individuals living with Type 2 diabetes who experience dexterity challenges | Individuals living with Type 1 diabetes looking for convenient, on-the-go testing | Individuals living with diabetes looking for a simple, non-connected meter |
| Ready to test, straight out of the box | Yes | No | Yes |
| Screen | Large screen, big numbers | Compact design | Large screen, big numbers |
| Accuracy | ±5.3%, exceeding the ISO 15197:2013 standard*,†,4,5 | ±8.4%, exceeding the ISO 15197:2013 standard*,~,5,6 | ±10%, exceeding the ISO 15197:2013 standard*,5,7 |
| Coloured Blood Glucose Range Indicator | smartLIGHT | smartLIGHT | No |
| Re-apply blood to test strip | Yes, up to 60 seconds | Yes, up to 60 seconds | Yes, up to 20 seconds |
| Compatibility with CONTOUR®DIABETES app | Via Bluetooth® | Via Bluetooth® | No |
| Compatibility with GlucoContro.online# | Via CONTOUR®DIABETES app | Via CONTOUR®DIABETES app | Via a cable |
| Size and Weight | 78.5 mm (L) x 56 mm (W) x 18 mm (H) 53g | 97 mm (L) x 28 mm (W) x 14.9 mm (H) 36g | 77 mm (L) x 57 mm (W) x 19 mm (H) 47.5g |
| Test strip brand | CONTOUR®NEXT | CONTOUR®NEXT | CONTOUR®NEXT |
| Countdown time | 5 seconds | 5 seconds | 5 seconds |
| No coding | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sample blood volume | 0.6 μl | 0.6 μl | 0.6 μl |
| Actions | Learn More | Learn More | Learn More |
Compare CONTOUR® Blood Glucose Meters
| Recommended for | Ready to test, straight out of the box | Screen | Accuracy | Coloured Blood Glucose Range Indicator | Re-apply blood to test strip | Compatibility with CONTOUR®DIABETES app | Compatibility with GlucoContro.online# | Size and Weight | Test strip brand | Countdown time | No coding | Sample blood volume | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CONTOUR®NEXT GEN |
Individuals living with Type 2 diabetes who experience dexterity challenges | Yes | Large screen, big numbers | ±5.3%, exceeding the ISO 15197:2013 standard*,†,4,5 | smartLIGHT | Yes, up to 60 seconds | Via Bluetooth® | Via CONTOUR®DIABETES app | 78.5 mm (L) x 56 mm (W) x 18 mm (H) 53g | CONTOUR®NEXT | 5 seconds | Yes | 0.6 μl | Learn More |
| CONTOUR®NEXT ONE |
Individuals living with Type 1 diabetes looking for convenient, on-the-go testing | No | Compact design | ±8.4%, exceeding the ISO 15197:2013 standard*,~,5,6 | smartLIGHT | Yes, up to 60 seconds | Via Bluetooth® | Via CONTOUR®DIABETES app | 97 mm (L) x 28 mm (W) x 14.9 mm (H) 36g | CONTOUR®NEXT | 5 seconds | Yes | 0.6 μl | Learn More |
| CONTOUR®NEXT EZ |
Individuals living with diabetes looking for a simple, non-connected meter | Yes | Large screen, big numbers | ±10%, exceeding the ISO 15197:2013 standard*,5,7 | No | Yes, up to 20 seconds | No | Via a cable | 77 mm (L) x 57 mm (W) x 19 mm (H) 47.5g | CONTOUR®NEXT | 5 seconds | Yes | 0.6 μl | Learn More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Both meters offer very similar features designed to support accurate blood glucose testing, with the main distinction relating to their form. CONTOUR®NEXT ONE is compact and portable, making it ideal for convenient use on the go, while CONTOUR®NEXT GEN provides improved handling with ease of use.
Accuracy is one of the most important factors when choosing a blood glucose meter in Canada. Inaccurate blood glucose readings may impact daily insulin dosing and long-term diabetes management decisions.
The ISO 15197:2013 standard, recognized by Health Canada, allows a ±15% margin of error for blood glucose monitoring systems. The CONTOUR®NEXT family exceeds*,†,4,5,6,7 this requirement, delivering high accuracy across its meter range.
Choosing a highly accurate blood glucose meter helps provide confidence in your readings and supports better treatment decisions in consultation with your healthcare professional.
The ISO 15197:2013 standard, recognized by Health Canada, allows a ±15% margin of error for blood glucose monitoring systems. The CONTOUR®NEXT family exceeds*,†,4,5,6,7 this requirement, delivering high accuracy across its meter range.
Choosing a highly accurate blood glucose meter helps provide confidence in your readings and supports better treatment decisions in consultation with your healthcare professional.
CONTOUR®NEXT EZ is a simple and reliable meter for everyday blood glucose testing. CONTOUR®NEXT GEN includes advanced features such as smartLIGHT and Second-Chance® Sampling to help making diabetes management easier and more efficient.8
The appropriate meter is the one that fits your individual needs.
The CONTOUR®NEXT family is known for high accuracy and ease of use, which is why CONTOUR® has been the #1 Pharmacist Recommended Blood Glucose Meter Brand in Canada for 12 consecutive years.9,‡
Always consult your healthcare professional when choosing a meter that best supports your diabetes management.
The CONTOUR®NEXT family is known for high accuracy and ease of use, which is why CONTOUR® has been the #1 Pharmacist Recommended Blood Glucose Meter Brand in Canada for 12 consecutive years.9,‡
Always consult your healthcare professional when choosing a meter that best supports your diabetes management.
Yes. CONTOUR®NEXT GEN is the most accurate meter in the CONTOUR®NEXT family, with an error margin of only ±5.3%*,†,4,5, significantly exceeding the ISO 15197:2013 standard recognized by Health Canada, which allows a ±15% range.
Yes. The CONTOUR®NEXT family complies with – and exceeds*,†,4,5,6,7 – the ISO 15197:2013 standard recognized by Health Canada. This international standard specifies requirements for self-monitoring blood glucose systems used by people living with diabetes.
The suitable meter is the one that meets your individual needs. Choosing a glucometer that is accurate, easy to use, and equipped with smart features to support your daily management can be highly beneficial. Always consult your healthcare professional when choosing a meter that best supports your diabetes management.
The right meter for seniors is one that combines accuracy with ease of use. Features such as a large, clear display, simple navigation, and minimal setup can make daily testing more comfortable. Always consult your healthcare professional when choosing a meter that best supports your diabetes management.
There are two main ways to obtain a blood glucose meter in Canada:
- If you have a prescription from your healthcare provider, you can get a meter through a pharmacy. In this case, the cost may be partially or fully covered by your private insurance or provincial programs, depending on eligibility. Prescription-based orders often include direct insurance billing and may come with additional supplies like test strips and lancets.
- If you do not have a prescription, you can still purchase a blood glucose meter directly from a pharmacy or online retailers. CONTOUR® may help by providing a free meter with the purchase of CONTOUR®NEXT test strips. Click here to discover our free meter offer.
Yes. For both CONTOUR®NEXT GEN and CONTOUR®NEXT ONE meters, the alternative testing site is the palm.
References:
* Minimum accuracy requirements of ISO15197: 2013 Section 6.3 standard require ≥95% of the measured values to fall within ±0.83 mmol/L at glucose concentrations <5.5 mmol/L or within ±15% ≥5.5 mmol/L of the referenced method.
† An ad hoc analysis demonstrated that 95% of the results were within the error range ±0.3 mmol/L or ±5.3% of the laboratory reference values for glucose concentrations <5.5 mmol/L or ≥5.5 mmol/L, respectively.
~ An ad hoc analysis of the CONTOUR®NEXT ONE system demonstrated that 95% of the total results were within ±8.4 mg/dL(±0.47 mmol/L) or ±8.4% of the YSI reference glucose values (YSI Life Sciences, Inc., Yellow Springs, OH) for subject-obtained capillary fingertip results from subjects with diabetes.
‡ The survey relates to the brand, not specific blood glucose meter models.
# SdNCenter is the legal manufacturer and developer of GlucoContro.online and is partnering with Ascensia to market and deliver the tool to HCP and Patient users.
- Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines Expert Committee; Berard LD, Siemens R, Woo V. Monitoring glycemic control. Can J Diabetes. 2018;42 Suppl 1:S47-S53. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2017.10.007. PMID: 29650111.
- Diabetes Canada. Managing your blood sugar. Diabetes Canada website. Available from https://www.diabetes.ca/resources/tools---resources/managing-your-blood-sugar. Published 2025. Accessed January 9, 2025.
- Diabetes Care Community. Home blood glucose meters: which one do I choose? Diabetes Care Community website. Available from https://www.diabetescarecommunity.ca/living-well-with-diabetes-articles/monitoring/monitoring-blood-glucose/home-blood-glucose-meters-which-one-do-i-choose/. Published 2025. Accessed January 9, 2025.
- Pleus S et al (2022) User Performance Evaluation and System Accuracy Assessment of Four Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems With Color Coding of Measurement Results. J Diab Sci and Technol;1-9.
- International Organization for Standardization. In vitro diagnostic test systems – requirements for blood-glucose monitoring systems for self-testing in managing diabetes mellitus (ISO 15197). International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, 2013.
- Christiansen M et al. J Diabetes Sci Technol 2017; 11(3):567-573 (Pg. 4, col 2, para 1, ln 9-15)
- CONTOUR®NEXT EZ Blood Glucose Monitoring System User Guide, Rev. 08/16.
- Al Hayek A, Alwin Robert A, Al Dawish M. Patient satisfaction and clinical efficacy of novel blood glucose meters featuring color range indicators in patients with type 2 diabetes: a prospective study. Cureus. 2020;12(10):e11195. doi: 10.7759/cureus.11195. PMID: 33269126; PMCID: PMC7704060.
- Pharmacy Practice + Business and Profession Santé 2025 Survey on OTC Counselling and Recommendations (re: pharmacists).