This content provides a comprehensive, real-world review of various Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) systems, aiming to help individuals with diabetes choose the best device for their specific needs, as there is no single "best" option for everyone.
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What is the best CGM on the market right
now? I wanted the real answer. So, I
tested every glucose sensor I could get
my hands on, the Dexcoms, the freestyle
libres, and a bunch of others you've
probably never heard of. And the truth
is, there isn't one best CGM for
everyone. But in this video, I'll break
down the real life pros and cons of each
system so you can figure out which one's
actually right for you. And of course,
I'll tell you which one I'm sticking
with. Let's get into it. Starting with
the number one mostused CGM in the
world, the Libre 3 Plus by Abbott. What
I love about this sensor is how discrete
it is. It has the size of two stacked
pennies and it only weighs about 1 g,
making it the smallest and lightest
sensor in the world. The Libra 3 Plus is
an all-in-one disposable CGM, and I
found the application quite easy and
very straightforward. You just place the
applicator over the side and push down
firmly to apply the sensor. Another
thing I liked about the Libre 3 Plus was
the adhesive, which is really small,
too, and it didn't irritate my skin at
all. The sensor itself can be used for
up to 15 days, and it doesn't require an
over patch, which is definitely a plus.
After you apply it, you need to scan it
to connect it with your phone or a
reader, and it takes 60 minutes for the
sensor to warm up. Now, another pro of
most sensors made by Abbot is that the
glucose readings update minute by
minute. With most other CGMs, the
readings only update every 5 minutes. So
technically Abbott's sensors are a bit
more realtime than the competition. When
I was using Libé 3 Plus, I compared many
of the sensor readings to the readings
from my blood glucose meter, and most of
the time they were fairly accurate. On a
few occasions, the sensor was showing
slightly lower numbers, but it was
nothing dramatic. I had say that the
Libra 3 Plus was very reliable overall.
One thing I really like about this
sensor is that you get a choice when it
comes to viewing your data. You can use
the phone app or a dedicated receiver,
which is great, especially if you're
someone who doesn't like to be on the
phone all the time. Just keep in mind
that you have to make the choice up
front because each sensor can only be
paired with one device. You can't use
the sensor with the receiver and the
phone at the same time. Here is an
overview of the key tech specs of the
Libre 3 Plus. Feel free to pause the
video here and dig into the details.
Now, one area where Freestyle Libra used
to fall behind was the software and the
integration with insulin pumps. But I'm
happy to report that things have
improved quite a bit. IBOT has launched
a new Libre app which includes the
widely requested feature to silence all
alarms for up to six hours and even
track your meals and nutrition
information recorded manually or using
an AI based camera. Another major
upgrade is a new Libre watch app,
including a watch face showing your
glucose number and trend, which is
great. Now, having used Libé 3 Plus for
a few months, I would say that this
sensor is best for those of you who want
a reliable, best-in-class CGM that's
genuinely easy to use. It doesn't have
some of the bells and whistles of some
other softwares I'll cover next, but
it's an excellent all-around option, and
it sets the bar quite high for the
competition. By the way, I have a full
review of Libé 3 Plus on my channel, so
feel free to check it out after this.
Oh, and Libé 3 Plus also integrates with
insulin pumps. More about that in a
minute. But first, let's take a quick
look on another CGM on my list, which is
the Libre 2 Plus. This sensor has
basically the same glucose sensing
technology and the same software as Libé
3 Plus, but the hardware is different.
Libé 2 Plus has a size of two stacked
quarters and it weighs about 5 g, so
it's noticeably bigger and heavier than
Libre 3 Plus, but it's still pretty
sleek and low profile, and it never
really got in the way of my day-to-day
activities. Now, the fact that Libé 2
Plus still uses this older Libé form
factor means that you have to do a
couple more steps during the
application, but it's really just a
matter of lining up the two individual
parts of the package and loading the
applicator with the sensor before you
place it on your arm and apply it. The
rest of the application goes just as
Libre 3 Plus, so not a big deal. The
next thing I wanted to show you are the
key tech specs of Libé 2 Plus system. I
highlighted all the differences, but as
you can see, Libé 2 is a bit bigger and
heavier sensor. So the question is why
would someone want to use the Libre 2
Plus over the Libre 3+? I think there
are two reasons. The first one is pump
integration because certain insulin
pumps like the Teslax 2 or IPSO pump
already integrate with Libre 3+ but
Omniot 5 only integrates with Libre 2
Plus at the time of recording this
video. I'll put the list of compatible
insulin pumps on the screen, but this
will get better as the insulin pump
companies work through the Libre 3 Plus
integration. One thing to keep in mind
is that when you use Libre sensors to
power an automated insulin delivery
system, you will have to use a pump
specific app and you won't be able to
view your data in the new Libre apps on
the watch or on the reader, which is
quite a bit limitation. Now, the second
reason why someone might want to choose
Libre 2 or Libre 2 Plus over Libé 3 Plus
is your insurance coverage or your
location because Libé 3 Plus is simply
not yet available in all countries
worldwide. But now, let's move on to the
number two most popular sensor in the
world, the Dexcom G7. This sensor has a
size of a quarter, and although it's
notably bigger and thicker than the
Libra 3 Plus, the design is still very
sleek. What I really like about the G7
is that it comes in this grayish color,
which blends really well with my skin,
making the sensor a bit more discreet
and harder to spot for strangers. The G7
is also an all-in-one disposable CGM.
And this little button on the applicator
makes the insertion super easy and even
more userfriendly than Libre 3 Plus. You
firmly press the applicator against the
side and push the button to insert the
sensor. Now, although the G7 adhesive is
really strong and it didn't irritate my
skin, if you go by the book, the sensor
should be used with an over patch, but I
don't love the one that comes in the
package. It looks a bit too medical for
me. What I do instead is I either wear
the sensor without it or use one of
these good-looking third party patches
from Skin Grip for any kind of wet
activities. Now, the G7 was a 10day
sensor at lounge, but just recently,
Dexcom launched a new version that lasts
up to 15 and 1/2 days, making the G7 the
longest lasting patient applied CGM on
the market. By the way, both G7 versions
have an additional 12-hour grace period,
which is pretty amazing because it gives
you extra time to be a bit more flexible
during the site change and pre-oak all
your sensors if that's your thing. To
connect the sensor with your receiving
device, you need to enter the fourdigit
code or scan the QR code on the
applicator. What's really cool about the
G7 is that the warm-up period starts
automatically as soon as you release the
sensor from the applicator. So if you
apply a new sensor at least 30 minutes
before the old sensor expire, you get an
uninterrupted flow of readings even
during the side change which is pretty
amazing. Now here's an overview of the
key tech specs where I highlighted the
differences between the two G7 version.
Feel free to pause the video here and
dig into the details. But the two things
I love the most about the G7 is the
connectivity and the software. You can
view your readings on your smartwatch,
your phone, and your reader or your
insulin pump. These three Bluetooth
connections are direct and completely
independent. So, you can use them either
separately or all at the same time. No
other CGM can do that. Another thing I
love about the G7 is the phone app. It's
very clean. It allows me to zoom in and
out on my graph, and it's very well done
overall. A few app options that really
stand out are two different alert
profiles, the option to silence all
alerts for up to 6 hours, and even delay
your first high alert, so you don't get
bothered by the app after eating a carby
meal. The app also has an AI supported
smart logging function which helps you
track glucose response to everything
that you're eating, which is pretty
cool. Now, real talk, the G7 has been
criticized for several things.
Connectivity issues, problems with
adhesive or geo fencing. All these early
stage issues have been fixed by Dexcom,
but the latest criticism from the
community comes around accuracy and
early sensor failures. Now, I don't take
this lightly, but when I was testing it,
the sensor readings are typically within
a reasonable difference from my
glucometer, and I was totally happy with
the accuracy. The only time I saw
inaccurate readings was within the first
6 to 12 hours of each sensor. Luckily, I
was able to solve these by pre-oaking
all my sensors. Now, one feature of all
Dexcom sensors that I think is often
underestimated is that you can calibrate
them to your actual blood glucose
readings. I actually do this from time
to time, and if you know what you're
doing, it's a great way to solve most
accuracy issues. Now, the G7 integrates
with a bunch of insulin pumps. But
before we talk about that, let me tell
you who I think this sensor is actually
for. Based on my experience, I would
recommend the G7 to those who want a
reliable best-in-class CGM along with
advanced app features, a calibration
option, and really broad third party
integration. But now, let's take a quick
look at another CGM from Dexcom, the
good old Dexcom G6, because I think it
still has a lot to offer. This sensor
definitely feels bigger and bulkier.
It's not uncomfortable, but you're much
more aware that it's there. The G6 uses
Dexcom order more medical looking
two-piece design. You insert a
disposable 10day sensor first and then
snap the transmitter into the slot.
Transmitter is reusable and lasts for
about 3 months. Now, despite the roll
out of the G7, the G6 is still widely
used, and I think it's because it's
proven to be very reliable. This sensor
has been super accurate for me, and
although the algorithm isn't the most
real time out there, it's extremely
predictable, and that's a huge deal for
me. That said, the G6 definitely has its
quirks. It has a long 2-hour warm-up
period, which leaves you completely in
the dark when it comes to glucose
readings. The software feels a bit
outdated compared to the newest apps on
the market. And when I lie on this
bigger sensor in my sleep, I sometimes
get these fake low readings due to
compression. Now, here's an overview of
the G6 system compared to the G7. As you
can see, the G6 doesn't look that great,
especially on the paper. So, the
question is, why would someone want to
choose the G6 over the G7? And again, I
think there are two reasons. Number one
is that the readings from the G6 tend to
be very stable and predictable. This
plays really well with an insulin pump.
And for many people, myself included,
predictability is a non-negotiable in an
automated insulin delivery or aid setup.
By the way, here is a full list of
compatible insulin pumps for both Dexcom
G6 and G7. They both integrate with key
players. But what's super important for
me is that all Dexcom sensors also work
well in a DIY setup with the loop or
Android APS. Now, the second reason why
someone might want to choose the G6
sensor over the G7 is that there is a
way to restart a used sensor and use it
repeatedly. Of course, that's completely
off label and not something I'd
recommend, but it does work in
emergencies or when you're in a really
tight spot financially. Now, I
personally love the G6 and I used it as
my daily driver for the longest time,
but this might be changing. See, Dexcom
just recently announced that they are
discontinuing the G6 manufacturing
halfway through 2026. So, I was kind of
forced to pick my new daily driver, and
I will share which one it is a bit later
in this video. But now, moving on to the
next CGM on my list, the Dexcom OnePlus.
This sensor is basically a cheaper
version of the Dexcom G7. It uses the
exact same hardware and sensing
technology, but it has less features.
The OnePlus lasts 10 days. It has a
30inut warm-up and the 12-hour grace
period. But unlike the G7, it doesn't
allow you to silence your alerts or use
an advanced alert schedule. And here is
a detailed overview of all key
differences of these two sensors. Now,
one more limitation of the OnePlus is
that it doesn't support any commercial
aid systems, but DYI solutions like Loop
or AAPS are supported, which is actually
pretty amazing. So, who is the Dexcom on
OnePlus actually for? Well, I would say
that this sensor is best for those of
you who are looking for an easy to use,
inexpensive CGM that's available on
prescription. By the way, the OnePlus is
widely used in countries like the UK or
Australia, but it's not available in the
US. But if you are in the US, don't
worry because both Texcom and Abbot have
a cheaper over-the-counter option
available for you. And we'll talk about
these two in this video. Now, before we
move to the next CGM on my list, there
is one important thing I forgot to
mention about Libé and Dexcom sensors.
See, both companies managed to improve
their sensor adhesive a lot over the
years, but there are so many real life
situations where no matter how good the
adhesive is, your sensor can get knocked
off and it's gone. And that's why it's
always a good idea to use an extra over
patch, especially on hot or wet days
when you're moving around a lot. The
patches I like to use the most are from
Skin Grip. I've been recommending them
for years, and I'm super excited that
they decided to sponsor this video. If
you want to try them, there's a 10%
discount link with the code type 1
talks. link is down below. But now,
let's move on to the next big player in
the diabetes space, Metronic. They've
recently brought three brand new sensors
to the market, and we will start with
Simpla. Right from the get-go, we can
see that this is a modern looking
all-in-one sensor. It has rounded edges
and a slightly slope surface, which I
found super practical because it's less
likely to snag on things compared to
some other CGMs I've used. The size is
comparable to the older Libre sensors
and a bit bigger than Dexcom G7 or Libre
3+. The application is fairly standard.
You remove the cap from the applicator,
place the applicator flat against the
side, press it firmly against the body
until you hear a click and slowly remove
it. To pair the sensor with your phone,
you just need to enter a six-digit code
in the Simpler app. The sensor has a
2-hour warm-up period, which feels a bit
too long. But similar to Dexcom G7, the
warm-up starts automatically. So, you
can completely avoid the 2-hour gap in
your graph during the side change. By
the way, the Simpler adhesive is really
good. It didn't irritate my skin, and
there were no signs of peeling off even
after the full 7 days of use. And yes,
you did hear me right. The Simpla
sensors only last 7 days, so you will
need a lot of them. But actually, this
short wear time has some benefits, too.
I'll get to them in a second. Here is a
quick overview of the key tech specs of
Simpla sensors for your convenience.
Now, what I love about Simpler is that
you can calibrate the sensor with your
actual blood glucose readings. That
option is a bit hidden in the app, but
it's there. And just so you know, there
actually are two different versions of
Simpler sensor. There is Simpler
designed for people on multiple daily
injections. This sensor works as a part
of a smart MDI system along with
Metronic Smart Instrument Pen and the
Inan app. By the way, I've tested this
setup for 30 days and I really liked it.
I have a full video about it on my
channel. But then there is also Simpler
Sync which is designed to integrate with
Metronic's flagship insulin pump, the
780G. Now to make things even better,
Metronic launched another brand new CGM
which is much smaller, lasts much
longer, and warms up much faster than
Simpa. This sensor is called Instinct.
And what I love about it is how tiny it
is. It has the size of two stacked
pennies. It only weighs about 1 g. And
it kind of looks like the Libra 3. Wait,
it actually says made by Abbott.
Instinct actually uses exact Libre 3
hardware. It just comes in the Metronic
branded box. This sensor has a 60-minute
warm-up, provides minute-by-minute
readings, and lasts for up to 15 days,
just like Libé 3 Plus. And the Instinct
integrates with the algorithm in the
780G. So, it's great for insulin pump
users. But if you're on insulin pens,
then you should know that FDA just
recently cleared the Minimat Go smart
MDI system which integrates with this
sensor with the inpan. By the way, I've
not used the instinct sensor myself just
yet. But I'm told that the pump users
will control this sensor from the
existing Miniat mobile app and the smart
MDI users from an updated inpen app,
which makes a lot of sense. And here's
an overview of the key differences
between Simpla and Instinct. It seems
that the Instinct sensors made by Abbot
are better. So the question is why would
someone want to use Simpler instead? And
again there are a few reasons. The first
one is calibration. Instinct doesn't
allow it but Simpler does and for me
that's an important difference. Another
reason might be skin tolerance because
some people just don't get along well
with Abbott's adhesive and so they might
want to choose Simpler instead. You
might also choose Simpler because of
your insurance coverage, a 7-day wear
cycle that matches Metronics infusion
sets, or because it's using the same
sensing technology as the older Guardian
4, which some people really liked.
Speaking of Guardian 4, I decided to
leave it out of this review because this
sensor just takes a lot more efforts to
apply and it feels a bit outdated to me.
So, I wouldn't really recommend it
unless it's the only option that you
have available. Now, who would I
recommend Metronic sensors to? Well, I
think these sensors make most sense if
you use them with the inpan or Metronics
in pump, the 780G. If you're on a
different insulin dozing setup, then you
might find better CGM options elsewhere.
But now, let's talk about the smallest
CGM sensor ever made, the Eversense 365.
This bad boy is only 18 mm long and only
3 12 mm in diameter, which is about the
size of a small pill. What's really
unique about this sensor is that it
lasts for 365 days. That's a full year
of no side changes and no plastic waste.
To get started with Eversense, I had a
short inoff appointment where my doctor
placed the sensor under my skin on my
arm. The procedure itself was very
smooth. It didn't hurt at all and I
captured everything on camera. Now, the
second part of the Eversense system is
this detachable transmitter which sits
on my arm just above the implanted
sensor and sends the glucose information
to a phone app. transmitter is about the
size of Dexcom G6, so noticeably bigger
than the G7 or Libre 3, but it can also
do a lot more than its competitors.
Remember me complaining about knocking
my sensor off just a minute ago? Well,
this was not an issue when I was using
Eversense because you can take the
transmitter off and put it back on
whenever you want. And this really comes
in handy when you want to go for a
massage or when you want to keep your
diabetes out of sight for some time. You
can attach the transmitter with these
double-sided silicon patches. They come
in a transparent or white color. And
what's really cool about them is that
they are very sensitive to my skin. I
also get to use a new patch every day,
so there's no filthy adhesive residue
and absolutely no skin irritation. Now,
another pro of this transmitter is that
it vibrates. So, when your blood sugar
is trending too low or too high, you get
private onbody alerts, even if your
phone is not around.
Did you hear that?
>> The onbody alerts are much more likely
to wake me up in the middle of the night
while not waking up anyone else. Here is
an overview of the key specs of the
Eversense system. So, if you want to dig
deeper, feel free to pause the video
here and check out all the details. But
one more thing I want to highlight is
accuracy. When I was using Eversense, I
regularly compared the glucose readings
from the sensor to my glucometer. And I
was impressed with the results. I got no
compression loads, no false alarms. In
fact, I would go as far as to say that
this has been the most reliable CGM I've
ever used. Seriously. But the level of
accuracy and reliability comes with a
toe. The Everense 365 requires a weekly
calibration and the older 180day version
currently available in Europe needs to
be calibrated daily. From my experience,
a weekly calibration is not a big deal,
but doing it daily was a bit too much
for me. The only other drawback of the
Everand system is that you need to
charge a transmitter. Most people do it
daily while taking a shower, but with
the 365 version, you can also do it
while the transmitter is sitting on your
arm and you're working on a laptop or
something like that. Now, what makes me
very happy is that Eversense just
recently announced their first intent
pump integration. The sensor now works
with the twist aid system from SQL met
tech and I really hope more pump
companies will join the team in the near
future. So, who is the Eversense sensor
actually for? Well, I would recommend it
to anyone who is not happy with the
traditional CGM. If you struggle with
issues like skin irritation, inaccurate
sensor readings, sensors coming off too
early, compression alerts, or alerts not
waking you up at night, then I think you
should definitely give Evernense a shot.
And if you're feeling nervous about the
insertion, check out my full review
where I show the entire procedure and
talk honestly about how it felt and
whether it was all worth it in the end.
But now moving on to the next sensor on
my list, the Stello. This one is
actually made by Dexcom. And although
the packaging looks different, the
hardware is almost identical with the
G7. The applicator looks very similar,
just a bit darker. And the same goes for
the sensor itself. It has a sleek form
factor in a darker shade of gray with
the Stell logo on it. Just like the G7,
it does come with an over patch, but as
mentioned before, I prefer the skin grip
patches to the branded Texcom ones. The
Stella has a 30inut warm-up period which
starts automatically as soon as you
press the button on the applicator and
put the sensor on. It lasts for up to 15
days. actually 15 and 1/2 days if you
take the advantage of an extra 12-h hour
grace period. But what I really love
about the Stella is a feature called
spike detection. This feature identifies
spikes in your blood sugar and gives you
an option to track what happened before
each of the spikes started. You can then
go back and review those spike triggers
to see which foods or activities work
for you and which ones don't. Now,
what's interesting about Stella is that
the glucose readings update only every
15 minutes in the app, not every 5
minutes like most other CGMs. Of course,
that's not ideal for everyone, but if
alerts or constantly changing numbers
stress you out, this slower pace might
actually feel surprisingly calming. By
the way, here's an overview of the key
specs of the Stella bio sensor for your
convenience. Now, to assess the
accuracy, I've done my usual checks and
compared the Stella readings to my blood
glucose meter. They were never too far
off and from my experience, Stella is
just as accurate as Dexcom G7, just a
little bit less real time, which is
exactly what you would expect with less
frequent updates. Now, one thing worth
pointing out is that Stello is actually
not a CGM. It's a bio sensor. This means
that although it is FDA approved, you
don't need a prescription. You can
simply buy it online. It is designed to
be more affordable than traditional CGM.
It costs about $100 for a monthly supply
or even less when you go for a
subscription. By the way, the Stella app
is also a bit easier to navigate
compared to some other CGM apps. It has
a section where you can learn about how
nutrition or exercise impacts your
glucose. And this sensor also integrates
with aura ring which can further help
you connect your glucose data with
things like sleep or stress which is
pretty amazing. But Stella has a few
limitations compared to a traditional
CGM. It only reads glucose within the
range of 70 and 250 migs per diliter. It
doesn't have a low and high blood
glucose alerts and it doesn't support
other more complex features. This makes
a lot of sense because although pretty
much anyone in the US can buy it online,
Stella is primarily for people with
diabetes who are not on insulin or
pretty much anyone who is looking to
avoid those annoying blood sugar spikes.
But next, we have another bio sensor,
the Lingo from Abbott. Its packaging
looks different from the Libre sensors,
but Lingo has the exact same hardware
like Libé 2 Plus. It is available
without prescription. So, we should
really be comparing it to the Stello
from Dexcom because they're basically
direct competitors. When we do that,
we'll see that Lingo is slightly bigger
and a little bit more medical looking
sensor. And it's also a little bit more
tricky to apply since it's not an
all-in-one sensor, but it's really just
a matter of lining up two individual
parts of the package and loading the
applicator with the sensor before you
place it on your arm and apply. After
you apply the Lingo, you need to scan
the sensor to connect it with your
phone. Lingo has a 60-minute warm-up,
which is twice as long as Stella, and
the sensor last up to 14 days, so one
and a half day less than Stella. To test
the accuracy, I compared a huge number
of Libre readings to my glucometer, and
I was quite happy with the results. The
bio sensor was very accurate, and most
of the time it was extremely close, if
not exactly on point. But what might be
even more important when going for this
over-the-counter option is the price.
Lingo sells for $49 for a single sensor.
It cost about $100 for a monthly supply
or even less when you go for a
subscription. Very similar price point
compared to Stell. Now, what's really
great about Lingo is the phone app,
which is very clean and modern looking.
The glucose numbers update every 60
seconds, which makes the system very
real time. But what really stands out
about the Lingo app is that it tries to
simplify things. Instead of just
throwing glucose numbers at you all the
time, it turns them into daily score
called lingos with clear visual cues
when your blood sugar spikes. There's
also a bit of gamification built in. You
get a daily target and the goal is to
stay under it. Now, this is definitely
not for everyone, but I can imagine that
it can help many people to a more stable
glucose. By the way, the Lingo app also
has a glucose insight section. It gives
you simple tips throughout the day. It
even has educational videos and recipes.
I go a lot deeper into all of this in my
detailed review. But one important thing
I want to highlight is that Lingo only
measures blood sugar in the range
between 55 and 200 mgs per deciliter. It
doesn't have low and higher blood sugar
alerts and it doesn't support other more
complex features. But again, this makes
sense because Lingo is primarily
designed for health consscious
individuals and anyone who is trying to
improve their lifestyle. It's not really
designed for people with diabetes and it
should not be used for any medical
decisions. But the thing is, Abbot
actually has an over-the-counter option
for people with diabetes who are not on
insulin. It's called Libé Rio, and it
was approved by the regulator in 2024.
So, let's hope they will launch soon.
Now, you might have noticed that so far
we only talk about CGMs from US
companies, but there are a few systems
made outside of the US that I think are
pretty awesome and definitely worth the
look. The first one is the brand new GS3
made by Cionics. What I love about this
one is how sleek it is. It only weighs
about 1 and a2 g and it's actually the
thinnest sensor in the world. The size
is similar to Libre 3, but the GS3 has
an oval shape which makes it a bit
harder to knock off than Libre. It's an
all-in-one disposable CGM so you just
remove the cap, place the applicator
over the side and push the button on top
of the applicator to apply the sensor.
The GS3 lasts for up to 14 days. It
doesn't require an overtape and it has a
60-minute warm-up. The adhesive worked
just fine for me. And what I really
liked was that when I took it off, it
didn't leave as much residue on my arm
as some other sensors, which was kind of
nice. Here is a full overview of the key
specs of the GS3. So, feel free to pause
here and check out the details. But what
I love about the new Cybionics CGM is
the software. The GS3 app is clean,
modern looking, it has all the usual top
features of most other CGM apps, but it
doesn't look medical at all. You can
simply tell that the software was
designed by someone who actually cares
about the user experience. One really
unique feature I like is that you can
overlay the graph of the three last days
on the main screen. I found myself using
this a lot. It actually helped me quite
a bit and kind of triggered me to update
some of my insulin to carp ratios and
corrections factors. What's also cool is
that the app is using AI to give you
real time tips to help you improve your
time in range and overall control. Now,
the company is also working on Apple
Watch integration and AI food logging,
which should come later this year,
making the app even better. When I was
testing this sensor, I was very happy
with the accuracy. The sensor readings
were very close to my glucometer, if not
exactly on point. So, after a few weeks
of testing, I'm happy to report that the
GS3 is a noticeable improvement from the
older GS1. And Cybionics is ready to
compete with the big dogs. Now, a
potential drawback of the GS3 is that it
doesn't integrate with any insulin pumps
or smart pants yet. So, you might be
asking, who is the GS3 actually for?
Well, I'd recommend it to anyone who is
not happy with their current CGM and who
really values strong in-app experience
because that's where this system really
stands out. In many countries, the GS3
is not covered by insurance yet. But,
I've been told by the insider that this
might actually change sooner than we
think. Now, if you're paying out of
pocket, it's definitely worth comparing
the price of the GS3 to the CGM that you
are using right now to see what makes
more sense. But one thing worth noting
is that this sensor doesn't have FDA
clearance and it's not available in the
US yet. Next up, I have another solid
Asian CGM option, the Care Sense Air.
This sensor is made in South Korea by
Isense, which is a company well
established in the BGM space. And the
first thing you notice about this sensor
is that it's gray and it's not a tiny
round coin like Libé 3 or G7. It has
more of a rectangular or oval shape.
It's about 5 mm thick and it weighs 4
1/2 g, so light and discrete, which I
really like. The application is fairly
straightforward. You pull the applicator
to remove the safety cap. Place it over
your side and press the blue button to
insert the sensor. But what's really
unique is how you pair the Carson sensor
with your app. First, you scan the
barcode on the box and then you press
this small button to pair it. And having
this button is actually pretty smart
because it allows you to pres the sensor
and only use the battery once you turn
it on. The warmup lasts 30 minutes, the
lifespan is 15 days, and the glucose
readings update every 5 minutes in the
app, in line with most best-in-class
CGM. Now, what's cool about the Career
Sense system is that the glucose data
can be displayed either in the phone app
or on a dedicated receiver, which is
great because they give us options. I
haven't bought and used the receiver
myself, so don't quote me on that. But I
believe it's not possible to use the
receiver and the phone app at the same
time. But what I love about these
sensors is that although they are
factory calibrated, you can further
calibrate them in the app, and it's
super easy to do. Now, I didn't have any
issues with accuracy myself, but I'm a
big fan of having the calibration
available just in case I need to
fine-tune the readings. The in-app
experience is fairly standard. It has
all the features you'd expect, but I
haven't discovered anything super
unique. So, who is Care Sense actually
for? Well, I would recommend it to
anyone who is looking for a reliable,
straightforward CGM, best-in-class
lifetime, and a quick warm-up. And
really, anyone who is not happy with
their current CGM option might want to
consider trying Kense. Just keep in mind
that although this sensor has been
launched in a number of countries, it is
not yet available in the US due to
pending FDA clearance. But now, let's
move on to another major player in the
diabetes space, Raj. This Swiss company
just recently launched their new sensor,
the Auche Smart Guide. The real power of
this CGM is that it doesn't just show
you where your blood sugar is right now.
It also tells you where your glucose is
likely to go in the future. I find this
idea pretty amazing because these
predictions give you extra time to act
before low or high blood sugars happen.
I'll tell you how the predictions work
in a minute, but I want to look at the
hardware first. The smart guide is a
modern-looking all-in-one sensor and the
application is fairly standard. Unscrew
the cap, place it over your skin, press
it down until you hear a click, and then
gently pull out. Now, as you can see,
the sensor itself is almost surround
with a little nibble on the side, kind
of like a cookie by design. The smart
guide has a 60-minute warm-up period and
it lasts for up to 14 days. What I don't
love about the hardware is that the
sensor is fairly large. It's smaller
than the EverSense transmitter, but
noticeably bigger than the older Libé
sensors. When I used it, it actually
felt pretty similar to the Dexcom G6
experience. And I definitely had to be a
bit more careful not to knock it off
compared to most other sensors I showed
you. The adhesive worked really well,
though. It didn't peel off too early,
and I didn't see any skin irritation.
Now, here's a quick overview of the key
specs of the ECU Smart Guide. so that
you can compare it to the main
competitors. But let me show you the
predictive features, which is what makes
me most excited about this system. The
first one is a two-hour glucose
prediction, which shows you where your
glucose is likely to go over the next
couple hours. This one is super helpful
before things like a longer car drive,
for example, because it helps you to be
prepared for what might be coming. Next,
there is a 30-minute low prediction,
which pops up as a notification on your
phone whenever you're likely to go low
in the next half an hour. This one is
great because it allows you to treat
hypos early and avoid them or at least
make them easier to manage. And then
there is the 7-hour night low prediction
which is available every night and it
shows you risk of going low during the
night. It even gives you suggestions on
what you can do about it. And this is
cool because I personally know many
people who really need this kind of
reassurance before going to bed. By the
way, I've done a lot of finger pricks to
compare the smart guys readings to my
actual blood sugar readings. And as you
can see, the sensor did pretty well. So,
no complaints here. Another thing I
liked is that the alarms are fairly
customizable and you can actually set
two different alarm profiles, one for
daytime and one for nighttime. But what
I didn't love is that the predictions
only work when you're connected to the
internet. If you're not online, you're
out of luck. And while the sensor
requires two user calibrations to make
the predictions work on day one, it
didn't allow me calibrate later in the
cycle. So, who is the smart guide
actually for? Well, I'd recommend it to
anyone who feels they need a little
extra help to stay ahead of their
glucose without doing a whole lot of
additional work. Just keep in mind that
although this sensor is available in
more than 30 countries, it is not in the
US due to pending FDA clearance. Now,
before I reveal which of these 13
sensors I decided to stick with, I want
to be very clear about one thing. I was
not paid by any of these CGM brands to
make this video, and I bought most of
these sensors myself. A few of them were
sent to me, but this project still
required an insane amount of work and
quite a bit of money. So, if you find
value in honest, independent reviews
like this one, please subscribe to the
channel and hit the like button. By the
way, the best way to support my work is
on Patreon. If you join the VIP group,
you'll get direct access to me and
one-on-one support. Just a heads up, the
VIP group is intentionally small. There
are about 10 spots left right now. Now,
I have to admit that choosing my next
CGM system after the Dexcom G6 is
discontinued was pretty tough. None of
these 12 systems was a complete fail.
They actually performed really well. And
to be fair, I wish I had even one of
these options available when I was
diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 38 years
ago. But right now, there are two things
that matter most to me. My CGM has to
integrate with an aid system, and I need
to be able to calibrate it. That narrows
it down to three options. Dexcom G7,
Simpla Sync, and Eversense 365. I had to
think long and hard about this, but in
the end, I went with the only one that
integrates with the patch pump and the
DIY loop setup I'm already using. So,
I'm choosing the Dexcom G7, but I have
to say it was pretty close. Now, if
you're still not sure which CGM to go
with or whether you should even be using
one in the first place, I've put
together a playlist with detailed
reviews of all the CGMs I talked about
today. So, if you want to be 100%
confident in your choice, click here and
watch the full review next. And if you
still have questions, hit me up on
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