Customers find the glucose meter easy to use and apply, and appreciate its educational value in tracking glucose levels and visualizing trends. However, the sensor quality receives mixed feedback, with some saying it works well while others report it failing to pair with the app. Moreover, the device’s functionality is concerning, with multiple customers reporting it stops working after one week. Additionally, accuracy and connectivity are issues, with customers noting inaccurate readings and frequent Bluetooth disconnections. Value for money is also a concern, with customers considering it not worth the cost.
AI Generated from the text of customer reviews
3 reviews for Stelo Glucose Biosensor & App by Dexcom—A Leader in Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM). 24/7 Glucose Tracking & Personalized Insights to Reveal Patterns. 2-Pack (Up to 15 Days Each). iOS & Android.
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SStev –
Not returnable, Can be painful, won’t work with Android 11
This product can be painful to wear, depending on where you put it. This is especially true if you are skinny and/or muscular and don’t have a lot of fat on your upper arms. If that’s the case, be sure to put the sensor between your deltoid and your tricep muscle which is around towards the back of your arm, closer to your shoulder than your elbow. I mistakenly put the first one too close to my elbow and experienced shooting pain anytime I moved my arm in the wrong direction. After a day and a half, the pain was too intense and I had to remove the sensor. However, I put the next sensor higher up on my arm between my deltoid and my tricep and then it was fine.Once you do install the sensor, DO NOT THROW OUT THE BOX OR THE APPLICATOR, even though the instructions specifically tell you to throw away the applicator. This is because the serial number is on the applicator and/or the box and if you have any trouble with the unit, you will have to provide the serial number or Dexcom will not help you.If you experience any kind of pain, DO NOT TELL DEXCOM THAT HAPPENED. Once they know you have experienced pain, you become a liability to them and they don’t want you as a customer anymore. At that point, they will not help you, they will not offer replacement sensors and they will not offer you any refunds. If you have to take a sensor off because of pain and you want a replacement, you will need to make up a story when you contact Dexcom. I recommend simply telling them that fell off, as other reviews indicate Dexcom will generally offer a replacement if the sensor falls off.Finally, the website does not bother to tell you that this product will only work with Android 12 and up. If your phone does not meet those requirements, then you are out of luck because you can’t return the product. I eventually solved this one by upgrading my phone, which I probably needed to do anyway, but I didn’t appreciate getting forced into it.
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Darbro –
Fantastic and life changing tool!
This product works great! First set of 2 units worked flawlessly for 15 days as stated. Inserted using the applicator onto fatty area at back of arm, was easy, painless and took 2 minutes at most. A quick scan of the QR on the applicator and there was immediate recognition and it starts the 20-30min warmup. After that you get a continuous flow of readings. It records glucose every 5min but uploads the readings every 15min. I waited until I tried a unit from a second order befire leaving a review to make sure they all worked in light of all the negative reviews. Now on day 3 of my third unit and each one has been as simple and flawless as the last. Based on my experience with the last 2 units, I am confident that this one, and the next, will last the 15 days.Lots of reviewers complain about accuracy. In the past 5 weeks using Stelo I went through tons of finger pricks using a blood strip glucometer to assess accuracy. What I found is that within a certain range (e.g., 90-180mg/dl, but only Stelo has the real range) it is accurate. Matched my blood strip readings within a couple of points most times. However, the variance (difference between Stelo and blood strip increases as you move outside of that range and get closer to the limits of the sensor (70-250 mg/dl). I imagine that many of the negative reviews about accuracy are from people that are high (over 200) on the regular, so they experience the range of high varience. Can’t speak to lows (below 80) because I never get them, but I assume its the same deal, which is why they dont market Stelo for type 1 diabetics (mostly) who are concerned about lows (hypoglycemia) because the unit is not accurate at those levels. I think that variable readings can also occur with improper placement (e.g., thin skin over muscle), so follow the instructions.If you understand what the Stelo does (as described above), then it is a fantastic tool. I am much more cognizant of what is going on while sleeping, the morning cortisol effect, the effect of stress etc. Also, many of the “keto friendly” stuff I used to consume I found is not so friendly after all. It is easy to enjoy a treat that you know may not be the best for your blood sugar if you just decide not to measure. It is a different thing when you see the numbers go up on your phone, so I’ve found myself avoiding foods that hit hardest, and have added some moderate exercise after some meals just to get the numbers trending down. It is too much effort and expense to do glucose tolerance tests for every meal item you consume and impossible to do it while sleeping using a blood strip glucometer. All is done automatically with stelo; I wish I had these many years ago. In fact I think that all physicians should recommend these to pre-diabetic and type-2 diabetic patients, right from the diagnosis. I also appreciate the discrete profile of Stelo. I’ve heard folks complaining about other CGM’s setting off audible alarms, which I would not appreciate.The only weakness I have experienced is the software. The Stelo app works great, and I appreciate its ease of use and ability to go to Dexcom Clarity to get a more in depth analysis. However, I would appreciate the ability to put a more broad range of notes. The meal note is great since you can write everything you ate, but exercise is limited to time and level (geared for longer times which can be annoying). I would like to describe what the exercise was (lifting weights vs walking the dog vs elliptical etc). It would also be great to put a generic note to comment about different stresses or activities so that you can get a feeling for how these affect (or dont affect) levels. MOST IMPORTANTLY, Stelo must get an app to allow Android users to see the glucose readings on their watch. I have a Samsung Galaxy phone and watch (as do many millions of others), and I want to glance down at and see my glucose level (as a complication on a Samsung watch face). It seems like such a simple piece of code to write. I love the Stelo CGM but if a competitor came out with a similar sensor unit with an app that integrates with my Galaxy watch I would switch in a heartbeat!
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M. McCrae –
Only works half the time
This is the first time I’ve used a CGM and Stelo. It’s a great tool when it works….but it only works half the time. The first day of the first sensor was completely inaccurate. The readings were all over the place – over 250 and under 70 within a couple of hours all day. If that was what my blood sugar was really doing, then I would have felt sick and that was not the case. Day 2-8 readings were accurate, showing gentle ups and downs as is normal depending on meals, exercise, etc. About 10:00 pm on day 8, I received a message that the sensor session ended early and I would have to replace the sensor. In essence, I only got 7 days worth of readings on a 14 day sensor. For $50 per sensor, that is a very poor value. In addition, throughout the entire time I wore the sensor, the sensor would experience “Brief Sensor Issue” messages, which meant the sensor was not registering readings. This would happen about 8-10 times per day. ‘m older and have thin, crepey skin on the back of my arm. When taking off the sensor, I had to be very careful that I didn’t tear my skin. The adhesive is very sticky and it was difficult to remove. I do have the second sensor so I’ll give it another try but so far I don’t think it’s a good value for the price.
SStev –
Not returnable, Can be painful, won’t work with Android 11
This product can be painful to wear, depending on where you put it. This is especially true if you are skinny and/or muscular and don’t have a lot of fat on your upper arms. If that’s the case, be sure to put the sensor between your deltoid and your tricep muscle which is around towards the back of your arm, closer to your shoulder than your elbow. I mistakenly put the first one too close to my elbow and experienced shooting pain anytime I moved my arm in the wrong direction. After a day and a half, the pain was too intense and I had to remove the sensor. However, I put the next sensor higher up on my arm between my deltoid and my tricep and then it was fine.Once you do install the sensor, DO NOT THROW OUT THE BOX OR THE APPLICATOR, even though the instructions specifically tell you to throw away the applicator. This is because the serial number is on the applicator and/or the box and if you have any trouble with the unit, you will have to provide the serial number or Dexcom will not help you.If you experience any kind of pain, DO NOT TELL DEXCOM THAT HAPPENED. Once they know you have experienced pain, you become a liability to them and they don’t want you as a customer anymore. At that point, they will not help you, they will not offer replacement sensors and they will not offer you any refunds. If you have to take a sensor off because of pain and you want a replacement, you will need to make up a story when you contact Dexcom. I recommend simply telling them that fell off, as other reviews indicate Dexcom will generally offer a replacement if the sensor falls off.Finally, the website does not bother to tell you that this product will only work with Android 12 and up. If your phone does not meet those requirements, then you are out of luck because you can’t return the product. I eventually solved this one by upgrading my phone, which I probably needed to do anyway, but I didn’t appreciate getting forced into it.
Darbro –
Fantastic and life changing tool!
This product works great! First set of 2 units worked flawlessly for 15 days as stated. Inserted using the applicator onto fatty area at back of arm, was easy, painless and took 2 minutes at most. A quick scan of the QR on the applicator and there was immediate recognition and it starts the 20-30min warmup. After that you get a continuous flow of readings. It records glucose every 5min but uploads the readings every 15min. I waited until I tried a unit from a second order befire leaving a review to make sure they all worked in light of all the negative reviews. Now on day 3 of my third unit and each one has been as simple and flawless as the last. Based on my experience with the last 2 units, I am confident that this one, and the next, will last the 15 days.Lots of reviewers complain about accuracy. In the past 5 weeks using Stelo I went through tons of finger pricks using a blood strip glucometer to assess accuracy. What I found is that within a certain range (e.g., 90-180mg/dl, but only Stelo has the real range) it is accurate. Matched my blood strip readings within a couple of points most times. However, the variance (difference between Stelo and blood strip increases as you move outside of that range and get closer to the limits of the sensor (70-250 mg/dl). I imagine that many of the negative reviews about accuracy are from people that are high (over 200) on the regular, so they experience the range of high varience. Can’t speak to lows (below 80) because I never get them, but I assume its the same deal, which is why they dont market Stelo for type 1 diabetics (mostly) who are concerned about lows (hypoglycemia) because the unit is not accurate at those levels. I think that variable readings can also occur with improper placement (e.g., thin skin over muscle), so follow the instructions.If you understand what the Stelo does (as described above), then it is a fantastic tool. I am much more cognizant of what is going on while sleeping, the morning cortisol effect, the effect of stress etc. Also, many of the “keto friendly” stuff I used to consume I found is not so friendly after all. It is easy to enjoy a treat that you know may not be the best for your blood sugar if you just decide not to measure. It is a different thing when you see the numbers go up on your phone, so I’ve found myself avoiding foods that hit hardest, and have added some moderate exercise after some meals just to get the numbers trending down. It is too much effort and expense to do glucose tolerance tests for every meal item you consume and impossible to do it while sleeping using a blood strip glucometer. All is done automatically with stelo; I wish I had these many years ago. In fact I think that all physicians should recommend these to pre-diabetic and type-2 diabetic patients, right from the diagnosis. I also appreciate the discrete profile of Stelo. I’ve heard folks complaining about other CGM’s setting off audible alarms, which I would not appreciate.The only weakness I have experienced is the software. The Stelo app works great, and I appreciate its ease of use and ability to go to Dexcom Clarity to get a more in depth analysis. However, I would appreciate the ability to put a more broad range of notes. The meal note is great since you can write everything you ate, but exercise is limited to time and level (geared for longer times which can be annoying). I would like to describe what the exercise was (lifting weights vs walking the dog vs elliptical etc). It would also be great to put a generic note to comment about different stresses or activities so that you can get a feeling for how these affect (or dont affect) levels. MOST IMPORTANTLY, Stelo must get an app to allow Android users to see the glucose readings on their watch. I have a Samsung Galaxy phone and watch (as do many millions of others), and I want to glance down at and see my glucose level (as a complication on a Samsung watch face). It seems like such a simple piece of code to write. I love the Stelo CGM but if a competitor came out with a similar sensor unit with an app that integrates with my Galaxy watch I would switch in a heartbeat!
M. McCrae –
Only works half the time
This is the first time I’ve used a CGM and Stelo. It’s a great tool when it works….but it only works half the time. The first day of the first sensor was completely inaccurate. The readings were all over the place – over 250 and under 70 within a couple of hours all day. If that was what my blood sugar was really doing, then I would have felt sick and that was not the case. Day 2-8 readings were accurate, showing gentle ups and downs as is normal depending on meals, exercise, etc. About 10:00 pm on day 8, I received a message that the sensor session ended early and I would have to replace the sensor. In essence, I only got 7 days worth of readings on a 14 day sensor. For $50 per sensor, that is a very poor value. In addition, throughout the entire time I wore the sensor, the sensor would experience “Brief Sensor Issue” messages, which meant the sensor was not registering readings. This would happen about 8-10 times per day. ‘m older and have thin, crepey skin on the back of my arm. When taking off the sensor, I had to be very careful that I didn’t tear my skin. The adhesive is very sticky and it was difficult to remove. I do have the second sensor so I’ll give it another try but so far I don’t think it’s a good value for the price.