Diabetes is a chronic disease and can be easily analyzed using a lancing device and so, with the help of various health care forums, here are the best lancing devices.
Routine blood glucose testing is a matter of life or death for hundreds of thousands of people all over the world. And one of the best tools to help make the lives of such people easier is a reliable Lancing device. In this article we will be discussing about the best lancing devices, factors to consider while buying lancing devices and tips on how to use lancing device
- Lancing devices are exceptionally important for type 1 and type 2 diabetics
- Through realizing their own blood glucose levels at that moment in time, patients can work out how much insulin they need; before meals
- Several other factors centring around the control of blood sugar levels is influenced thanks to reliable lancing devices
Not to beat around the bush, but these instruments definitely demand multiple ‘sticks’, owing to their frequency of use. It is therefore crucial to find the right products in this category, and make sure that they are as effective as they are affordable.
Our Top-10 Best Lancing Devices Recommendations
Lets check out the best lancing devices to use in 2020.
This is one of the more expensive selections, and one that lives up to its promises.
What We Like
- Ergonomic
- Uses generic square-shaft lancets; widely available
- Compatible with alternate sampling sites
- Equipped with vibration, vacuum, and depth control options
- Little to no pain
- Space for personalization using stickers; mainly for kids
- One of the best lancing devices
What We Don’t Like
- Expensive
- Not compatible with Freestyle Lite lancets
A cheap model, but one that delivers on a handful of promises.
What We Like
- Portable; only 3 inches
- Compatible with the square shank one touch ultra-soft lancetsuare-shaft lancets; widely available
- Multiple varieties of lancets can be used, though not all
- Cost-effective choice
What We Don’t Like
- 5 is the deepest depth setting; recommended number is 6
- No instructions included with package
One of the most affordable, and comes equipped with all the basics.
What We Like
- Lancet ejector is easy to use
- Safety via the locking endcap design feature
- Noise minimization thanks to smooth-glide mechanism
- Silicone-coated Microlet design; smooth skin penetration
- Compatible with Tinyboy 36 and one-touch lancets
- Portable; about 3.8 inches
What We Don’t Like
- Only 5 depth settings; recommended minimum is 6
- Lacks adequately deep puncturing potential
Ideal price range, and comes carrying all the essential design elements.
What We Like
- Compatible with Accu-Chek Softclix lancets
- 11 customizable depth settings
- Adjustable depth gauge
- Painless action
What We Don’t Like
- Need to separately purchase thin-gauge and bevel-cut lancets to ensure even less pain and smoother skin penetration
- Not a multi-lancet device; need to get Accu CheK Fastclix for that
- Small-cap; chances of it rolling away
An all-rounder, ideally priced, and ready to deliver on manufacturer’s promises.
What We Like
- Compatible with varied lancet types
- Plenty of lancets provided along with package
- Special cartridges can be used
- Saves time manually replacing lancets after each sampling
What We Don’t Like
- Slightly over-priced, all things considered
- Might not be easy to use for those with experience using the previous model
An adequate, and appreciated, cost-effective choice.
What We Like
- 100 30-gauge lancets provided with the package
- Multi-level adjustable tip
- Lancets are thin, and cause less pain
- Secure lancet grip
What We Don’t Like
- Compatible with other lancets, but works best with Bauer brand lancets
- Awkward pull-back design element
- No even pressure across finger pad upon button press
A cheap choice that works like a mid-range device.
What We Like
- Portable and compact
- Good depth adjustability
- Ideal with one-touch lancets
- Simplified usability
- One of the best lancing devices
What We Don’t Like
- Compatible with most replacement lancets, but not all
- Users have reported that it gets stuck at times during use
A great selection, neither cheap nor expensive, and gets the job done quite efficiently.
What We Like
- Seven depth settings
- Original design
- Advanced Glide Control for smaller needle compatibilities and handling
- Reduced vibration
- Smoother lancing and glide control; improved precision
- Sensitive to adjusting the tension (i.e., easier to prick)
What We Don’t Like
- Limited lancet variety: fine (30 gauge) and extra fine (33 gauge) only
Another well-priced mid-ranger that works as well as it feels.
What We Like
- Good price
- Ergonomic
- Portable
- Simple to use
- Less pain
What We Don’t Like
- Clear cap is optional, not included in the package by default
- No ejector
- Could do with better durability
A thoughtful design, with effective usability ratings.
What We Like
- Multi-coloured, great for kids
- Much less pain thanks to triple sharpened needles
- Long shelf life due to gamma sterilization
- 10 depth adjustability settings
- Alternate site sampling possible
- Generic for Microlet Lancets
- Ergonomic
What We Don’t Like
- 30 gauge only
- Does not work with accu check softclix
- Excess pain has been reported in some cases
Features of Best Lancing Devices
A. Vacuum-Powered
This feature is mainly designed to prevent insufficient blood samples. This happens when the lancet fails to penetrate the skin at an apt depth.
- You will find this design among high-end lancing devices that come with a powered vacuum cap
- The vacuum seal technology helps encourage blood flow without the need to squeeze or prod, or even perform a second lancing
- With this design feature you get to draw the needed blood sample from elsewhere in the body; as required.
B. Ergonomics
The basic sort of lancing devices lack ergonomic designs, meaning your grip and comfort will suffer while attempting to get a good blood sample.
- Tough to control, and worse slippery, lancing devices with poor grip are definitely not worth your money. They carry more risk than benefit
- For optimum comfort, choose from among mid and high-range lancing devices
- In these, you will notice the barrel curves ideally to match hand-holding comfort
- Their tips also come designed at an angle to expose a more solid stick. This in turn means less skin tear upon trigger-press.
C. Alternative Sampling
We grazed this idea earlier. Let’s delve into some detail.
- Your fingertips need not be the only source for collecting blood samples. With fingertips, pain can increase over time
- Even if you are in the habit of alternating hands and fingers, pain will still accumulate at some point
- Your thigh, upper arm, forearm, and palm are all viable sampling sites
- The best lancing devices for use on alternate sites are ones powered by vacuum extraction
- When in doubt, read the product packaging
- On the other hand (no pun intended), if you spot special transparent caps on certain lancing devices, fitting over the barrel end, you can be assured that those will work well for alternate-site sampling.
- Note: These transparent caps will help you see how much sample is being acquired. When pressed down, the cap offers a good amount of vacuum and sufficient pressure to get the job done.
Pricing of Best Lancing Devices
Below is an idea of how pricing varies based on different lancing device designs. The following points are especially useful for those seeking improved lancing devices, and wondering how much it’s going to cost them. For simplicity’s sake, we shall use American dollars as the default currency.
A. Under $10
These are cheap and inexpensive selections, which are not always recommended
- If you’re in the market for simple blood glucose testing kits, some of them are sold along with a basic lancing device, which belongs in this price category
- Even if sold separately, such lancing devices will remain in the same price range
- Expect little to no adjustability options, to say nothing of tension settings
- You can only use one lancet at a time with such pieces
- Do not try to find ultra-thin lancets in this price range. They will not be available. If they are, don’t believe it, it’s probably a Chinese knock-off J.
B. Range of $10-$35
This is the mid-range price category. Let us see how it improves on its cheaper cousin.
- Enviable multi-click lancing devices can be found in this price category
- Seek out special cartridges that can carry, say, six lancets at a time
- These are especially useful for those who are not fond of manually changing lancets after every sampling attempt
- Lancing devices in this price range can prove less painful, which in itself is an attractive factor. This is thanks in large part to ergonomic barrels
- They are also compatible with alternative sampling sites, adding to their diversity quotient
- Some of these devices can be wielded with just one hand.
C. Over $35
These come under the obvious expensive spectrum of best lancing devices. The cream of the crop, these are the most recommended pieces, if you can afford them.
- You will often come across the “Universal” tag with devices in this costly category
- This means you get to use multiple (i.e., varied manufacturers) and different lancet types in just one device
- Some products come cleverly designed to hide the lancet, which helps reduce fear and anxiety in some users; especially children
- Vacuum-powered extraction can be readily expected among lancing devices in this range
- This means improved blood sample flow, less pain, and little to no squeezing
- Some of the costliest options in this category come designed as medical-grade devices that use concentrated laser light to open blood capillaries. This entirely does away with traditional lancets to penetrate the skin.
Factors to Consider While Selecting Best Lancing Devices
The core aim of all best lancing devices is to give you the best test samples possible. Most people choose multi-click devices because they find them more convenient. Sometimes, good depth options can make all the difference. But even here, you need to see if they cause skin damage or are prone to going too deep and causing pain.
Below are some of the top factors to bear in mind while shopping for the best lancing devices for your specific needs.
A. Barrel Design
The length of this design feature is one product element you need to factor into your shopping.
- There are small palm-sized ones, and bigger options too
- The barrel itself is cleverly designed. One end carries the spring-loaded mechanism while the other is used to access your fingertip, aka the ‘sampling site’
- Not all barrels are ergonomic. Often, high- and mid-range models will suit your grip better.
The barrel also influences personal safety, in that altering a single lancet or installing a fresh multi-click barrel can open you, the user, to the lancet tip. Be careful at this stage to avoid getting pricked for no reason.
B. Depth Selection
The importance of this factor cannot be stressed enough. Your skin type, especially in the inner palm region, directly benefits from you choosing the right depth selection in your lancing device.
- Your skin could be callused, thick, or thin. Choose the right depth selection based on this observation
- Premium pieces will grant you the ability to modify the power and depth of the lancet stick
- Minimum six degrees (perhaps more) of depth selection is the expert recommendation
- Some devices come equipped with providing 20 levels of tension. You may not find any great difference between the levels, but they do prove enormously useful when it comes to pain prevention
The main point to remember is that you are seeking quality blood saturation on a given glucose strip. And you hope to get this output without undue skin damage, let alone pain. Depth selection helps mightily in this regard.
C. Capacity
Often your freshly purchased lancing device will come with a starter glucose kit, which only one sterile lancet can accommodate at any one time. This is where the concept of capacity comes in.
- Some of you might find it uncomfortable to handle sharp exposed lancets
- Some devices come designed to accommodate a special multi-lancet cartridge that reduces how often you are called upon to change a lancet. Such pieces are obviously more expensive
- A handful of designs in the multi-lancet category save you the trouble of cocking the spring-loaded mechanism before each use. This ‘auto-loading’ feature is another great way to avoid manually changing the lancet all the time
As long as you are comfortable with the basics of lance replacement, capacity should not be too much of a bother.
D. Compatibility
This may seem like a no-brainer to some of you, but the factor holds special significance regardless.
- If you have been using lancing devices for a while, you may agree with the fact that some of these devices cause less pain than others
- Such devices come designed with special coating or use thinner needles in general
- Seek out the word ‘Universal’ when you are out shopping for lancing devices
- These come equipped to handle multiple lancets, and meet all the right industry standards
The more you use such designs; your comfort level toward them will grow. Often, such devices are surprisingly affordable, depending on where you do your shopping.
Tips on How to Use Lancing Devices
Let us cut right to the chase here…
- Sometimes, changing the gauge of the lancet instead of its depth helps with pain control/relief
- Some patients have agreed that lancing the side of the fingertips works better than aiming for the central finger pads
- Shake or wave your hand vigorously before testing. This improves capillary blood flow
- Sanitize, wash, and dry the sampling area before each test. Wash with mild soap, dry thoroughly, and sanitize with an alcohol pad before pricking
- Lancets and hypodermic needles are much the same, in that never share them with other users; even if they are family members
- Go for the lowest possible setting that will beget the highest quality sample. This directly depends on your skin type. The thinner the skin, the lower the setting. Callused and thick skin will require slightly higher settings.
The more you use such designs; your comfort level toward them will grow. Often, such best lancing devices are surprisingly affordable, depending on where you do your shopping.
FAQ
Twist the end piece off, namely the one you removed in order to install the lancet. Next, slide the little button at the other end of the device. Slide it in the direction of the slot on top of the device. A small plastic piece comes off the lancet end, pushing it out of the device. (This process is mainly applicable to Touch Delica lancets, but the basic idea remains the same.)
Pull off the cap. Insert a fresh lancet into the lancet holder. Push in until you hear the click sound. Press the cap on again; hear the click. Rotate the cap until the required penetration depth is set. (This process is best applicable for Accu-Chek Softclix lancets, but the basic idea remains the same.)
Slide back the button on top of the device until you hear a click sound. This loads the lancet, making it ready to puncture. If you do not hear the click, it could mean that the lancet has already been pushed back and is ready for use.
Final Verdict
Much has been said about the effectiveness and elegance of best lancing devices, and their importance in the lives of patients experiencing the need to regularly monitor their blood glucose levels.
These nifty medical marvels have made life enormously convenient for millions of people. This is especially true during the ongoing covid-19 crisis, when it has paradoxically become as safe to stay away from your doctor as it is to go pay them a visit J.
Of all the lancing devices reviewed in this guide, the Genteel Lancing Device has stood out, becoming the Editor’s Choice among the best lancing devices
Stay safe, stay healthy. If you have any questions, feel free to email us. Don’t forget to leave a comment with your own personal opinions on what you have read here. Cheers!
