A ketone meter is a device that tests the level of ketones in your body.
Ketones are produced when the body breaks down fats for energy, instead of carbohydrates.
In diabetics, ketone levels go up because of lack of insulin for cells to absorb glucose for energy. In healthy people, ketone levels increase because of a low or no carbohydrate diet.
Regular ketone testing is important for diabetics, especially sufferers of type 1 diabetes. Too high levels of ketones can be dangerous, even fatal. You may also want to test your body ketone levels if you are on a ketogenic diet, to check if your body has gone into ketosis.
In this buying guide, we recommend the best ketone meters for home use. They are also perfect for testing on the go.
Key Considerations when Choosing a Ketone Meter
A. Blood vs. Breath Ketone Meter
The two most common ways to measure ketone levels at home are through blood or breath.
A blood ketone meter looks a lot like a blood glucose meter and you use it the same way. Prick your finger, collect a bit of blood on the test strip and check your ketone levels on the display.
A blood ketone test is highly accurate, even more accurate than traditional urine testing. For this reason, we recommend a blood ketone meter for people with a health condition like diabetes.
But if you are testing for ketones for dietary reasons, a breath ketone meter will do. It’s less invasive and more convenient to use.
Note: If you buy a blood ketone meter, check if the lancets and testing strip are included. If they are not, you’ll need to buy them before testing. A ketone breath meter does not need any extra accessories.
B. Display
Most ketone meters have some kind of display to show the level of ketone detected. Check that the display is large, clear and easy to see. If it’s backlit, even better.
C. Colour-Coded Indicators
Many ketone meters have easy to read indicators on the display that quickly tell you where you are in terms of ketone levels.
Most use the standard green, yellow and red colour indications with green showing you are in a safe ketosis zone and red indicating possible ketoacidosis, a serious condition that required medical care.
D. Memory
If you’d like to track your ketone levels over time without writing them down on a paper, look for a ketone meter with memory. Check how many readings it can store.
E. Connectivity
Some modern ketone meters have Bluetooth connectivity. You can link it to your phone and then view real time readings on an app.
The app may have extra features such as ketone levels tracking and sharing your ketone reading with other people.
Best Ketone Meters: Top 5 Reviews
1. On Call GK Dual Ketone Pack
If you are tracking your ketone levels because of a health condition like diabetes, we recommend the On Call GK dual ketone pack.
It’s a blood ketone meter, making it highly accurate. It can also measure blood sugar, though you’d need to buy the right test strips for that. The 25 strips included with the On Call meter are specifically for ketone testing.
The process for testing your blood ketone levels is the same as testing blood glucose. You prick your finger and collect a drop of blood on the test strip.
Note that the On Call GK ketone meter doesn’t include a lancet or a lancing device.
The display is large and easy to read, though it’s not backlit. Make sure you are in a bright environment before you take a test.
The On Call GK Dual can store up to 450 ketone or glucose readings and computer averages for up to the last 90 days.
What we like about it:
- Hygienic strip ejector.
- Large memory allows easy tracking of ketone levels.
- 2-in-1 meter for ketones and blood glucose – a convenient combo for diabetics.
2. ACE KETOSCAN Mini Keto Breath Analyzer Test
If you are tracking your ketone levels for dietary reasons, a ketone breath meter is a better choice. The ACE KETOSCAN mini keto breath analyzer is one of the best ones around.
A highly sensitive acetone gas sensor accurately measures the amount of acetone ketones in your breath and displays the readings on a dot matrix LED display. We are not big fans of this type of display. It can be hard to read if you have visual problems or you are in the sun.
Thankfully, it’s not the only option.
You can also connect the ACE KETOSCAN to your smartphone using Bluetooth. This lets you see your readings on an app, track measurements over time, upload food photos, track calories and more.
The Ketoscan app connects to Apple Health, Samsung Heath and Google Fit so you can get all your heath and wellness data in one place.
To use the ACE KETOSCAN, you simply blow into the mouthpiece for three seconds. The app will immediately display your readings and explain what they mean.
Note that the sensor in the ACE KETOSCAN is good for up to 300 measurements. After that, the manufacturer recommends booking a cartridge replacement service to ensure continued accuracy. If you do not replace the cartridge, the KETOSCAN meter will stop working after 320 measurements.
And if you are wondering, yes, the replacement service is at a fee.
What we like about it:
- Easy to use.
- Bluetooth connectivity.
- Easy tracking on the app.
3. Nebula Digital Ketone Breathe Analyzer
Nebula is another good choice if you are looking for a breath ketone meter. Like the ACE KETOSCAN, Nebula analyzes your breath and measures the level of acetones, the only ketones excreted through the lungs.
You simply breathe into the mouthpiece and see your readings on the large LCD display that’s much easier to use compared to the dot matrix display on the ACE KETOSCAN.
The Nebula ketone meter comes with 10 disposable mouthpieces. But you can use a single mouthpiece more than once; just make sure to clean it in between uses.
The display lights up in different colours depending on your readings. So, in addition to seeing your exact ketone level, you can see whether you are in a safe or danger zone. Green indicates you are in a safe ketosis zone (0.1-2.9 mmol/L). Yellow indicates you are producing too many ketones and red signifies possible ketoacidosis.
The Nebula ketone meter runs on two AAA batteries that are not included.
What we like about it:
- Easy to use – no finger pricking required.
- Colour-coded indicator.
- Large and easy to see backlit screen.
- Small and lightweight – take Nebula with you and measure ketone level wherever you are.
4. eBketone Blood Ketone Monitoring System
eBketone is a blood ketone meter, making it a good choice for diabetics and anyone else tracking their ketones for health reasons.
You can also use it to track the effectiveness of your ketogenic diet, as long as you don’t mind constantly pricking your finger.
Unlike the On Call meter, eBketone is a complete pack. It has everything you need to start testing your ketone bodies including 10 test strips, 10 lancets and a lancing device.
The meter requires only 0.5 microlitres of blood, so a drop should be enough.
The display is large and easy to see, though it’s not backlit.
Note that eBketone only measures ketone level. It is not a dual ketone and blood glucose meter like On Call. It also lacks a memory function, so you cannot access past reading.
If you want to track your ketone levels, either use good old pen and paper or look for a ketone-tracking app.
What we like about it:
- Accurate blood testing.
- Results in a few seconds.
- Complete pack – comes with strips, lancer and lancets.
5. GDbow Ketone Breath Analyzer
Our final pick is a breath ketone meter that shares many similarities to the Nebula Digital Ketone meter.
The GDbow ketone meter comes with 10 mouthpieces that you can use several times (after cleaning). The mouthpiece extends to the side for easy blowing.
Your reading is displayed on a small round screen in millimoles per liter (mmol/L). There are some indicator lights at the bottom of the screen, but unlike other ketone meters, they don’t tell you whether your ketone levels are safe or dangerous. Instead, they simply tell you if the test was successful or not.
Green indicates a successful test and red indicates an unsuccessful test. If the amber indicator lights up, it mean low battery.
We love the compact design of the GDbow ketone meter. It fits easily in the palm of your hand. If you want to use it on the go, you can carry it in your pocket.
What we like about it:
- Easy to use.
- Bright screen.
- Easy to carry with you when travelling.
My nebula digital breath analyzer worked OK for 5 days but has now stopped. After the 20 second warm up and start beep, it beeps twice during my breath and always registers zero. Is it fixable? The batteries are new. Regards JohnB.