Customer Reviews: Dario Welcome Kit (LC Meter Only) Black 1138-05 (2025)

This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

I have been using a glucose meter multiple times a day since 1990, so I am not new at this. Over the years, I have used several different meters, had those meters calibrated periodically at my physician’s office, and learned how to get accurate readings — and I have become adept at switching out lancets and test strips. Over those years, I also have needed to keep my own log to document my glucose readings, food intake, activities, and other important parameters. Back when I got my first meter, I had to do that with paper and pen. Now, however, “there’s an app for that.” The app I use is free, tracks the same information as the Dario app, syncs across my various devices, and works well. Nonetheless, I thought it would be nice to have a glucose meter that could input its readings directly into its own app. So, I agreed to test the Dario system.As it turns out, the only positive thing I can report about the Dario is that it’s small. I’ll be more explicit:Accuracy—Dangerously inaccurate. The first job of a glucose meter is to accurately report a person’s blood glucose level. The Dario doesn’t do that, and that makes it dangerous. While testing the Dario, I have continued testing with my previous testing device, which is only a couple of months old and in that time has been calibrated twice at my physician’s office. The Dario and my other device rarely give me the same reading. A difference of a few points is to be expected; a difference of 30 or more points is not. A few days ago I sensed that my blood sugar level was really low, but also wondered if I was just getting an odd sensation from a new medication. My dog gave his alert that my blood sugar was too low, and the reading on my regular glucose meter agreed. The Dario reading said that my blood glucose was well within the normal range. Dangerous.Lancets—Too fragile and poorly situated. All of the 80,000+ lancets I have used since 1990 have been disposable and have had the same physical design: a plastic shaft holding a needle that is covered with a protective plastic disk. All are inserted into their devices the same way: push the plastic shaft into the device, then twist off the protective plastic disk to expose the needle. The Dario lancets look the same and are inserted into the Dario device the same way. The problem begins at removing the plastic disk. The lancet is so close to the adjustment wheel and the lancet is so fragile that I been unable to remove the plastic disk without bending the needle, usually to the point that it’s unusable. After a while, I gave up and went back to using my old lancet device.Device—Sacrifices quality and functionality to achieve small size. As I said before, the only positive thing I can report about the Dario is that it’s small. However, while achieving a small size, the designers have sacrificed the device’s quality and functionality. For each use, I have to remove or open several parts, beginning with the testing unit, which resembles a small thumb drive and gets inserted into my iPhone. To remove the testing unit, you pull back an orange rectangle that is the same color and in the same position as an orange rectangle that’s on the opposite side of the device—confusing. That second orange rectangle pops the spring on the lancet. For each use, you must remove the cap on the lancet unit to insert a new lancet, and, because everything is combined in a single unit, you need to be sure to replace that cap before doing anything else to protect yourself from an exposed lancet. Next, you remove a testing strip from the holder. That means removing an outer cap from the device, then using your thumb to open the popup lid on the test strip container. That popup lid is very hard to open, and the container itself is so small that even with my small fingers I can’t reach inside it and remove a single test strip. Instead, I have to dump several out into my hand, thus immediately contaminating those strips and contaminating the entire container of strips if I were to put them back into the container. Like many other testing units on the market, the Dario needs only a small drop of blood for testing, but—as noted above—the resulting glucose reading is undependable. That makes any record I make using the Dario app worthless.Costs—Too high for me. My insurance company—a large, very popular one—does not cover the Dario test strips. Dario offers a subscription service that it says will provide unlimited test strips for $25 a month or $300 yearly. Under my insurance coverage, I get 100 test strips per month for $2, or $24 annually, for my very accurate and easy to use meter. I would have to use over 1,200 test strips a month (>40 a day) before the Dario test strips would be equal in cost to those for my current glucose meter.Customer Service—Nonexistent. The day I received my Dario system, I downloaded the app and got myself registered. I soon received an email welcoming me and inviting me to click on the Customer Service link if I had any questions. So, I did click on that link and submitted an email to Customer Service that posed a couple of straightforward questions. Crickets. It has now been a couple of weeks, and I have not received a reply.Nuisance ads—Obnoxious. Although Customer Service has never responded to my email, registering myself with Dario has resulted in a barrage of ads, offers, etc. The most puzzling ad that I get – often 2 and 3 times a day – asks me to purchase the Dario system. I would think that downloading the Dario app and registering as a user would let them know that I already own one.Conclusion—Useless, dangerously inaccurate device. If I could give it zero stars, I would. I will continue to use my current blood glucose meter and lancing device and the free app I have for keeping a full-featured log that is accessible to me and to my physician.