Is Stelo the Better Continuous Glucose Monitor for Better Blood Sugar Control?
We too were excited for Stelo – the first no prescription required CGM to be available so that anyone – not just a person with diabetes – can assess blood sugar via continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The CGM sensor has revolutionized blood sugar evaluation and optimization.
Prior to a CGM sensor being available, the options for evaluating your blood sugar were a single prick of your finger which tells you your blood sugar in the moment or a hemoglobin A1C which provides a 90 day average of your blood sugar.
With a CGM sensor, we can see in real-time how choices impact blood sugar and evaluate their trends. This helps truly personalize nutrition and lifestyle recommendations if used better. This is a great choice for everyone as optimizing blood sugar is part of foundational health. That’s why we jumped on and signed up for Stelo as soon as it was available.
To determine if Dexcom’s newest glucose biosensor, Stelo is a better option for blood sugar continuous glucose monitoring, we must first define what a better CGM experience requires. After 3 years and hundreds of patients with CGM sensors, we believe it includes the following:
- ease of purchase (includes sending a new sensor if first one falls off or is faulty)
- complete tracking (food, drink, supplements, mood, activity, sleep, stress – to name just some of the 40+ factors that impact blood sugar so they should be evaluated)
- ability to review blood sugar trends over a period of a week or longer
- facilitate practitioner and patient collaboration with easy data sharing
What did our Stelo experience reveal?
In this blog, we are giving you an honest review of Stelo, exploring all of its pros and considerations. We want you to be able to make a better investment. So we are also comparing it side-by-side to our Better CGM Experience which is powered through collaboration with Theia – a practitioner only CGM service using a Freestyle Libre – or if a participant prefers to use their Dexcom, we can evaluate their data through their Clarity or other apps too. So, let’s see how they both do!
The Stelo vs The Better CGM Experience (from The Better Nutrition Program (BNP))
CGM Sensor Cost
When it comes to pricing, Stelo takes the crown! For a one-time purchase of $99.00, you get one box with two biosensors that you can wear for up to 30 days. This compares to our cost (via Theia) which is $150 (for the Freestyle Libre 3 which still requires a prescription; cost includes that price). If someone already has a CGM sensor the app cost is $35.
Stelo: $49.5/sensor
Theia Abbott Freestyle Libre 3: $150/sensor
Advantage Stelo. But keep reading because, especially in healthcare, the first price you see isn’t the whole cost for what you may need.
No Prescription and FDA-Approved
Stelo doesn’t require a prescription so ANYONE can order it and start monitoring their glucose levels without going through the hassle of obtaining medical approval. Despite that, it’s still FDA-approved, ensuring it meets safety and efficacy standards.
The Better CGM Experience powered by Theia includes an FDA-approved sensor and takes care of getting the prescription as affordably and efficiently as possible. But it does require additional time and investment (see pricing above and timing below).
Another point for Stelo.
No Alarms
Stelo doesn’t have any of the standard alarms that were designed to help diabetics avoid the health issues of lows and highs. We’ve found that this can disturb non-diabetics and diabetics alike. So for many this is a big win! These often disrupt sleep and are historically not adjustable as they were an intentional health safety feature.
Wow Stelo, looking gooooood.
Easy Instructions and Set-Up
Every step of the Stelo onboarding process was extremely user-friendly, from browsing the website to ordering the sensor and receiving it. Our tester said that she felt that even people with no prior experience with CGMs would find it very easy to start the onboarding process.
Great job Dexcom! Stelo has been very well thought out.
The feedback we’ve received from hundreds of Theia users and using it ourselves for our partners is that the onboarding is also very easy. At BNP, we get extra love for the fact that users connect with a human to do the application and – if needed – onboarding with them.
Not Below 70
One thing that is critical for people without (or with) diabetes is to be able to see the specific numner that your blood sugar is when it is lower (and ideally your practitioner) to personalize your better blood sugar range.
This was not available when we tested Stelo.
The app ONLY gives you two different range options. The downfall, the low end of the range is 70, and the lowest reading Stelo will give you is “below 70”. So, if you dip below that, you’re left in the dark. Did you drop to 68 or all the way down to 42? Big difference, right?! This little detail can make a huge impact on your overall tracking, and what your “average” blood sugar is – this is NOT BETTER.
For our patients, and we believe for all, knowing when they are at a 60 vs a 50 is key as is being able to show them what is driving their average.
Advantage the Better CGM Experience.
Quick Set-Up and Delivery
The speed of the Stelo shipping and onboarding process was excellent and made getting started a breeze. Our tester had hers within 2 days. This win is the result of not needing to wait for a prescription. For comparison, the Theia ordering and delivery is usually 4-5 days.
If you’re looking to do this fast, Stelo is a win… but sometimes an impulse buy ends up as buyers remorse. Let’s keep reviewing.
Quality and Durability
The patch Stelo offers is awesome! Plus, you can grab some fun designs right from their website and have fun with them. It sticks pretty well, but heads up—just like all other sensors, long, extended exposures to the water can decrease the lifespan of the sensor. Theia also provides a black T patch for every sensor.
Built to last – for 14 days. This is exactly what we’ve experienced with our partners.
That said, for both services, the potential for a device to not work or break is high and thus, the ability for it to get replaced is key.
Replacement policies can be a real headache!
We love how Theia approaches it – yes they have to rely on Abbott to ship your replacement but it is so easy to request a replacement.
Not so with Stelo.
Imagine being told to toss the packaging during onboarding, only to realize later that it’s the only place where your serial number is printed—and guess what? You’ll need that number if you ever need a replacement. Stelo tip: don’t ditch the box right away! Either keep it until your sensor finishes or snap a quick pic of that serial number. It could save you some hassle down the road!
Advantage the Better CGM Experience (and Theia!)
Tracking Features
The Stelo sensor is linked to an app where you can access your data. It tracks your glucose every 5 minutes, giving you real-time monitoring of your levels. Because it uses an app, you can also sync your data to your Apple Health. That will allow you to view your glucose daily average and range.
However, there are limited options for tracking meal, caffeine, supplements, stress, activity or other factors.
At BNP, we like a broader range of options so we can experiment with 40+ factors that can affect your blood sugar.
And writing down what you ate and drank can be a time suck. We love that with Theia we have the option for photo tracking and also to identify a regularly occurring choice (time you take meds or supplements, breakfast you eat, exercise you do or time you sleep) and to track “other” choices that you and your practitioner determine are of value (when you were in zone 2 vs zone 3 training, traveling vs at-home etc.)
Advantage BNP – the better CGM experience is better because we look at all the different choices you make to see how each one alone and in collaboration impact your blood sugar.
Stelo has Data Viewing Restrictions (!!)
By now you know that seeing your data not just in the moment but overtime matters as much or even more. Initially excited about the Stelo Dexcom app integration, we found it underwhelming to discover that you can only view your data on the graph for 24 hours.
After 24 hours your data goes POOF! You can’t access your historical data or revisit previous trends. You can sync it to Apple Health. But, even with that, you only get a range and a daily average, not detailed readings.
This is like if you got your vitamin D level tested and you could only see it for 24 hours and then not see it 3-6 months later when you are trying to compare it to a new level for improvements etc.
REALLY NOT BETTER. SWIPE LEFT (for now, with Stelo it’s not a better relationship to invest in).
From our tester “When experimenting with my CGM, I was excited to track how my glucose levels fluctuate over the mornings. Did anything change? Did they stay the same? When testing out different breakfasts, which one was better? Unfortunately, with the Stelo, unless I took screenshots, I’ll never know– its data is limited to a 24-hour window, making it impossible to compare trends over multiple days. This is probably the biggest disappointment because I want to see the real impact of lifestyle changes and factors like food choices, activities, and mood. Without the ability to compare day-by-day results, or even results from my sensor over the course of a few months, how can I truly know if I’m making progress? The lack of detailed data and ongoing review capability feels more like a superficial snapshot than a thorough assessment.”
Stelo also has Limited Data Display 😢
Another disappointment for the Stelo app. It does not list out individual readings meaning you have to tap your phone screen and scroll across for each reading. Plus, the graph doesn’t display when you input extra data. Definitely not helpful if you are trying to share your data with your practitioner! In the Theia app, which we will detail more about below, your information and inputs are integrated with your glucose recordings. For our clinical team, this is very helpful so we can track how different factors, activities, and actions impact your blood sugar.
On Theia’s dashboard and in the app, you can see icons where data was tracked.
In Stelo you can only see what the glucose reading was and the time of the reading. You would have to flip to another tab in the app to match up the time of the action and flip back to the graph to compare it.
So is Stelo better for your blood sugar continuous glucose monitoring?
Based on the above we would not recommend it as a first CGM sensor for anyone. It could be a good option for those who already understand glucose tracking and have a solid grasp on their action plan. And if that person does not have <70 glucose readings with any frequency.
Why choose the Better CGM Experience?
(you can also chat us right now for truly personalized feedback on your better choice)
Whether a newbie, looking to optimize blood sugar or seeking to maintain your current levels as part of efforts to get and stay healthy, the Better CGM Experience should be strongly considered.
Optimizing blood sugar is foundational for all better health outcomes – autoimmune disease, weight health, sports performance, inflammation, cholesterol, cancer risk reduction, fertility and more. It’s smarter to invest in the better experience to reap the benefits of a truly personalized experience
Better CGM pricing tip: you can reduce your costs by getting a prescription from your practitioner (if applicable) and then the $150 becomes just $35. We’re here to partner with you for the long game wins – lasting better health! With The Better Nutrition Program and Theia at your side, you’ll have ongoing support and personalized feedback every step of the way. Whether your glucose spikes or dips, we’ve got you covered. Together, we’ll make sure your journey to better health is as smooth as possible—and maybe even a little fun along the way! Let’s crush those goals, one reading at a time!
