Whether you’re actively on a low-carb diet or researching the ketogenic diet, a ketone breath meter can be a helpful, affordable tool to help you measure your ketone levels. Ketones are a byproduct of fat metabolism. If you’re on a low-carb diet, your body breaks dietary fat down for energy. Ketones are usually only present during ketosis, which happens when you don’t get enough carbohydrates from your diet. But if you’ve started a low-carb diet, your ketone levels will be elevated, and you can use a ketone breath meter or a ketone blood meter to measure your ketone levels.
We regularly evaluate ketone testing devices such as blood glucose meters and strips, breathalyzers, fitness trackers, scales, and more. We test them for accuracy, ease of use, and performance. Our pick for the best ketone breath meter is the Keto-Mojo. It has accurate ketone readings, a 1-second reading time, and doesn’t require calibration or a separate carrying case.
How to Measure Your Ketone Levels
Testing your ketones can give you valuable insights into your body and help you gauge whether you’re in ketosis.
There are a few different ways to test your ketone levels. The most accurate way is to use a blood testing meter. This method requires pricking your finger and placing a drop of blood on a test strip. The test strip is then inserted into the meter, giving you a reading of your blood glucose or ketone levels.
Another way to measure your ketone levels is through urine testing. This method is less accurate than blood testing, but it can still give you an idea of whether you’re in ketosis.
The final method is a ketone breath meter, which has become popular recently. Although not as accurate as a blood meter, they tend to be the most convenient.
What are ketone breath meters, and what are their benefits for people trying to improve their health?
Ketone breath meters are becoming increasingly popular among people looking to improve their health. These meters measure the level of ketones in the breath and provide real-time feedback so people can track their progress.
While ketone breath meters are not a replacement for regular exercise and a healthy diet, they can be a helpful tool in pursuing good health. Monitor how well the body is metabolizing ketones and make adjustments as needed to make sure you stay in ketosis.
How To Use a Ketone Breath Meter
Keto breath meters are a great way to track your ketone levels and determine whether or not you’re on the right track to achieving ketosis.
For most meters, to measure your ketone levels put on the ketone breath meter and breathe into it for three seconds. The meter will then measure the number of ketones in your breath and display that information on the screen. Remember that the ketone breath meter is not a replacement for rigorous keto dieting; it’s just a way to track your progress and adjust as needed.
How to use a Blood Ketone monitoring system?
There are a few different ways to use a blood ketone monitoring system, but the most common way is to prick your finger with a lancet device and place a drop of blood onto a test strip. The test strip will then change color based on the level of ketones in your blood.
Some people will use a system that tests blood glucose levels. Instead of measuring ketones, these systems will measure the blood glucose. Understanding your blood glucose will allow you to make estimates for when you enter ketosis. Since these systems are often used by Type 1 diabetics, they are more available.
Some expensive systems will test blood ketone and glucose levels, so it is possible to purchase an all-in-one device.
Top Pick
KETO-MOJO GK+ Bluetooth Glucose & Ketone Testing Kit
If you’re curious about getting into ketosis, or you like the ease of testing your ketones and glucose from your phone rather than using a separate device, the KETO-MOJO GK+ Bluetooth Glucose & Ketone Testing Kit + Free APP for Ketosis & Diabetes Management is a great way to find out where you’re going wrong. Despite its resemblance to an old-school blood glucose meter, the KETO-MOJO GK+ has a lot more advanced features than a basic meter. The result is a meter that can help you monitor your ketogenic diet more effectively, as well as give insight into your blood sugar levels and other health markers. The Bluetooth integration is a big plus, giving you the freedom to test from anywhere. The strips themselves are embedded with tiny LED lights, which make it easy to read the comfort of your home—whereas most glucose and ketone tests are done with the tubes used to draw blood. The accompanying app is well-designed and intuitive, and it allows you to track your diet, track your test results, and sync your readings with other popular health apps. It also provides helpful keto resources so that you can learn everything there is to know about ketogenic dieting.
Pros
- Easy to use, accurate readings
- Low price
- Free app (iOS/Android)
- Attractive design
Cons
- Limited features
- Limited device compatibility
V2 KETOSCAN Mini Breath Ketone Meter
The Ketoscan Pro is a well-designed device that is easy to use and very accurate. It’s widely considered the best breath-based ketone analyzer on the market, and it’s compatible with both iOS and Android. The mobile application makes it easy to document and track your progress, and the device’s built-in white dot-matrix display provides an immediate readout if you’re using the device without a smartphone. The downsides are that it’s a bit bulky and a little expensive, but it performs very well.
Pros
- Easy-to-read digital display
- Large range
- Backlight
- Affordable
- Excellent customer support
- App available on both iOS and Android
Cons
- No alarms
- Battery life
YIKKAI Breath Ketone Meter Acetone Analyzer
The Ketone Breath Meter is a decent tool for tracking your ketone levels, but it’s not perfect. First off, it only measures ketones from 0 to 99 PPM. The 2.0-39 and 40-59 ranges offer a slightly larger measurement range than our previous pick, but they don’t offer much detail. Second, it doesn’t really provide enough information to help you track trends in your sustained weight loss, making it hard to pinpoint exactly what’s going on. Instead, it just gives you an overall reading of how your body is doing. Third, the meter isn’t compatible with Android phones or iPhones, so you can’t use the app or view your data. However, the meter also has lots of memory for tracking your testing readings, and it uses two AAA batteries.
Pros
- Accurate and reliable
- Small, compact and portable
Cons
- No calibration
BreePoot Ketosis Breath Meter Portable Digital Ketone Breath Analyzer
This was a nice little tool to use to track my ketone levels. But there are three things that bothered me: 1) it stains the mouthpiece, and 2) the mouthpiece is not removable, so it’s very difficult to clean. And 3) it occasionally gave a reading when I wasn’t breathing. So I’d get a high reading, but I wouldn’t know for sure if I was in ketosis or not.
Pros
- Highly portable
- Easy-to-use
- Healthy ketogenic lifestyle
Cons
- Fluctuations in readings
- No estimated time of ketosis
KETOSCAN Lite Breath Ketone Meter
The KETOSCAN Lite is the most basic and cheapest breath ketone monitor currently available on Amazon, with a list price of about $39 and a street price of about $35. This device is not going to replace blood ketone levels or sophisticated fitness trackers, but it is a good tool for tracking your ketone levels if you’re on a keto diet or to help focus your diet and exercise efforts. The readings aren’t as accurate as blood ketone meters, but they work reasonably well. The device is well-designed, with subtle design touches that set it apart from the competition, such as the strap that holds the device in place. It takes less than 30 seconds to measure your ketones, and exhale into one of two holes to get an accurate reading. The device also gathers some data, such as your rate of metabolism, which the app will calculate for you. You can change the settings on the device from the app, and you can also assign the device to multiple users, which is useful if you plan to share the device with others. If you’re in the market for a basic breath ketone meter, the KETOSCAN Lite is a good value.
Pros
- Automatic Ketone Testing: just breathe into the KetoMeter for an accurate reading
- Low Cost: the KetoMeter costs less than $30
Cons
- Lacks advanced features
Conclusion
In conclusion, using a ketone tracking device is beneficial because it helps you monitor your progress, ensures you are staying on track, and allows you to make necessary adjustments. It also provides motivation and encouragement to keep going. For help with dieting, be sure to check out The Custom Keto Diet Review – An Affordable Way to Lose Fat
