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Today we’re talking differences between the Freestyle Libre 3 and Libre 2 (by Abbott), as well as the features, the cost, and which one I prefer after trying both.

Since TRUEWELL is all about an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle, I like to focus on specific conditions that would benefit from this.

And pretty much all insulin resistance conditions fall under that category.

When insulin resistance is present, it’s extremely helpful to know what your blood glucose or blood sugar levels are at all times, and especially after meals. Stress, sleep, and exercise can absolutely affect blood sugar levels as well.

All these factors make wearing a continuous glucose monitor really handy and convenient to keep an eye on how your body responds to these environmental and lifestyle factors, but also to your food.

So, when I got diagnosed with prediabetes I asked my doctor if I could get a prescription for a continuous glucose monitor. For more information on continuous glucose monitors, how they work, how they can benefit you, and how you can get one, catch this post: BENEFITS OF CONTINUOUS GLUCOSE MONITORS AND HOW TO GET ONE.

So starting with the Freestyle Libre 2

I was prescribed the Freestyle Libre 2 continuous glucose monitor, which was the newest available at the time.

So, these things are pretty small, stick to the back of your arm, and track your blood sugar levels in your interstitial fluid.

What I was interested in was that the Libre 3 had been advertised a lot but I had to wait 6 or 8 months for it to actually be released and available at the pharmacy.

So now that I’ve actually used both, I want to share what the main differences are and which I prefer using.

Pros of the Libre 2

So first off, the Libre 2 really is small, it’s about the size of a quarter, maybe, and I believe you can wirelessly attach it to a monitor, but I feel like connecting it to the app you can get on your phone is way more convenient because that’s just one less thing you have to keep up with and most people have their phone on them at all times anyway.

To use the Libre 2, you open the app and tap the Check Glucose or Scan Sensor button and then hold your phone close to the sensor. My phone does a little vibration thing when it’s scanned.

It’s super convenient to be able to see your blood sugar levels at any time, and then keep an eye on them in almost real-time, instead of having to do a finger stick every time.

So this thing makes it really convenient to monitor what food is doing to your body. But if you keep track of even your sleep, stress levels, and exercise as well, you’ll be able to easily start seeing trends in how your blood sugar levels are responding to all those things.

The app allows you to make notes every time you scan for a reading, as well as enter the number of carbs you’re eating or any other notes. I would regularly log exactly what I ate and the order I ate the food so I could see, for example, if eating my protein, fat, and fiber before my carbs mattered.

I have a lot of videos of these types of experiments if you’re interested. Once they’re ready I’ll have them listed in the TRUEWELL channel, so make sure to subscribe to get notifications for these types of videos.

You can also enter a manual blood sugar reading in the log book so you can compare what the sensor is reading and the actual manual readings.

All of this information is available in the portal if you sign up for an account (which is free) on the Freestyle Libre website.

Cons of the Libre 2

What I noticed about the Libre 2 is that there are a LOT of error scans, so sometimes you have to keep doing it until it scans correctly.

Another thing is that if you put it in a bad place on your arm, it may not even work. I had at least 3 that either were way off in their readings, or wouldn’t scan at all.

This becomes a big inconvenience when you then have to call Abbott and speak to someone for 30 minutes, giving them loads of info on the sensor, just for them to send you a replacement.

I also had a TON of false critical readings with alarms blaring several times during the night. I read up on a few forums and the reviews in the app store and others said the same.

They did an update at one point that I believe allowed you to choose which alarms you wanted, but you can never turn off the most critical alarm. That alarm woke me and my husband up a ton of times before I disabled the app completely every night before bed, so that was super annoying.

Especially when I needed to continue it reading through the night to check on the dawn phenomenon situation.

There were also a LOT of alarms for getting too far away from my phone for it to read. I think there may be a way to disable that as well, I think there were enough complaints about the alarms that they did an update in the app so you have more control over the alarms.

The Libre 2 also comes in the package with 2 separate pieces that you have to line up and put together before you apply the sensor. I’m guessing a lot of people have trouble with this because when I’ve had to call them to have mine replaced, they asked several questions to ensure I didn’t do something other than exactly what the instructions say for putting the applicator together and the actual application process.

And lastly, if you don’t scan the sensor for 8 hours, there’s a gap in data. That means you MUST scan it immediately before you go to bed, and if you sleep longer than 8 hours there will be a gap.

Same for during the day.

Summary of the Libre 2

All in all, to get started with a continuous glucose monitor, the Libre 2 gave me a ton of information and has made me super aware of how my blood sugar is affected by what I eat.

It’s surprised me many times that things like chips and salsa, or even seed crackers would make my blood sugar spike. And I was eating those things regularly, so it’s no wonder I’ve had a high A1C.

Review of the Freestyle Libre 3

I was super excited for the Libre 3 to come out because it’s got better features than the 2, it’s even smaller, and back last year in 2022 they advertised that it would also monitor ketone levels.

Now that I’ve gotten one and they’ve released it, the part about the ketones is completely missing. The information I read sort of indicated that the next version may have it so my thought is they couldn’t get it accurate or whatever to just get this thing released so they took it out of the description and the app.

The Libre 3 has a totally different app than the Libre 2, but if you have that account online through the Freestyle Libre site, it will connect the two and put all your data in there.

What I love about the Libre 3 is that it’s even smaller than the 2, here you can see the size difference.

This might not seem like a big difference, but I can’t tell you how many times just a millimeter or two of height has caused the Libre 2 to get stuck on bra straps or even the car seat when I’m moving around.

I also love that there’s only one piece in the package. You don’t have to make sure it’s all lined up and then put it together before applying it. They took that component out completely so that applying the sensor is more seamless.

The biggest thing I like about the Libre 3 is the fact that you don’t have to keep scanning it. You do your initial scan when you apply the sensor, then you don’t have to scan it again as long as you stay within about 30 ft of your phone.

This means there are no weird gaps in data like there were with the Libre 2.

This was a big deal for me because I’m constantly trying to figure out what’s affecting my blood sugar at night. I’ve had differences based on types of alcohol and how much I’ve had, plus I had one type of CBD that made it drop really low at night as well.

All of this is important to get to know your body better and be able to make more informed and better choices for your health.

As far as I know, the same disclosures hold true about high doses of Vitamin c and putting a lot of pressure on the sensor.

I also feel like the readings have been more accurate with the Libre 3 than the Libre 2. That’s a big deal because you don’t want to be worried about readings that aren’t really true. Especially when you have to correct with either insulin or glucose.

I don’t really have any cons to list here on the Libre 3.

The one thing that I’ve seen people complain about is they took out the ability to log manual blood sugar checks from the logbook. BUT—I personally don’t really feel like it’s a big deal because at any given time you can add a note like you could in the Libre 2 app and can just enter the manual blood sugar reading there.

Both have super sticky adhesive, so when you take it off, it feels like peeling a band-aid, so there’s no comparison really on that one.

Price of the Freestyle Libre 3 vs Libre 2

The price is nearly the same for the Libre 3 as it was for the Libre 2.

My insurance doesn’t cover mine because my diagnosis was prediabetes, so I pay out of pocket. For one month it comes out to around $78. If you’d like to know more about how to get one, check out my article that talks all about continuous glucose monitors.

So… all this to say… until a newer better version comes out, I think I’m convinced that the Freestyle Libre 3 is the best option, and that’s absolutely the one I’ll continue to use.

Got more questions? Leave them in the comments below or DM me at: m.me/truewell.co

One of the biggest health crazes lately is to monitor blood glucose levels with a continuous glucose monitor– even when you don’t have insulin resistance. But with the statistics now standing that 1 in 3 adults has prediabetes, there’s definitely a need for more ways to understand our blood sugar levels in the battle to reverse insulin resistance.

These little devices are a vast advancement in awareness around and management of daily blood glucose. This is huge if you do have prediabetes, type 1 or 2 diabetes, PCOS, or other insulin resistance conditions.

So what is this little device, and how can it help? Well, in more ways than you’d think!

What is a continuous glucose monitor?

So first of all, a continuous glucose monitor is a little disc that attaches to your skin with super strong adhesive, and has a really strong filament that goes into your skin. It monitors your blood glucose levels, or blood sugar levels, and either has a device that connects wirelessly, or many can actually connect to an app on your phone.

Over the last few years a lot of advancement has been made in not just the capability of cgms, but also the ease of use.

So how does a continuous glucose monitor work?

Like I said, the continuous glucose monitor is a little disc with adhesive to hold it firm to your skin. It has a little filament in the center that will essentially puncture your skin so it can stay in the tissue the entire time you’re wearing the device. Some monitors will last a week, many last 2 weeks at a time.

I know it sounds like it would hurt or be uncomfortable, but I assure you, it doesn’t. It really doesn’t even hurt when you apply it.

Manufacturers put them into an installation device and honestly, the only discomfort I’ve felt is if I didn’t let the alcohol dry completely it stung a little, but really the edges of the applicator pushing in around it was more uncomfortable than the filament puncture.

A continuous glucose monitor is different from manual blood sugar monitors in that they measure blood glucose levels from the interstitial fluid, while manual glucose monitors take an actual blood sample.

What this means is that manual glucose monitors can give you accurate on-the-spot readings, while continuous glucose monitors have a lag, usually about 10-15 minutes.

How to benefit from a continuous glucose monitor

How to use a continuous glucose monitor to your benefit lies in a few different factors. The first is if you have insulin resistance or hypoglycemia, which is low blood sugar episodes where you need to monitor your blood sugar to ensure there’s no emergency situation with your health.

Those with type 1 diabetes almost always need this because their bodies don’t produce much, if any, insulin. They’re required to take insulin, but sometimes calculations aren’t 100% accurate, and there’s always the risk of going into severe hypoglycemia, which can cause coma and death.

Those with hypoglycemia episodes pose the same risk, so it’s really essential for them to always know what their blood glucose levels are.

Those with type 2 diabetes sometimes have hypoglycemic episodes as well, but it’s more common for them to have hyperglycemia, which is blood glucose levels that are too high.

Those with other metabolic issues like prediabetes or PCOS can use continuous glucose monitors to get a handle on what foods affect their blood glucose in different ways to get their blood sugar levels under control in an effort to lower their A1C levels.

Many are also trying to reverse insulin resistance. Having a constant monitor on lets you know how things like food, sleep, stress, and exercise either help or hinder your blood glucose levels.

Then there is another subgroup of those that don’t have insulin resistance but are interested in how all these factors affect their glucose levels. This starts veering into what’s called biohacking. Many people are getting on board with research showing that lower continuous glucose levels are better for metabolic health as a whole.

What you need to consider when using a glucose monitor

There are few things to consider when using a glucose monitor.

Accuracy of continuous glucose monitors

The first is that sometimes it’s not always super accurate. The reason is that even though these units are calibrated by the company before they’re packaged, where you place it can have an affect.

For example, I’ve tried them on my right arm, and no matter where it gets applied, it’s not close to accurate. On my left arm, I only have one or two spots that show accurate results. Usually the more fatty areas are said to be more accurate than more muscular areas, and that’s held true for me.

Reporting time of continuous glucose monitors

The second thing is that there is a lag in reporting. That’s usually 10-15 minutes, so if you’re using one for hyper or hypoglycemia, you may need to act quickly and constantly monitor with a manual blood glucose monitor.

The good news is that you can usually set a threshold on the device or within the app so that if it does start heading too high or too low you’ll get an alarm so you can correct the situation.

Other reasons a continuous glucose monitor may not be accurate

The third thing to know is there are a few other situations which would render  a continuous glucose monitor as inaccurate. One is taking high doses of vitamin C, which the package contains a warning about.

The other is that sometimes – seemingly for no reason- you could get super low or high random readings. This has only happened to me during the night, and I’ve read on a few forums from others that it can happen if you put heavy pressure on the sensor, like if you roll over and have that arm under you while you are sleeping.

The 4th thing is that it can take a day, sometimes 2, to get really accurate on readings. It’s important to still check with a manual blood glucose monitor in those times to ensure you’re getting accurate readings and can make sure they coincide.

Why I am wearing a continuous glucose monitor ; why I decided to try out a continuous glucose monitor

I’m wearing a continuous glucose monitor for a few reasons.

The first is that I’ve been diagnosed as prediabetic. This alone does not warrant my insurance company paying for a continuous glucose monitor. But I’ve opted to initially pay out of pocket because I’m in the age bracket where my hormones are going wacky and I was waking up in sweats every night.

This can be from hormones, or it could be due to the dawn phenomenon. This is when your blood sugar drops very low in the middle of the night, then your body kicks in glucagon to bring it back up, and many times this can create more body heat and sweating. Many people have strange or even bad dreams when this happens, but it usually results in waking up frequently.

Once I wore my sensor for 2 weeks and saw that trend, my doctor advised that it proved that my situation was genetic. I wanted to know that for sure because I maintain an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle, and very rarely eat sugar or bread, and have eaten low-carb for years.

He confirmed to me that if you have the genetics for it, it can be really hard to still keep your A1C under control, but that if I *hadn’t* been eating healthy and low carb as I had, I probably would’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes years ago.

Wearing this sensor has been extremely eye-opening for me, and I’ll continue to use them until I feel comfortable with how I’m managing my blood sugar with lifestyle and dietary changes.

How to get a continuous glucose monitor

So for some this can be tricky—here’s why.

If you’ve been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, your health insurance should pay for these, absolutely. If you’re diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, hypoglycemia, PCOS or other insulin resistance conditions, they *may* pay for them.

If you’re diagnosed as prediabetic, they probably won’t. And if you don’t have any of these conditions they won’t.

However—what I’ve learned is that even though my insurance company won’t pay for it, there are still 2 ways you can get them:

1: Ask your doctor

The first is simply to ask your doctor if he or she will write a prescription for one. Tell them you’re really interested in your metabolic health and would like to trial a sensor for a month or so. Many doctors have no problem doing this.

Just know that you’ll have to pay for it out of pocket. My out-of-pocket runs around $78 a month, and that includes 2 sensors that each last 2 weeks. I am currently wearing the Freestyle Libre 3. I have another post that compares the Freestyle Libre 2 and Libre 3 and the features of the 3 if you’re interested.

2: Private continuous glucose monitor companies

There are companies that offer sensors and a membership that will help you interpret the data and have coaches on staff as well. Although these can get pricey, they do give a ton of information as well as support if you’re really into your metabolic health and haven’t been diagnosed with a condition that warrants a prescription.

I hope this gave you enough information to make a better decision about using a continuous glucose monitor, and let me know if you have any more questions in the comments!

👉 SUGGEST NEXT: The Freestyle Libre 3 vs Libre 2 Review (Continuous Glucose Monitor)