The Stelo glucose monitor is the first over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor (CGM) cleared by the FDA. Made by Dexcom and launched in 2024, Stelo lets adults who do not take insulin see their glucose trends in real time without a prescription, primarily to manage prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, or general metabolic health.
What Exactly Is Stelo?
Stelo is a small, coin-sized sensor that sits on the back of your upper arm and measures glucose in the interstitial fluid just under the skin. It sends a reading to your smartphone every 15 minutes via Bluetooth. The sensor is water-resistant, lasts 15 days per wear, and pairs with a simple companion app that shows glucose graphs, meal tags, and daily trends.
It is built on the same sensor platform as the prescription Dexcom G7 but with a stripped-down app designed for people who are not dosing insulin. That means no alarms for hypoglycemia, no integration with insulin pumps, and no high/low alerts by default.
FDA Clearance and What It Means
In March 2024, the FDA cleared Stelo as the first over-the-counter CGM in the United States. This removed the need for a prescription for healthy adults curious about glucose trends, a category that includes an estimated 96 million US adults with prediabetes who previously had no easy access to a CGM.
How Stelo Works Step by Step
- Order online from Stelo’s direct-to-consumer site
- Apply the sensor to the back of your upper arm with the included single-use applicator
- Pair the sensor to the Stelo app on your iPhone or Android phone
- Wait about 30 minutes for the sensor to warm up
- Glucose readings appear every 15 minutes for 15 days
- After 15 days, remove the sensor and apply a new one
Accuracy and Limitations
| Metric | Stelo | Dexcom G7 (Rx) | Finger Stick |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARD (accuracy) | ~10% | 8.2% | 5 to 10% |
| Readings per day | 96 | 288 | 4 to 8 |
| Wear time | 15 days | 10 days | Instant only |
| Hypoglycemia alerts | No | Yes | No |
Accuracy is best in the 70 to 180 mg/dL range, which covers most prediabetes and type 2 diabetes users. Very rapid rises after a sugary meal may appear delayed by 5 to 15 minutes because interstitial fluid glucose lags behind blood glucose.
Who Should Use Stelo?
The ideal candidate is an adult with prediabetes, type 2 diabetes managed by diet or oral medications, or a health-conscious user wanting insights into how meals, exercise, and sleep affect glucose. If you check your A1C levels regularly and want day-to-day data between lab visits, Stelo fills that gap.
Stelo is not appropriate if you take insulin, have severe hypoglycemia, or need alarms and integration with an insulin delivery system. In those cases, a prescription CGM like Dexcom G7 or FreeStyle Libre 3 is the right choice.
What You Can Learn From Two Weeks of Data
- Which specific meals cause your biggest glucose spikes
- How a 10-minute walk after dinner flattens the post-meal curve
- Whether poor sleep is pushing your morning fasting glucose higher
- How stress days compare to calm days on your graph
- Your time in range (percentage of readings between 70 and 140 mg/dL)
Cost and Availability
Stelo costs about $89 for a two-sensor pack (roughly one month) when purchased as a one-time order, with a subscription option lowering the price slightly. It is available nationwide through the Stelo website and select retail pharmacies. Because it is OTC, most insurance plans do not cover it, but HSA and FSA funds typically can be used.
How to Get the Most From Stelo
Use the meal tagging feature to log what you eat immediately. Review your daily curve each evening and note the two or three foods or habits driving the biggest spikes. Aim for a time-in-range above 70 percent in the 70 to 140 mg/dL window. Combine the insights with the diet and exercise principles in our nutrition guide.
The Bottom Line
The Stelo glucose monitor democratizes CGM technology for the millions of Americans with prediabetes or non-insulin-treated diabetes. It will not replace medical care or insulin-dosing CGMs, but for behavior change and metabolic awareness, Stelo is one of the most practical tools available today.
Medical disclaimer: This article is educational and not medical advice. Consult your clinician before making decisions based on CGM data.
