About Ascensia / Contour
Ascensia Diabetes Care is the company behind the CONTOUR line of blood glucose meters and test strips. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Ascensia was formed in 2016 when PHC Holdings (formerly Panasonic Healthcare Holdings) acquired Bayer's diabetes care division, carrying forward more than 80 years of glucose monitoring heritage under the Bayer and Ascensia names. The CONTOUR portfolio is sold in more than 90 countries and remains one of the most widely used blood glucose monitoring systems in the world.
The CONTOUR NEXT line shares a common accuracy engine across its meters: no-coding calibration, Second-Chance Sampling that lets a user reapply blood to the same strip within 60 seconds, and compliance with the ISO 15197:2013 accuracy standard. Independent third-party testing of top-selling glucose meters has repeatedly found CONTOUR NEXT technology among the most accurate on the market. Newer models in the line, like the CONTOUR NEXT GEN, add Bluetooth connectivity and pair with the CONTOUR DIABETES app for pattern tracking and clinician-ready reports.
Brand website: ascensia.com
What Ascensia / Contour makes
Ascensia / Contour's range runs wider than the products we review. The lines we know best from our own testing are marked with a star:
CONTOUR NEXT EZ
no-frills meter built around the shared CONTOUR NEXT accuracy engine — featured on BestRatedDocs
CONTOUR NEXT GEN
Bluetooth-enabled meter with smartLIGHT color feedback and app syncing — featured on BestRatedDocs
CONTOUR NEXT ONE
compact Bluetooth meter, also part of the CONTOUR NEXT accuracy platform
CONTOUR NEXT test strips
second-chance sampling strips compatible across the CONTOUR NEXT meter line
CONTOUR DIABETES app
companion app for trend graphs, time-in-range analysis, and exportable logbook reports
Why we recognized Ascensia / Contour
The BestRatedDocs Top Brand recognition isn't paid for and can't be applied for. We award it to the brands whose products consistently stand out in our category reviews. Ascensia / Contour earned it on the strength of the products below, evaluated the same way every product on this site is: assessed against clinical criteria, verified specifications, and real-world user outcomes, and judged on merit.
Ascensia / Contour products we rated highly
Contour Next EZ Blood Glucose Monitoring System
In our testing, the Contour Next EZ met ISO 15197:2013 accuracy standards while pricing test strips below most competitors in this roundup. Second-Chance Sampling lets you reapply blood to the same strip within 60 seconds if the first drop is too small, and no-coding calibration removes a common source of user error. An 800-reading memory with 7-, 14-, and 30-day averaging gives a reliable picture of glycemic patterns for physician review.
Read the 7 Best Glucose Monitors of 2026 guide →
Ascensia Contour Next GEN Blood Glucose Monitor
The Contour Next GEN carries the same ISO 15197:2013 accuracy engine as the Contour Next EZ and adds Bluetooth syncing to the CONTOUR DIABETES app for trend graphs and exportable logbook reports. Its smartLIGHT indicator lights the meter port blue, green, or red for an at-a-glance read on whether a result is below, within, or above range, and its 800-reading onboard memory retains data even when a phone isn't present.
Read the 7 Best Glucose Monitors of 2026 guide →What earned Ascensia / Contour the recognition
- Two CONTOUR NEXT meters earned places in our glucose monitor coverage, both built on the same ISO 15197:2013-compliant accuracy engine rather than two unrelated products.
- Independent third-party testing of top-selling glucose meters has repeatedly found CONTOUR NEXT technology among the most accurate on the market.
- No-coding calibration and Second-Chance Sampling address two of the most common sources of user error and wasted test strips in daily glucose testing.
- More than 80 years of glucose monitoring heritage, tracing back through Bayer Diabetes Care to Ascensia's formation under PHC Holdings in 2016, with the CONTOUR portfolio now sold in more than 90 countries.
- The Bluetooth-enabled CONTOUR NEXT GEN extends the same accuracy platform with app connectivity, giving readers a clear upgrade path within one accuracy-validated meter family.