At-Home A1C Testing for Type 2 Diabetes: Pros and Cons
DiabetesType 2 Diabetes

Pros and Cons of At-Home A1C Testing for Type 2 Diabetes

Pros and Cons of At-Home A1C Testing for Type 2 Diabetes
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Published on October 02, 2026
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To get a hemoglobin A1C blood test for type 2 diabetes, you can go to a nearby lab and have your blood drawn. But if your doctor gives you the go-ahead, you can also check your levels with an at-home A1C test.

An A1C test measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. When you have type 2 diabetes, you need to repeat this test every three to six months.

You can buy at-home A1C tests at your local pharmacy or online, making them a convenient testing option. These tests also have downsides, so it’s important to check with your provider before you use them, and to continue to get the blood work your doctor orders for you at the lab.

Pros of At-Home A1C Testing

Going to a lab for regular blood draws can feel overwhelming and exhausting, especially when you’re managing a chronic illness like type 2 diabetes. At-home A1C tests offer the convenience of testing your blood sugar from home.

 Some other benefits include:

Fast Results

“Some tests provide results right away,” says Ruchi Mathur, MD, an endocrinologist and the director of Cedars-Sinai’s Diabetes Outpatient Treatment and Outpatient Education Center in Los Angeles and the director of clinical research and clinical operations for the Medically Associated Science and Technology program.

Once you add your blood sample to the testing device, you can see your A1C result in as little as five minutes.

 To use these tests, you draw a small blood sample by pricking your finger, then follow the instructions for testing the blood with the device provided.

Other test kits have you send samples to a lab, which returns results in days or weeks, says Dr. Mathur.

Accessible Testing

“The advantages of using the at-home A1C testing are especially helpful for patients who do not have easy access to a lab or physician’s office where they can have their blood drawn,” says Barbara Keber, MD, a primary care physician, the vice chair of family medicine at Northwell Health in Glen Cove, New York, and a professor in the department of family medicine at Hofstra University’s Zucker School of Medicine.

This includes people who live in underserved rural areas, where getting to a lab for a blood draw or having a lab tech come to their home may be impractical, says Dr. Keber. If you can’t make it to the lab in person, your provider may prefer home A1C test results over having none.

Ease of Use

One research review looked at how people felt about using home A1C tests and found that up to 99 percent of people felt that the kits were easy to use, and up to 94 percent of them said that they would use one again.

 At-home A1C test kits are small, battery-powered, and easy to store.

Treatment Adjustments

“Having a recent A1C result can help patients and healthcare professionals decide whether diabetes treatment may need to be adjusted, including during telehealth visits,” says Mathur.

New Perspective

An at-home A1C test can help you stay more aware of your diabetes management.

 “Seeing A1C results at home may help people better understand how medications, eating habits, physical activity, and other choices affect their blood sugar over time,” says Mathur.

Cons of At-Home A1C Testing

At-home A1C testing also has drawbacks and can’t fully replace the test you would get from a lab.

Lower Accuracy

“Home A1C tests may not be as accurate as a lab test for A1C measurements, and results can vary between products,” says Mathur. One study of 219 people who used at-home A1C tests found that their results didn’t always match the results from a blood draw that was taken at the same time and sent to a lab.

The brand of test you use matters too. The same study found that at-home test results matched traditional blood draw results anywhere from 29 to 82 percent of the time, depending on the make of the test kit.

 Research has also found that kits that use a dried blood spot for testing are less accurate than those that collect blood in a small tube.

Home A1C tests are also known to be less accurate in people with conditions that affect hemoglobin or red blood cell turnover, including forms of anemia and types of chronic kidney disease. If you have a condition that affects hemoglobin or red blood cells, take medications that affect red blood cell production, are pregnant, or have had a recent blood transfusion, you’ll need to stick with lab-based A1C testing.

Danger of Incorrect Medication Dosage

Inaccurate home A1C results can lead to serious consequences if you adjust medication — especially insulin — based on those results, says Keber. Taking an incorrect dose of medication can lead to serious harm, and even death, so it’s important not to adjust your dosage without your doctor’s guidance.

Not for Diagnosis

Because of problems with accuracy, you shouldn’t use at-home A1C tests to diagnose diabetes, says Keber.

 A diagnosis should be confirmed with a laboratory draw and analysis that is reviewed by your provider, says Mathur.

Is At-Home A1C Testing Right for You?

Once you have a diabetes diagnosis, your provider may suggest at-home A1C testing to add to the A1C lab draws they order.

 “Also, if there is a telehealth visit, or there is difficulty getting to the lab, the at-home A1C testing can be useful,” says Mathur.

Ability to Take the Test and Read the Results

To do an A1C test at home, you need to be able to get the kits used for testing at home and be able to perform the test itself correctly.

 “The ability to correctly follow the procedure for whichever test they are using is a priority,” says Keber.

Proper technique may be difficult if you have health issues like arthritis, a prior stroke, or another reason that you’re not able to collect the blood sample properly. “If the samples are not obtained correctly, it will lead to inaccurate results and potentially an incorrect change in a person’s medication, based on a [wrong] result,” says Keber.

You will also need to learn what your results mean, and what action, if any, should be taken. “If a home result is unexpected or could lead to a major change in treatment, your healthcare professional may recommend confirming it with a laboratory A1C test,” says Mathur.

Test Cost

“At home testing is almost always an out-of-pocket expense, while going to the lab for a blood draw is most often covered [by insurance] for patients with diabetes,” says Mathur. A1C testing devices typically cost between $37 to $53 and include some supplies that may need refilling later.

 However, depending on your insurance coverage (or lack of it), at-home tests may be less expensive than lab tests.

Stress With Testing or Results

Quality issues with home testing can lead to unnecessary stress or a false sense of security. “While not all tests are inaccurate, they are simply not as reliable as a ‘gold standard’ lab draw, and in the worst case scenario, if medication changes are made [based] on inaccurate data, it can be a significant health issue,” says Mathur.

Resources We Trust

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. A1C Home Kits. American Diabetes Association.
  2. Health Checks for People With Diabetes. American Diabetes Association.
  3. Brigham L. Can You Trust an At-Home A1C Test? The diaTribe Foundation. July 8, 2024.
  4. Colley J et al. Home Monitoring of Haemoglobin A1C in Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis on Accuracy, Reliability and Patient Acceptability. Diabetic Medicine. April 2023.
  5. Jacobsen LM et al. Accuracy of Three Commercial Home-Use Hemoglobin A1c Tests. Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics. June 28, 2022.
  6. Colley J et al. Home Monitoring of Haemoglobin A1c in Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis on Accuracy, Reliability and Patient Acceptability. Diabetic Medicine. April 2023.
  7. 6. Glycemic Goals, Hypoglycemia, and Hyperglycemic Crises: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026. Diabetes Care. December 8, 2025.
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  9. Sacks DB et al. Guidelines and Recommendations for Laboratory Analysis in the Diagnosis and Management of Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes Care. July 20, 2023.
  10. ReliOn A1C Self Test System. Walmart.
  11. Walgreens A1C Test Kit, 1.0 set. Walgreens.
  12. CVS At Home A1C Test Kit. CVS.
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