Levels is a metabolic health app that pairs with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) so people without diabetes can see how their blood sugar responds to meals, sleep, stress and exercise. Our verdict is that it is an interesting and often eye-opening data tool, but whether the data changes health outcomes for a healthy person is not established, and the cost and the risk of over-reading normal fluctuations are real.
We reviewed Levels' official pages, the published research and independent coverage, and we did not wear a sensor ourselves. This review covers how Levels works, what the research does and does not say about CGMs in people without diabetes, and what it costs. It is not medical advice, and anyone with diabetes, a history of disordered eating or a medical question should work with a clinician.
How Levels Works
A CGM is a small sensor worn on the back of the upper arm that measures glucose in the fluid under the skin every few minutes. You scan or sync it to your phone, log meals with photos, and Levels shows a glucose curve, and a score for how stable your readings were. Early Levels hardware used Abbott FreeStyle Libre sensors, and recent coverage describes Dexcom's over-the-counter Stelo as the more accessible option. Which sensor you get depends on the plan, so check the current offer.
The appeal is feedback. You can see that a bowl of oatmeal and a bowl of rice produce different curves in your own body, and you can see the effect of a walk after eating.
How We Reviewed Levels
We read Levels' description of how the sensors and app work and compared it with the published research. We are not reporting specific glucose values, scores or changes, because individual readings from a few weeks of use are anecdotes, and we do not want to imply a number means something clinically. We looked at what is reported about wearability, app readability, sensor problems, and how well the interpretation guidance avoids overreach.
We are reviewers, not clinicians. If you have symptoms such as extreme thirst, unexplained weight loss or frequent urination, see a doctor rather than a wearable. Anyone with an eating disorder history should talk to a clinician first, since numeric tracking can aggravate it.
What the Research Says About CGMs Without Diabetes
CGMs were built for people with diabetes, and the strongest evidence is there. For healthy adults, research is earlier. A 2015 study by Zeevi and colleagues in Cell, "Personalized Nutrition by Prediction of Glycemic Responses," found that people can respond very differently to the same foods. A 2018 paper by Hall and colleagues in PLOS Biology, "Glucotypes Reveal New Patterns of Glucose Dysregulation," described varied glucose patterns, including in people whose standard tests looked normal.
These studies show variability, not that acting on CGM data improves long-term health. We found no trial demonstrating that healthy people who use a CGM for food choices have better outcomes. Spikes after meals are also a normal physiological event, so a high peak on your graph is not by itself a diagnosis.
Where Levels Can Mislead
Sensor readings lag blood glucose and can be inaccurate, especially in the first day of wear or when you lie on the sensor. A scary-looking dip overnight can be a compression artifact. The risk is that a healthy person starts avoiding nutritious foods such as fruit or whole grains because they produced a larger curve, which could reduce diet quality without any proven benefit.
The most defensible use is as a short experiment: wear it for a cycle or two, notice patterns, then stop. Treat the glucose score as the company's metric rather than a clinical measure.
Pricing and Plans
| Item | What we found (verify current pricing) |
|---|---|
| App membership | A mid-2026 third-party review listed about $15 monthly or $80 annually |
| Sensors | The same review listed Stelo sensors around $89 to $99 per two-sensor pack |
| Older bundled tiers | Levels support pages we found listed several tiers, with figures that conflict |
Because the sources conflict and Levels has changed its plans before, we cannot state a single reliable price. Check the Levels site, and confirm whether a sensor purchase, a prescription or a membership is required in your state.
Alternatives and Related Reading
Levels is one of several metabolic wearables. Our ZOE review covers a program that combines a CGM with gut and blood testing, and the Cronometer review covers food logging without a sensor. For broader eating guidance see how to start a Mediterranean diet. A food log plus an annual checkup may answer most questions at a fraction of the cost.
Who Should Try It and Who Should Skip It
Try Levels if you are curious, healthy, have no history of disordered eating, and want a time-limited experiment in how your own body reacts to food. Skip it if the cost strains your budget, if numbers make you anxious, or if you hope it will diagnose something. If you have prediabetes, diabetes or risk factors, discuss CGM use with your doctor, who can order appropriate tests.
Wearing a Sensor Day to Day
The practical side is mostly fine. The sensor is a small adhesive disc with a thin filament under the skin, applied with a single-use applicator, and most people forget it is there after the first hour. Showering is generally fine, but adhesive can peel with sweat, sports and clothing friction, so overpatches are common, and removing a sensor can irritate sensitive skin. People allergic to medical adhesives should ask a clinician before trying one.
Expect some noise. Readings during the warm-up window and when you press on the sensor can look dramatic without reflecting your blood sugar. Eating a consistent meal at different times, or after a walk versus after sitting, tends to give the cleanest comparisons, so it makes sense to keep experiments that simple.
Also think about what you will do with the answers. If a curve shows a bigger rise after a breakfast cereal, a reasonable response is to pair it with protein or take a short walk, which are ordinary healthy habits, but nothing in a graph should push you to cut out whole food groups without professional guidance.
The bottom line: Levels is a fascinating but unproven and sometimes pricey experiment for healthy people, best treated as a short, curious trial rather than a health plan.
