Info Hub

Welcome to the NeedleBay Info Hub, your central resource for practical guides and real stories about living with diabetes. Whether you want tips for managing daily insulin routines, the research story behind NeedleBay's development at Cardiff University, or community initiatives like Insulin Safety Week, you will find it here.

NeedleBay at a glance

What is NeedleBay?

NeedleBay is a small, purely mechanical case for insulin pen needles. It gives you a safe place to store and access fresh pen needles, and a secure place to keep used ones until they go into the sharps bin. It helps prevent missed doses and double doses, with no batteries, no charging cables and nothing to go wrong.

Who is NeedleBay for?

Anyone with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes who injects insulin with a pen. It is especially helpful for people with poor eyesight or reduced hand dexterity, parents of children with diabetes, school staff and carers.

How does a NeedleBay help me keep track of my doses?

Each NeedleBay holds four pen needles in separate bays with see-through lids. Each used needle goes back into its bay, so a quick look through the see-through lids tells you which of today's doses are done. A used needle has no seal, so you can also tell used from unused by feel.

Which pen needles fit a NeedleBay?

NeedleBay works with the pen needles you're already prescribed, including BD Micro-Fine, NovoFine, mylife and GlucoRx.

Who makes NeedleBay, and where can I buy one?

NeedleBay is made in the UK and designed by NeedleBay Systems Limited of Windsor, Berkshire, with healthcare professionals and people living with diabetes. You can buy a NeedleBay from £14.95 at needlebay.com, with delivery to UK addresses.

Guides and Articles

Did I take my insulin? Four insulin reminders compared

Phone alarms, smart pens, a written log or a visual check: an honest look at the four most common insulin reminders, what each is good at, where each falls short, and how to choose the one that fits your diabetes routine.

Insulin pen needle storage: keeping fresh and used needles safe

Where do your pen needles live between the box and the sharps bin? Original box, pouch, portable sharps bin or a dedicated case, compared honestly for home, work, school and travel, with UK guidance on single use and safe disposal.

Type 1 diabetes at school: managing insulin through the day

How your child's insulin routine can run at school without you there: what the school has to do, the lunchtime dose, the school kit, where used needles go, and a check staff can read at a glance. With UK guidance and the questions parents ask most.

Living with Type 1 Diabetes: Myths and Realities

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, leading to little or no insulin production. The result is high blood sugar and lifelong insulin therapy. Living with it means constant monitoring and management: regular blood glucose testing, calculating carbohydrate intake, and careful daily routine. This guide separates the myths and misconceptions from the realities.

Managing Diabetes with Insulin

Insulin is the hormone that regulates blood sugar by allowing glucose to enter cells for energy. In Type 1 diabetes the body destroys its own insulin-producing cells, so managing the condition means monitoring blood sugar and administering insulin to keep the balance. Explore the different types of insulin, from long-acting to rapid-acting, how each mimics the body's natural insulin production, and what that means for daily management.

The Evolution of NeedleBay

The NeedleBay system has come a long way in its design and specification, driven by thorough trials and insightful research. Look back at how NeedleBay evolved from its original development through a comprehensive trial at Cardiff University School of Healthcare Sciences and analysis by the University of Reading, and how that user-focused research shaped the product's design and relaunch.

NeedleBay x Desang Magazine

NeedleBay teamed up with Desang Magazine to offer their readers a free trial, letting people experience the benefits firsthand while gathering valuable feedback. The response was incredible: over 200 trial requests, and overwhelmingly positive feedback from people who found NeedleBay made a real difference to their daily routine as a safer, more convenient way to manage insulin pen needles.

NeedleBay Sponsors Insulin Safety Week

NeedleBay proudly sponsored Insulin Safety Week 2025, from 12 to 18 May, a vital initiative focused on improving insulin safety across healthcare settings. Supporting people living with diabetes is at the heart of everything NeedleBay does: helping users store and handle needles securely, encouraging single use, and offering a clear visual record of every dose.

Features and Benefits Brochure

Our two-page brochure: how NeedleBay works step by step, its features, common questions and what a diabetes specialist nurse says about it. Free to read, download, save or print.

Read the PDF

Multi‑Language Instructions

Step-by-step instructions for loading, using and emptying your NeedleBay, with safety notes, in English, German, French, Italian, Dutch and Spanish. Free to read, download, save or print.