When you are thinking of purchasing a breathalyzer, you are likely to start off very confused once you see the large selection that is available. Most people who are in the market for a breathalyzer have never really thought about buying one before, and go into the process thinking that one breathalyzer is the same as the next. As you are probably finding out, that could not be further from the truth. I hope this article will get you moving in the direction of figuring out which model is right for you.

The first thing that needs to be pointed out is that just because a breathalyzer is for sale and gives you a reading of your blood alcohol content (BAC), does not mean it is accurate, or really good for anything other than harmless entertainment or perhaps educational puposes.

When it comes to breathalyzers, you really have to know what the main pupose for the unit is goint to be before you can know which one is the right one to buy. If you want to carry a breathalyzer with you for use after having a couple of drinks, and you want to make the decision on whether to drive or call a cab, well in that case you really have to have a unit you can trust. That means you need a fuel cell sensor equipped breathalyzer. That alone narrows the field because the majority of units on the market use older, semiconductor sensor technology. While those breathalyzers do work, they are not nearly as consistent or accurate as those with fuel cell sensors. 

Within the categories of fuel cell and semiconductor there are always several choices to make. Typically the more expensive a breathalyzer is, the higher quality unit is is going to be. Now that is not always true, but it usually is. One way to test this out is to look at the specifications for a few different models. On this website you can see the numbers for each product and what the percentage of variance in the results has tested out to be. 

Within the BACtrack Professional Series, there are 3 models. These are the BACtrack S80 Pro, BACtrack S75 Pro, and the BACtrack Element. I listed those from the highest price to the lowest. All 3 of these units have a fuel cell sensor, the difference being in the size of the actual sensor. You can see the differences in sensor accuracy on each product page. As the price goes down, the accuracy also goes down. With fuel cell sensors you still get an extremely accurate result, even at the lowest price point, but there is a measurable difference between the accuracy a reading from Element will be compared to the S80 Pro. So the question becomes, is the extra $20 worth it? Well, our sales numbers suggest it is. The S80 is by far our most popular model, and that suggests people want a breathalyzer that can be trusted to give them a good result.

If compact size is more important, you have to weight the trade off between size and accuracy and make the decision for yourself as to which wins out. If your intention is simply to have an educational tool for you and your family, or you just need to measure for the presence of alcohol as opposed to the exact BAC level, then you have a lot more flexibility in choice. You can spend as little as $50 and get a quality semiconductor sensor breathalyzer in the BACtrack S30. 

In between all the options stated so far are the BACtrack S50, S70, and B70 models. You can pick your comfort level with size, accuracy and price point. The reason the BACtrack name is so well known for breathalyzers is simply because they have a full line of high quality models available at all price points. You just have to choose yours based on budget and need.

The specifications and owners manuals for all products are on each product page, so have a look around and choose the best breathalyzer for you and yours. The fact you are here at The Breathalyzer Store at all is a great step towards safety and peace of mind, so whatever your choice you will really cannot go wrong.