BACtrack S80 Breathalyzer | Professional-Grade Accuracy | DOT & NHTSA Approved | FDA 510(k) Cleared | Portable Breath Alcohol Tester for Personal & Professional Use

I need to have a means to check my BAC before driving. I am a very good driver - in almost 30 years, I have never so much as dented a car I was driving except the one time I was stopped at a traffic light and got rear-ended. That said, just because I think - even *know* - that "I can drive", the law may say otherwise. With limits reduced to a meager 0.08%, I am entirely positive I have driven over that limit before and I don't want that to happen again. I cannot afford a DUI. I shopped around and immediately discarded all of the cheap-o keychain options. I am not interested in fail/pass (read: alcohol present vs. not, at all) device. I want an accurate measurement. If I am at 0.08%, or above, I look to either find another mode of transportation or wait it out some, depending. In purchasing this device, I spent more than I had anticipated, but this is an occasion where quality cannot be sacrificed. It arrived quickly after ordering. Within the box was a nice carrying case, the device, an instruction booklet, a registration reminder, a pair of AA batteries, and a half-dozen individually sealed mouthpieces. I reviewed the instruction booklet. It is front-loaded with a few pages of general information RE: alcohol consumption. After that, there are a couple pages dedicated to the operation of the device. The instructions were stone-cold simple except for ONE thing. It made reference to pressing the "Power Button" which is, in fact, the "Start" button. I took a measurement and it seemed to operate just fine, registering a solid 0.00% result, which is good since it is still the middle of the afternoon and I am not an alcoholic. The device is solidly built and everything fits nicely in the case, which zippers shut. It can easily fit in one of the several storage cubbies in our car. I intend to throw a spare set of batteries in there and leave it in the vehicle. Anyway, my wife and I have an active social life and, quite often, it involves some booze. I'll probably be using this device once a week. I will update this review with tales of "actual usage" as they unfold. I may just "calibrate" it tonight, for kicks. There is nothing I see, so far, though that renders this anything less than a five star product. Only tips are: Have spare batteries. Register the product online (takes 30 seconds). Wait 20 minutes after your last drink before expecting an accurate measurement. Be prepared to send it off for calibration once a year. That should do it. Good luck and stay safe and out of trouble! EDIT: The night I purchased the device, I drank some beers and measured the results. They were exactly what I expected them to be. Measuring after waiting 20 minutes after each beer yielded increasing results. I did this for eight beers. About two hours after no longer drinking, the results started to go downward. I am confident I will not only have a good measurement when it comes time to drive, but I will also develop a better sense of what different levels of buzzed/drunk translate to in terms of raw BAC numbers...and how long those numbers take to diminish after stopping drinking for the evening. This is good information to have. EDIT2: After using this device for some months, I absolutely love it. I have basically trained myself to enjoy the evening, but end it under the legal limit. When I go to the car, I check my level and, almost without fail, I am able to predict what it is within 0.005...just based upon what I have consumed and how I feel. No more guesswork. No more risk. I cannot recommend this enough. I have had friends witness my use of the device (and the eerie accuracy of my predictions..."I feel like about a 0.065"...BOOM!) and they have been quite impressed. Hopefully the behavior will rub off on a few of them and they, too, will render themselves immune to unnecessary trouble. EDIT3: 6/26/2015. Well, some nasty person broke into my Jeep Wrangler while I was attending a rock concert with my son, destroyed my locked glove compartment (but couldn't get it open), cracked open the locked middle console, and stole my BACtrack S80 (among other things). I just ordered $800 worth of Tuffy gear (secure glove compartment, middle console, and rear compartment), so that's not going to happen again, but, more pertinent to this product, I am purchasing the same exact BACtrack S80, again. That is how good it is. Meh. It was up for calibration, anyway.

If you ever find yourself wondering, “Am I okay to drive?”—the Backtrack Personal Breathalyzer is the definitive answer. More than just a gadget, it’s a tangible commitment to safety, responsibility, and peace of mind. As someone who believes in planning ahead, I found the Backtrack to be incredibly straightforward and reliable. Its compact, keychain-friendly design means it’s always with me. The one-button operation is genius: you simply turn it on, wait for the ready signal, and blow. Within seconds, you get a clear, easy-to-read LED result (green, yellow, or red) corresponding to a safe, caution, or over-the-limit BAC range.

I mentioned this rather expensive S80 as a purchase I was considering to my wife. Surprisingly, she said "great idea" -- she questioned not so much my sobriety, but my legal BAC on a couple of occasions, either after dinner with a couple of drinks, or after beers at a friend's house. If we're together, she'll drive, but there are those times I've come home and she'll smell that I've had a few. I don't drink often, and when I do, I don't drink in any remarkable quantity, but when we're out I'll have a margarita with dinner or a beer with brunch, or a couple of beers while working on the house. Rarely do I feel impaired (and at those times I won't drive), but it's those other times... If I DO get pulled over after a couple drinks, what will I blow if I get pulled over? Without one of these BAC meters, it's always been a big question mark. Anyway, the S80 is indeed a compact unit that stores away in a zippered protective case. It'll stow easily in a glove box or side door compartment, or even under the seat, so that it's in the vehicle when needed. I of course tested it when it first arrived, and let's put it like this: I'm satisfied that I haven't driven over the .08 limit any time in my recent history, and my "I feel impaired" self-selected limit is closer to .05%, which I achieved with 5 beers over 4 or 5 hours. So what I'd like to point out is that this BAC meter shouldn't be used (but *could* be) as a go-ahead to drink more. This meter + common sense is probably the better combination. I personally won't get behind the wheel if my results come back in the .06 to .07 range, and will continue to not drive if I *feel* impaired even if the meter is giving me a BAC in the "safe" range. Operation is one-button simple. I was prepared for a long, hard, deep blowing session to get a good result, but in use it seems far easier and shorter than expected. Keep in mind that you're supposed to wait 20 minutes after your last drink or last BITE OF FOOD before use. That can be a long time. The manual references not fouling the internal workings as the reasoning behind this 20 minute wait, and I definitely don't want to do anything to permanently compromise the accuracy of such an inexpensive instrument. Results do take some time -- maybe 10 seconds? -- to pop up on the LCD display after blowing is complete, but as other reviewers have pointed out, the results seem to be accurate and consistent. The price of this unit is fairly steep, but comparatively, it was the BAC meter I felt to be most reliable. In retrospect, however, I might opt for a less expensive unit because I see it's not as important to have accuracy to the Nth decimal place, but instead to have general idea of what range my blood alcohol content is sitting at. Again, I'm not looking to differentiate between 0.080 versus 0.075, because I wouldn't be driving in either instance. Instead, less accurate .06 versus .05 would be of more use to me, if I felt OK to drive. No, I'm not complaining that this S80 is "too accurate" -- I'm happy to have that level of confidence in the unit -- just saying that a less expensive unit with a less precise BAC readout would be equally useful for my needs. I do plan to make this meter available to any guests over for BBQ / parties / football watching as I think it would be responsible to ensure nobody leaves my house unaware that they're over the legal limit. Seems like the right thing to do.

I bought this for our company holiday party. It's an open-bar affair, maybe eighty to ninety boisterous, twenty-something millennials in attendance; my idea was to hand out wrist bands (Advantus Crowd Management Tyvek Wristbands: they worked great) in exchange for keys/Uber receipts, and make people blow in the breathalyzer to get their keys back. Those who failed the BACtrack could get their keys from the lobby the next morning. Great idea, right? In execution, not so much. Almost immediately my people landed on the idea of having a personal mouthpiece (I bought two fifty-packs of BACtrack Breathalyzer Mouthpieces for fairly cheap, also a smart move) and "competing" to see who could get the highest BAC. Many times I heard, "I'm only at a 0.06, time for another pickle-back/Jamo" followed by, much to my chagrin, a hearty round of cheers. Needless to say the BACtrac S80 Pro Breathalyzer was immediately retired. My wife and I did gauge ourselves at home, for fun, and found the breathalyzer to be rather accurate. Also interesting as that my wife, who weighs less than half of what I do, blows a 0.11 after three glasses of wine where I'm at a 0.05. I will always be DD, with this thing as a good backup gauge. Also important, and this is reiterated repeatedly in the instructions: you have to abstain from consuming alcohol for 15-20 minutes to get an accurate reading, otherwise residual booze in the mouth/throat will presumably throw this thing off. Sure the BACtrack S80 Pro is pricey, but during college I messed around with a bunch of cheap breathalyzers that were never very accurate. This thing is always spot-on, and well worth the investment. I haven't measured it against a police breathalayzer, knock on wood, so mirroring the sentiments of the thing's documentation I would caution against overreliance. I've used it for a month now without having to change the battery. We marked peoples' personal mouthpieces with colored sharpies at a party so that people could have their own without being wasteful. They also wash just fine, so I can reuse them for the next soiree. The instructions are crystal clear, you have to blow for a sustained ten seconds or so, this is very easy to explain even while intoxicated. A caveat: super inebriated people might vomit when trying to take a deep breath/blow, so prognosticate and monitor accordingly. We lost the carrying case, but it was handy when we had it, with a space for a spare battery and a dozen or so mouthpieces. Comment with any further questions, this is a big purchase for something that might seem like a novelty, but one that I heartily recommend for fun, durability and utility.

This product worked for ~200 reads. I sent it to calibration through BACtrack and they emailed me a week later to let me know that my unit had failed calibration. BACtrack Solution to my problem: Refund the calibration charge, as a courtesy (a given). Send the unit back to me as well as a $40 coupon to purchase another unit from their website. My problem with their solution: 1. The battery is rated for ~1500 reads... the unit itself isn't operable after ~200 reads. 2. I paid for a unit that could be calibrated for this very reason 3. Why would they charge a calibration fee for a unit that can supposedly be calibrated, but can fail calibration at the same time? Shouldn't they be able to re-calibrate so that it passes the specifications? 3a. There is obviously a quality problem here. I hold them responsible just as I would hold Apple responsible to replace the faulty chipset on my MacBook when it was found to be faulty due to quality (which they did). How many people actually send their breathalyzer in for calibration? Well I calibrate all of my measuring tools because I have been exposed to highly regulated pharmaceutical labs that run devices requiring calibration on a monthly or even daily basis. If BACtrack can't identify this as a quality issue and honestly address it, why would I trust them to let me know when I am blowing over the legal limit? Would you guess that your device isn't going to pass calibration after 200 reads? Would you keep using it knowing that its not guaranteeing precision or accuracy? Probably not. My proposed solution to BACtrack: Send me a new one and keep the broken one, as a matter of ethical customer service decision-making. If you can't guarantee quality after 200 reads, then stop telling people that the battery will last 1500 reads. If you can't build a device that can be re-calibrated, then don't charge me for calibration. My bottom line is that I either get a replacement from BACtrack, or I purchase the Trace from Costco and leverage my membership guarantee every time it doesn't pass calibration. I've wasted enough time writing this review. Get your breathalyzer "calibrated"... more like "validated" soon! It's a fool-proof way of guaranteeing that the breathalyzer is working FOR YOU and not FOR BACtrack's pocketbook. ***UPDATE*** I spoke to BACtrack customer service on the phone and here is what I got. The units are expected to last anywhere from 3-5 years (time dependent not based on number of reads). I have owned this thing for nearly four years. I'm very disappointed with BACtrack's dishonesty when marketing their product as being used for 1500 times on a single battery cycle, when customer service clearly states 3-5 year lifespan (maybe print a "best by" date???), even with "calibration". I suggest they change their verbiage from "calibration" to "verification" soon. Their calibration service consists of reading the device at high, low and mid BAC standards and comparing it to the acceptable range. There is no method of calibration, just verification. According to their customer service, this is a common occurrence after owning the device for three years. At least put an expiration date or some sort of specification that lets your customers know about this or else you'll inevitably have blood on your hands. For example, imagine an AED chest pad or battery doesn't have an expiration date. If it fails to properly operate and there is not safeguard or printed date, then good luck to you buddy!

"Better safe then sorry", is the reason I picked up the S80. I used the analyzer a couple of times and the results have always been consistent; even with three people using it with different BAC during the same period. The S80 comes with it's own case and 6 individually wrapped mouthpieces. So it is best to pick up the 10 pack of mouthpieces BACTRACK Select Breathalyzer Mouthpieces (Pack of 10) , because as soon as your friends find out you have a breath analyzer at a party they are going to want to use it. Also, you should get an extra set of battery and put it in the case, just in case the day you want to use it and the batteries are dead. According to the instructions, do not use breath analyzer until it has been 20 minutes since the last drink/food has been consumed. Following that rule, should provide you with accurate and consistent results. Quality: The S80 is made of plastic; the type of plastic that appears it will not fare well during a fall on concrete. Just be careful to who you hand this too (if the person can't stand, he probably will not be able to hold your $150 investment). The case provided is really nice; it holds the instruction manual and S80 unit. There is a pouch inside the case with a zipper that you can put the mouth pieces (I have 16 pieces in mine) and extra batteries. The case is (6"x4"x2"). Background: Majority of the breath analyzers that Amazon sells contain two types of sensors; semiconductor-based or fuel cell. The semiconductor-based typically cost less then hundred bucks and are known to be inaccurate and inconsistent with it's result. The fuel cells provides accurate and consistent results, but the breath analyzer with that type of sensor cost a lot more (but less then a DUI). The S80 has the fuel cell sensor. With all of these sensors, they do require to be calibrated once a year or every (200 to 300) tests according to BACtrack. BACtrack charges $20 to recalibrate. It's competitor AlcoHawk charges $29 for it's fuel cell version. (Update 12/11/2001) Be sure to tell the user to take a deep breath before blowing (I just taped a note on the analyzer as a reminder). We used this at a party and my results were accurate, but some people's results were questionable. It turns out I forgot to tell them to take a deep breath (provide a deep lung sample), as described in the instructions. After a retry with a deep breath, the results were more in line of what we expected.

Works well, I've tested it against the probation officers and it's spot on. Seems well built as well.

Okay this is spot-on. I tested and it did seem to be accurate and very reliable. Why did I buy it? My daughter just got her license and I showed her what it would be like if she was ever pulled over and suspected of DUI. It was so impactful she took it to her school and shared it with her friends. YMMV but I feel better a few kids know a bit more.