BACtrackS80 Breathalyzer | Professional-Grade Accuracy | DOT & NHTSA Approved | FDA 510(k) Cleared | Portable Breath Alcohol Tester for Personal & Professional Use

This product is the best. Hands down. Accurate, precise, valid, and consistent. Definitely worth the bang for your buck. I trust it... l still need to figure how to recalibrate, but so far so good. Have this product for about 6 month with good use.

Nice and compact, fits in the pocket. Actually gives accurate readings.

It works easily

OK let me just say the obvious - don't drink and drive - good, that is out of the waySo I purchased this device after being stopped a few weeks back by the local gendarme. I had been out to dinner with a co-worker, had a few glasses of wine, and was heading home, when we were stopped for speeding. It happens. I was asked to exit the vehicle for field sobriety tests, and for a breath sample - now, most people know a handheld unit by the side of the road is only an indicator, not something admissible, but I blew anyway, came a hair under the .08 limit (.058 actually), was warned I could be charged with impaired operation, and generally just had the shit scared out of me. Ultimately we were let go.It got me thinking - I always considered these to be for someone intent on beating a DUI by measuring their BAC, but I never thought of the multiple times over the years, I simply lost track of that shot of bourbon, or that glass of wine - not out to get buzzed, just out perhaps after work for a few with friends, and how many times apparently, I may have been close to or even over the limit without even knowing. Scary stuff - and to those who say 'even one drink is too many', I agree, but the reality is, most of us do it from time to time, so I'm not playing the moral compass here.So everyone online, including online tests by enGadget, Wirecutter and the rest kept mentioning this slick little unit. After much research, I grabbed one, just to make a determination of where I was heading out - the unanticipated side effect, was it also made me conscious of my intake. If I wasn't comfortable, regardless of the number, I always had Uber (which I love anyway). I paid 129.00 for the unit, and factored in calibration, which should be about every 6 months based on usage, and the fact it seems to be a popular thing among my friends, curious as to where they stand before leaving. AGAIN, it is just a reading - your BAC will continue to rise as your body processes alcohol on the way home if you have had a drink, so use it to make good decisions, nothing more.SO ... things I like about this one? NHTSA and DOT approved, single button operation, long battery life (1500 reads if what I read is correct), fuel cell sensor, compact, and fast - once you blow, you get most readings in 5-10 seconds, and can do a follow up test almost immediately. The screen is big, backlit, and easy to use - and one thing I NEVER imagined? It's a great conversation starter - not to be shallow, but the girls will come to YOU, and it's fun to talk to them about it - oh so blame me! lol I'm single.Other things I like? the great little padded carrying case which holds everything you need, the supplied mouthpieces, and yea even silly things like the fact the give you a pair of Duracell 'copper top' Batteries and not some cheap throwaways.If there are CONS I haven't seen them yet, but it's early - like anything else, this is just a tool nothing more. It arrived well packaged, and the next day from Amazon, has a one year warranty, and is consistently rated the best in its category.One last item of interest ... I showed this to my co-worker who was in the car originally. She reached into her purse laughing and ... pulled out an S80 (apparently she has owned one for the past year). She loves hers also.So in closing, if you are buying one because you like to go on benders, it's probably a better idea to re-evaluate why you go out, and/or download the Uber App to your phone - If you are wondering where your BAC is after dinner, want to check your teens, have an interlock in the car and want to avoid being locked out, or need to verify 0.000 each morning before going to a DOT job, this is the unit. Enjoy.Cons? I haven't found one yet, but give it time -

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 reason3. 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!

Bought as both a tool and a party game. It works well, but you have to not drink for several minutes or it won’t work. I had half a beer, just took a drink before trying and said I was at a .21, almost 3 times the legal limit. Apparently when alcohol is fresh on the breath it reads too high. Don’t drink for a few minutes before blowing and it’s accurate.