Product: AccuCell AL9000
Manufacturer: AlcoMate
Wired Rating: 9
AlcoMate makes a range of portable breathalyzers, most of which cost less than the AL9000. Skip those. In our tests, not even the next-best AL7000 could match the wicked consistency of the 9000. Granted, it reads about 0.01 higher than the police units — but it’s always 0.01 higher. Thank the fuel-cell sensor — the same tech used in police models — which turns your boozy breath into electrical current that can be precisely measured. We’re guessing that AlcoMate calibrates the device a tad high to keep users on the sober side of legal — probably a good idea when your customers are the kind of people who buy personal breathalyzers.
WIRED Most reliable of the bunch. Audible click tells you when to stop blowing. Small and light. Quick startup. Optional USB kit ($50) lets you download readings to your PC to plot drunkenness over time.
TIRED Expensive.