Customer Reviews

AlcoMate Prestige Breathalyzer

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I am a former police officer and based on my experience, this unit seems to be both accurate and consistent. Obviously, you don't want to use it with fresh alcohol in your mouth, or it's going to give you an artificially high reading.

I note that one person gave this unit one star, and then said that the unit was reading high while acting as if it's the unit's fault that he apparently got arrested for DUI. First off, if in fact the unit was reading high (as much as 50%, as he put it), then why in the world did he get behind the wheel of a car? I can see a beef if it reads low, but how can you blame an arrest on a unit that (maybe) reads high?

Also, when in doubt ***DON'T GET BEHIND THE WHEEL!!!*** Driving while intoxicated is very serious business. It's not just about getting caught by the police, but more importantly, you could kill or maim some innocent person or yourself. I've seen a number of cases firsthand where young children with their lives ahead of them were killed by drunk drivers. Try living with that on your conscience, not to mention the legal and financial consequences.

But the bottom line is that I recommend this breathalyzer. It's compact, relatively inexpensive, and the user replaceable sensor is a big plus. Just remember that it is a useful tool, perhaps even entertaining, but it's certainly not a substitute for good judgement and common sense.

I bought one of these for a friend who had suffered a DUI and couldn't afford to get another. We use it when we've been out to a party or drinking after work and want to know whether it is safe to drive. There's been more than once that we went back inside to "cool off" for about an hour before driving home because this thing read over the limit. I certainly didn't feel like I was impaired - it is pretty surprising just how low .08 really is. For me, that is about two microbrews and my friend, three. It does make a big difference whether you've eaten much that day as well. I think the people complaining about this device either aren't following the directions, or aren't willing to believe they are over the limit when they really are. I've never gotten a 000 reading after having anything at all to drink, but have tested it without drinking and every time got 000. Follow the simple instructions and it will work for you too.

I owned a breathalyzer in the past, and the worst part was periodically having to mail it in to the manufacturer for calibration service. I really like that the Prestige uses the replaceable sensors, so I can just swap them out when it comes time (The test counter is good for letting me know when). All my tests have been really accurate for me, as long as I wait 20 minutes after drinking, like it says in the manual. I don't know about comparing it to police breathalyzers either, I think they cost ten times as much.

I got this breathalyzer because of a inability to judge when I was "legally" drunk. After some informal testing, it seems to work as advertised. It's small and easy to carry. Plus, after using it a while, I'm better able to judge my level of intoxication even when I don't have it.

Also very handy at parties when an inebriated guest is insistent on leaving. If they pass the test they can have their keys!

The AlcoMate Prestige is the best product for the money. Cheaper units require recalibration. More expensive units are not necessary for individual use.

All drinkers should have a method for measuring of their blood-alcohol levels. The AlcoMate Prestige is easy to use, small enough to travel in a purse or glove box, and accurate. You wouldn't want to drive a car without a speedometer. Sure, you might be able to reasonably guess your speed, based on other cars on the road and other factors. The police will measure your speed using a digital meter. So of course, you expect to equip your car with a similar device to know if you are legal or if you are breaking the law.

The ramifications of driving while under the influence of alcohol are far greater than the ramifications of speeding.

If you drink alcohol and drive, don't go without this important gauge.

It feels cheap, the results are wildly inaccurate or simply don't work. I just got done RMA'ing the second one. I have a $600 one I brought home from work that is calibrated on a monthly basis and is dead on accurate for comparison. A twister game spinner would be more accurate at detecting blood alcohol content. It is kind of scary when someone that you know is over 0.08, and this product shows 0.00%. A one star rating is one star too many.

This came right on time & works awesome! It's comes with an easy carry case to slip in the purse. You have to wait 10 minutes after eating or drinking to do the test. And it has 500 tests before the sensor needs to be replaced. That takes a long time! Even at parties! Definitely buy more mouthpieces, though.

I purchased this as both a test for those nights after extended dinners to better understand if driving is a good idea or not and as a novelty purchase. It seems to be pretty accurate. The key is definitely time between your last drink and blowing. Blow right after a drink and you're going to be way high (which is probably better than reading low). How it compares to a legit cops breathalyzer, not sure; but it does give a good enough read in my book.

What has been very interesting is to see what you blow after a hard night of drinks. I was amazed to see how close to not legal I've been even after a good 8 hours sleep.

As for novelty, everyone loves it! I'd purchase it again. Use and play with it but please do so safely.

This is an excellent product for anyone who is trying to enjoy a night out responsibly. This shows you when you are over the legal limit for alcohol. The tester comes in a nice case so that it does not get damaged. Haven't had any problems since I owned this.

I bought this recently, and always had problems keeping the batteries in. I had to hold the cap on the whole time for it not to turn off. The sensor also lasted much less than 500 tests. I have had the monitor about 6 months and used it less than 100 times, and now it wonk work until I replace the sensor. It was a lot of money for poor quality, but it did seem to measure alcohol level consistently