The best breathalyzers for personal and professional use
Contents:
• A true friend of a responsible driver and a way to resolve conflict situations on the road in your favor is a small device called a breathalyzer.
• We will tell you which breathalyzer is better to choose for personal and professional use and how not to spend too much.
Which breathalyzer is better to buy
• Reviews on the Internet are certainly important, but the best choice is the one that a person makes consciously. The first step is to determine why the device is needed and how often it will be used. And, of course, to understand the principles of its operation, its user characteristics directly depend on them.
Goals and means
• All breathalyzers on the Russian market can be divided into three categories:
- for personal use
- professional
- special purpose
• For personal use, the simplest and cheapest may fit. Most likely, you will be checked no more than once a week, or even once a month.
• The "reserve" of individual breathalyzers is small, and they are designed for 2-4 applications per day. As a rule, such devices are powered by batteries, they are small in size (some are made in the form of key chains). But they do not differ in high accuracy, and with strong winds, the use of cosmetics and perfumes, they can produce a large error. And, most importantly, they do not have legal force, since they are not certified.
• More accurate – professional and semi-professional, they are mainly used by drivers working in the transportation industry. They must be provided with a certificate, which, in case of problems, will allow their data to be used in court.
• Special-purpose breathalyzers are commonly used by professionals working with high-precision or high-risk devices, as well as in medical laboratories.
• In use, all types of breathalyzers are very simple. All that is required is to exhale forcefully into the mouthpiece for a couple of seconds. Further, the device will do everything by itself: it will determine the amount of alcohol vapor in the breath and display the result on the display.
Sensor type
Semiconductor. Principle of operation: change in the resistance of semiconductors when they interact with exhaled alcohol vapor. Such breathalyzers are the fastest, simplest, cheapest and… the most inaccurate. Sometimes the error can reach 10%. And they need to be constantly calibrated. They are also very sensitive to environmental conditions, especially temperature fluctuations.
Electrochemical. It is built on the use of special chemicals that react with alcohol vapors. They are very accurate, require little to no calibration (only once a year), and consume little to no electricity. The air temperature has little effect on the measurement accuracy of such breathalyzers.
Photometric. Equipped with an infrared sensor that checks for the presence of alcohol vapors in the exhaled air. Very accurate and very sensitive to environmental conditions. Such devices are not used outdoors, their destiny is to stay forever in the laboratory, where the temperature is constant and unchanging.
Features of a good breathalyzer
- The main thing is stability; This principle applies to breathalyzers as well. You can check the operation of the device by testing the same person several times in the same period of time. If the results do not differ from each other – excellent, this breathalyzer can be considered good.
- Reliability. The longer the device lasts without breakdowns, the better.
- Ease of use. You won't be able to carry a device the size of a cash register in your pocket for a long time, but in stationary conditions the size is not so important.
Top best inexpensive breathalyzers
4. Ritmix RAT-220
Features:
- personal breathalyzer
- semiconductor sensor
- measurement up to: 1.9 ppm
- scale step: 0.1 ppm
- food: AAA, 2 pcs
- auto power off
• Opens the rating of breathalyzers Ritmix RAT-220 – a very small device that can be safely used as a keychain. It has a semiconductor sensor, which means that it is difficult to expect great accuracy from it.
• However, small cheap breathalyzers are often used as a means of self-monitoring rather than professional diagnostics. Rhythmix performs its function at 100% – it shows the presence of alcohol in the blood, and does it quickly.
Pros: very cheap, small.
Cons: if tested several times in a row, for the second or third time the display may “think” and not display information for a long time.
3. SITITEK PRO2
Features:
- personal breathalyzer
- semiconductor sensor
- measurement up to: 1.9 ppm
- scale step: 0.1 ppm
- food: AAA, 2 pcs
- auto power off
- low battery indicator
• Very small and light 45g model fits easily in your pocket. Or it can be worn on the wrist with the included strap.
• It is powered by two AAA batteries, has not only a low battery indicator, but also a timer, clock and even an alarm clock.
• A feature of this breathalyzer is the absence of a mouthpiece. Instead, holes are made in the hole into which you need to blow.
• SITITEK PRO2 has two small screens at once. The lower one displays the measurement result, and the upper one shows the timer, time and air temperature.
Pros: compact, the result is displayed in g/l and % BAC, turns itself off after 15 seconds of inactivity.
ConsA: no mouthpiece, no batteries included.
2. Airline ALK-HW-03
Features:
- personal breathalyzer
- semiconductor sensor
- measurement up to: 2 ppm
- error – 5%
- food: AAA, 3 pcs
- low battery indicator
• In addition to the cheerful orange color, this model in the rating of breathalyzers is also distinguished by a surprisingly large measurement range for a budget device. True, the measurement results will have to be read very quickly – they are kept on the screen for no more than 10 seconds.
• Airline ALK-HW-03 heats up for about half a minute, then you can safely blow. By the way, the device shows the best results if the measurements are separated from each other by at least 20 minutes; otherwise, there may be errors.
• When buying it, it is better to test it right away – it happened that users came across a non-working product.
Pros: compactness, ease of use, appearance.
Cons: you can get on the "Chinese" quality.
1. Delta AT-300
Features:
- personal breathalyzer
- semiconductor sensor
- measurement up to: 2 ppm
- error – 5%
- scale step: 0.01 ppm
- food: AAA, 3 pcs
- low battery indicator
• This is perhaps the most fashionable looking breathalyzer in the entire ranking. In addition to the appearance, the model has a good build quality and high-quality content. For a semiconductor sensor, an error of only 5% is a big plus.
• The breathalyzer starts working almost immediately (compared to 3-5 minutes of the electrochemical sensor, 15-20 seconds of the AT-300 is nothing). The display lights up. Moreover, the kind Chinese also made an audible alert if the alcohol content in the exhalation is more than a certain number.
Pros: accuracy, appearance, small price.
Cons: wears out quickly; if you are not lucky, the device will last no more than a year.
Top best breathalyzers for personal use
4. Dingo A-022
Features:
- personal breathalyzer
- semiconductor sensor
- measurement up to: 4 ppm
- scale step: 0.01 ppm
- food: AA, 2 pcs
- auto power off
- low battery indicator
• Functional and easy-to-use breathalyzer, which is ready for use 2 minutes after switching on. It is produced in Korea, which promises long and trouble-free operation, and runs on two AA batteries (included in the package).
• The screen of the breathalyzer has a LED backlight, which allows you to operate the device even in poor lighting conditions. And blowing is carried out without using a mouthpiece: you just need to blow into the receiving hole.
Pros: Stylish looking, turns itself off after a few seconds of inactivity, no need to calibrate often – only after 300 uses or once a year.
Cons: not all users like the lack of disposable mouthpieces.
3. Inspector AT550
Features:
- personal breathalyzer
- electrochemical sensor
- measurement up to: 4.4 ppm
- food: AAA, 2 pcs
- auto power off
- low battery indicator
• One of the best breathalyzers for personal use is the Inspector AT550, and for an “electrochemical” device, its price is frankly low. This is due to the fact that it is not intended for professional use – the supply of batteries for a couple of dozen tests in a row is definitely not enough. And after 500 uses, the device will need to be calibrated.
• The device was made in South Korea, the Inspector does not have service centers, so you will have to rack your brains over the calibration.
Pros: high warm-up speed, precision.
Cons: will not work in the conditions of the Russian winter, since the lower limit of the operating temperatures of the breathalyzer is 0 °.
2. Delta AT-600
Features:
- personal breathalyzer
- semiconductor sensor
- measurement up to: 2 ppm
- auto power off
- low battery indicator
• One of the best breathalyzers for personal use. The presence of alcohol in the blood "Delta" will show with high accuracy, and as a device for self-control, it will fit perfectly.
• The case of the device is small, it is convenient to use it, the appearance is pleasant, the assembly is of high quality. If desired, the results of the last measurements can be saved in the memory of the breathalyzer. In general, a good option in terms of price / quality.
Pros: battery powered, the possibility of recharging in the car, a small price.
Cons: the battery is non-standard, in case of malfunctions, this type is not so easy to find on sale.
1. Alcogran AG-100
Features:
- personal breathalyzer
- electrochemical sensor
- measurement up to: 1 ppm
- scale step: 0.001 ppm
- food: AAA, 1 pcs
- auto power off
- low battery indicator
• The AG-100 has an electrochemical sensor, and although the range of the device is average, the accuracy is high. It's nice that in addition to the traditional set of five mouthpieces, the kit includes two more adapters, in case you want to use mouthpieces from other manufacturers.
• Another nice detail is the battery capacity; if the driver is not prone to libations, you can live without changing batteries for at least a year or two.
Pros: accuracy, ease of use.
Cons: a little expensive for a breathalyzer without certification.
Rating of breathalyzers for professional use
4. Alcohol detector Mark V
Features:
- professional breathalyzer
- electrochemical sensor
- measurement up to: 4.4 ppm
- error – 10%
- food: AAA, 4 pcs
- auto power off
• This reliable electrochemical breathalyzer has a registration certificate of the Ministry of Health and can be used both at enterprises and for medical examinations. The device comes with 105 disposable mouthpieces and 1 reusable funnel mouthpiece.
• The Mark V has low accuracy and only needs to be calibrated once a year. A useful feature of this model is the "anti-deception" function. It allows you to control the strength and duration of exhalation, and displays a text message if a person interrupts exhalation or blows too weakly.
Pros: low error, large backlit LCD display, test results can be saved, breathalyzer can be connected to a computer via mini USB port to upload measurement results
Cons: high price.
3. META GIBDD 01
Features:
- professional breathalyzer
- semiconductor sensor
- measurement up to: 2 ppm
- error – 20%
- low battery indicator
• The word "traffic police" in the name of the device hints that it is these breathalyzers that the traffic police use. META GIBDD 01 has the most official look, without any newfangled features and streamlined shapes – just a blue plastic brick.
• Although the instrument is equipped with a semiconductor sensor, it is intended for professional use. Meta can test up to 20 people per day – that's how long the battery lasts.
• It is easy to use, no special equipment is required for calibration. However, when reading the readings, you will have to hurry, they stay on the screen for no more than 7 seconds. And we recommend that you purge the device after each use, otherwise the results of the next measurement may be incorrect.
Pros: shows the measurement result in absolute numbers (grams per liter and ppm).
Cons: the speed of the "Meta" leaves much to be desired, sometimes the device can "warm up" up to several minutes.
2. AlcoHunter Professional+
Features:
- professional breathalyzer
- semiconductor sensor
- measurement up to: 5 ppm
- error – 10%
- scale step: 0.01 ppm
- food: AAA, 2 pcs
- auto power off
- low battery indicator
• In contrast to the laconic design of the third place in the ranking of the best breathalyzers, AlcoHunter Professional + looks more modern and has more options. You can display measurements on the screen in any unit of measurement you are interested in, and the display itself is color.
• Before release, each device undergoes quality control at the factory, which is reflected in the corresponding certificate. The measurement error of a calibrated device is quite small – up to 0,01 ppm. The device is very sensitive to alcohol vapors even at low concentrations.
Pros: high accuracy.
ConsA: There are only 5 mouthpieces in the kit, and sometimes it happens that they do not fit the hole.
1. Infracar AT-101
Features:
- personal breathalyzer
- electrochemical sensor
- measurement up to: 4 ppm
- scale step: 0.001 ppm
- food: AA, 2 pcs
- auto power off
- low battery indicator
• AT-101 is equipped with an electrochemical sensor, which means that its measurement accuracy is high by default, and the dependence on ambient temperature is lower than that of semiconductor sensors.
• The Infracar sensor is able to detect the presence of alcohol in the breath even at a concentration of only 0,05 ppm. The display is highly informative – for example, if desired, you can display the history of tests (up to 48 measurements are stored in memory), and each of them can be assigned an individual name.
• The Infracar has a voice alert system, and the device can tell the driver how much sleep he should get before getting behind the wheel.
Pros: high accuracy, voice notification, saving results.
Cons: not.
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