Customer Reviews
Breathkey Digital Keychain Breathalyzer 
2008-04-15
I would say that this product has received higher reviews than it should. One of the main reasons I bought it was because of the reviews. Sometimes the product gives what I feel are accurate results, but other times I feel like it's very inaccurate. When consuming hard liquor I blow a much higher number I feel than if I am drinking beer. Though I "feel the same" based on the number of drinks downed I have consistantly blown higher when drinking liquor. Also, no review has mentioned this but it maxes out at .2 BAC so if you wanted to get this to see how drunk you really are this breathalyzer is not for you. I do like having it and don't think I will return it. I just wish the confidence I had in the item when using it was a little better.
Sobering Results! 
2008-04-11
I purchased this Breathalyzer over others, as its accuracy is FDA certified. The fuel sensor is the same used by police and the battery is long lasting. When I tried it, I was stupefied by the results. After turning on the button, it simply asks you to WAIT, then it will beep and ask you to BLOW into the small hole for four seconds (four beeps) until a solid beep occurs. After a minute or so, your test results will appear. I intentionally measured two shots of vodka with a tall soda mix and drank it over a 30-minute time slot. Then I waited 20 minutes. My blood alcohol level was 0.11 and I felt absolutely sober! 0.08 is the legal limit in most states. Your blood alcohol will not change if you eat or drink water or coffee. Only time will eliminate alcohol from your system. It took nearly 70 minutes before I was under 0.08. That was very scary. I checked my blood alcohol several times and the results were very steady. I would advise getting this device and showing your friends their results.
Not as expected 
2008-03-14
The product is great, very easy to use, what I deem to be a reasonably accurate readout. The thing that makes it troublesome for me is that it only gives a reading up to .200. That's great for the responsible human being wanting to use one to have fun and protect yourself. I purchased the product to go to spring break, and it's a reasonable assumption that at some point I'll want to know what my BAC is when I'm over .200. So, while it'll be nice to have when I'm being responsible, for someone looking to cover all facets, it's not the best.
The best option, and it won't break the bank 2008-01-28
I picked this item up partly out of curiosity, partly for insurance against bad judgment, and partly as a cool conversation piece when I go out. It has satisfied all three requirements. As far as convenience, the small keychain is off the charts; having it attached to your car keys is obviously the way to go. It's no more of a nuisance than a car lock remote, and let's face it, if you had to try to remember to grab a separate device whenever you were going out drinking... well you might as well light the money on fire, cuz you're not going to remember to bring it with you.
There is a technique to getting an accurate reading, the most important part of which is to make a good seal around the air intake with your lips. If you let in outside air (as some of my friends do) your readings will be all over the place. -To be sure, I don't trust a reading unless I get two in a row that are extremely close. Some might find it annoying to need to waste time doing second and third readings sometimes, but truthfully, any extra time added before getting behind the wheel is good. --I imagine that being fingerprinted, fined and jailed would be a sobering experience; but I'd prefer to do it on my own terms, playing darts with a glass of water, and among friends.
There is a learning curve as far as figuring out how to work it, when to blow, when to stop, how hard to blow, etc... but once you have it down, you're all set.
The best part of owning this device, in my opinion, is walking to my car, knowing I won't be glued to the rear view mirror, sweating over every car that could be an unmarked Crown Victoria. Good judgment is sometimes hard to come by, but with this, I'm exercising good judgment just by walking in with it. --Strong recommendation.
Easy to use 2007-12-10
This is easy to use, accurate, and kinda fun. All you have to do is just press the button, blow, and it will show the results. EASY! Even for a drunk. Just never drink and drive. Use it to find your level.
pretty cool 2008-07-02
I really like this product. it does what is says it will. It's pretty cool to quantify how drunk you are, to see how fast you get drunk, and most useful how quickly you sober up. By the way the upper limit of .2 is plenty high. I love this thing.
At first I was a frustrated that "lifetime battery" meant you just can't change it, and it will last a few years. I've heard from one of their representatives that if you send it in for recalibration, they will replace the battery, which you cannot replace yourself. So that is inconvenient, but not the worst thing ever. After hearing this I've edited my review; however, I cannot edit my star-rating. Oh well.
Worked really well 2008-06-19
I bought the breathalyzer for my daughter who just turned 21 so she would know when she'd had too much to drive. It works easily and accurately and has been a really big hit at parties. People are amazed at how much they've "really" had to drink
Seems likes its doing a good job. 2008-05-31
I've had the breathkey for a month now. I love that it is so small. Its always on my key chain. I don't have to be out somewhere and say, "Oh, dang, I should've brought that breathalyzer with me." It gives a reading to the thousandth and I usually feel like its pretty accurate. It takes a minute to give the reading, so its not that great as a party toy. But if you need it to see if you should drive or not, its good to keep you responsible. (Or keep your friends responsible) Whenever we have people over at our house I just say, "Nobody's driving away till they give it a blow." But you definitely have to wait 15 minutes after your last drink or else it will probably read high. My only complaint is that every once in awhile it says .000 when I know for a fact that that's not true. Its happened to me three times out of probably 30 or 40 tests.
A very good product but with 3 caveats 2008-05-10
The "Breathkey" is a very compact, light and convenient device. It seems accurate and gives me a reading in line with how I feel. It also reads out in thousandths of a percent - there's a world of difference between 0.081% and 0.079% in terms of a DUI.
(As an aside, I have a "friend" who suggests it's small enough to keep in my "pocket protector" with all of my pens.)
Caveats-
1) You must wait 20 minutes after you finish a drink to use it. The residual alcohol in your mouth will otherwise give a false high reading (as would, I assume, a police unit).
2) If you get the error message, "blow hard" or, "blow long" it's for the next test, not the one you're doing.
3) It seems to take a rather long time (30 to 45 seconds) to reset between tests, this is only an issue if you have multiple people testing.
Summary-
I think my reservations and hence 4, instead of 5, stars may be true of all such devices, not just the Breathkey. If that's correct, this should be a 5 star review.
The unit is accurately calibrated right out of the box and remains accurate for 6 to 12 months, at which time you return it with $12, or so, for recalibration.
Perhaps the best thing about an accurate breathalyzer is developing a sense for your BAC from how you feel. It's interesting to me that I begin to feel a "buzz" at 0.04%; half of the legal limit. I turn my keys over to a non drinker whenever I feel any "buzz" at all. It's also interesting to see how sloooowly the alcohol wear off.
Another point about alcohol and driving is that even though you may be below the "legal" limit, if you have an accident and found to have any alcohol in your system, you now have a significantly higher exposure to prosecution, and diminished latitude in mounting a defense. Facts are facts, no?
Great Product 2008-04-23
A great product that works well. The instructions say to wait 20 minutes after your last drink before using. If you take a drink and immediately use it, the reading will skyrocket to .200. I've found though that the reading seems fairly accurate after about 5-10 minutes after your last drink.
