Personal breath testers can be found online and in retail stores and vary widely in reliability, accuracy, and price. Many breathalyzers advertised are not to be trusted and should not be considered by people wanting to purchase a unit they can rely on. Personal breathalyzers fall into two classes depending on the alcohol sensing technology employed: Semi conductor and Fuel Cell. Semi-conductor breath testers are the mass-produced, imported and typically sold based on price by mass-market internet, catalogue, and store retailers. Semiconductor devices are inappropriate for those interested in an accurate breath alcohol reading.

Breathalyzer Fuel Cell Technology

Serious and responsible users should always choose fuel cell breath testing devices. All evidential and commercial grade units contain a fuel cell which ensures accuracy when testing for alcohol in one’s breath (Breath Alcohol Content - BrAC). Fuel cell technology is used by the police in law enforcement and is used for all interlock devices for offending drink drivers.
Features of Fuel Cell Breathalysers:
1. Alcohol specific:  Fuel cell measurements are always and only Alcohol specific. Semiconductor devices can give positive alcohol readings even when no alcohol is present.
2. High accuracy:  Fuel cell is consistently accurate across a wide alcohol concentration range from .000 to .400 BrAC. Unlike semiconductor devices, the Fuel cell can report 3-digit BrAC measurement accuracy because of the precision of its Platinum Fuel Cell Technology. No personal breath tester is more accurate than the Fuel cell.
3. Calibration stability:  Unlike semiconductors which require frequent re-calibration, Fuel cell recommends re-calibration only once per year under normal use.
4. Long working life:  Unlike Semiconductor devices that have a short life span, Fuel Cell breathalyzers have an expected working life of 3-5 years. Many professional fuel cell breathalyzers have been in the field and in continuous use by medical clinics and employers for over 8 years.
5. Proven:  Fuel cell technology in alcohol testing has been continually refined and improved since its introduction in the 1970s. It is the technology used in portable breath testing by Law Enforcement globally in their stepped-up efforts to deter drink driving.
6. Reliable: The combination of long working life, calibration stability, alcohol specificity, and high precision all add up to a device, that when properly maintained, can be trusted to perform.