(Written by Arni – Ed)

Well, it’s the holiday season where Christmas beer is for all to hear.
Or did I just muddle that up?

Not that hard to do once you’ve had a few…

But it’s the season for family get togethers, social events with colleagues or even drowning your sorrows for a myriad of reasons.

Sadly, it’s also a time where many folks will have a few too many of Auntie Janice’s extra strong rum balls before thinking about getting behind the wheel.

That’s always a terrible idea.

Not just because no one is a better driver drunk… or even a wee bit tipsy… no matter what they think or how they justify it.

The repercussions of drink driving are real and very confronting.

I know, as I have worked in law enforcement for over 20 years and have seen firsthand the inevitable trauma that occurs.

The thing is, most people who drink drive, don’t set out to.

They make poor judgement calls often without a clear line of what is, shall I say, acceptable and what is just a bad idea.

I say that because ideally, if you are going to drink, don’t drive and vice versa. But we also need to make realistic choices.

So, it was timely for the good folks at Andatech to send two of their Personal Breathalysers for a … er… test; pardon the pun.

Andatech recently sent the GT fuel cell breathalyser as well as the slightly larger AlcoSense Verity Gen 2 for a side-by-side comparison.

They are just two of six models in their personal breathalyser range which in turn is part of their extensive assortment of drug and alcohol testers for personal, workplace and law enforcement needs.

First of all, breathalysers have just one function; there is not much to be said to keep most folks interested for long.

So let’s go with what counts…

 

Are they accurate?

Yes, both use fuel cell technology, are calibrated and accurate to +/-0.005% BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) at 0.050% which is the legal limit for most full license holders in every Australian state and territory as well as most work places.

The AlcoSense Verity Gen 2 has Australian Standards certification (AS3547) and whilst the GT didn’t mention it, it’s marketed as a premium micro-breathalyser with Police grade accuracy.

Of course, they will require recalibration to keep their accuracy over the years.

 

Are they compact?

Yes, and very much, yes.

Whilst both are compact with the AlcoSense Verity Gen 2, the larger of the two is about the size of a Mars bar; the GT is tiny and about the same size as a Zippo lighter.

The GT even comes with a rather fancy looking keyring so you can always have it nearby.

One feature I particularly like about the Verity Gen 2 is the built-in pop-out tube so if you only have the device for personal use. It’s always ready to go in a compact unit.
No fiddling around for a tube.

Interestingly, both units weigh the same at 66g and 65.6g. That’s the same in my book.

 

Are they easy to use?

Yes, each has a single button to operate the unit. Press and hold the button to turn it on and generally within a few seconds it’s warmed up and ready to go.

Andatech do say that it depends on temperature so in some cases it may take longer; up to a few minutes for the Verity Gen 2 to warm up. In my testing the longest I’ve experienced is about 10 seconds. The GT consistently took only a few seconds.

Both will shut down by themselves to save battery or can be shut down again by pressing and holding the button.

The GT will display the last reading. The Verity Gen 2 can recall the last 10 readings accessed again through a press of the button.

Very simple and so easy to use you could operate them whilst… er… drunk.

Both run off AAA batteries; one for the GT and two for the Verity Gen 2.

 

Which one would I choose?

This is a hard one because they both have unique features that make you feel that’s the better option.

The GT is very compact and, dare I say, looks rather discreet without the tube attached.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t include an integrated tube like the Verity Gen 2, meaning you need to keep them somewhere or leave one attached to the unit.

It feels quality and premium. It’s also less obvious as a breathalyser if you want to be a little discreet.

This is a great unit if you need to have one on hand with very fast start up adding to that discreet usage case.

The Verity on the other hand doesn’t feel as premium but is still clearly a quality unit.

It looks like a breathalyser and is AS certified. It’s probably easier to have ready to go for personal use in a car with the built in tube and comes with both soft and hard cases.

Oh, and you have the choice of white, navy blue or grey in the Verity Gen 2.

Both come with a 3-year warranty standard but Andatech extend that to a lifetime for personal breathalysers when calibrated every 12 months.

They even offer calibration plans to keep it simple with calibration reminders and shipping labels, so you get it done without the hassle.

Price wise, they are similar and are in the middle of the Andatech range.

The AlcoSense Verity Gen 2 is $269, and GT is $299 with Andatech offering a 15% discount right now.

Here’s the best place to check out these products.

Regardless of which model you choose, either will help you make more informed and hopefully smarter choices this season.

Have a safe and Merry Christmas.