We consider the AlcoScan AL6000 from AK Solutions the most ergonomic breathalyzer of them all, considering its fabulous contour design. It's a great addition to your collection of ergonomic keyboards, desk chairs, and computer mice. Not to mention, it's a great trend-setter because it not only comes in standard black/silver, but in a shiny black/red, too! We like.

The AL6000 uses a semiconductive oxide sensor that can detect a BAC reading of .00% to .10%. It is US DOT-approved, weighs 4.1 ounces, and comes with 2 AA-batteries, a carrying pouch with belt strap (that PJ is modeling for us on the right), and 8 mouthpieces.

Breathalyzer with USB connection. As early as next month, AK Solutions will be debuting the world's first breathalyzer with USB connectivity to manage your BAC results in a log file or in an Excel spreadsheet. That's right! It's called the AL6000 MAX, and we'll report on it as soon as it launches.

Now for the real-world test. The AlcoScan AL6000 is the luckiest of all the breathalyzers we tested, because it traveled all the way to California! PC Magazine's Jen Trolio hopped on a plane for Cinco de Mayo with the AL6000 in hand to attend a party of her boyfriend's friends. Basically, it was a group of physics grad students from Stanford. Trolio didn't know many of the people there, but all of that changed once she whipped out the breathalyzer.
 

She wanted to see just how much these Stanford students were drinking, so she let everyone give the AL6000 a try. The results were between a .05% and .08% BAC. And judging by the looks of their faces, they were disappointed for not having a higher reading, so they started drinking more! One guy had a .07% the first time he tested his BAC, then tried again about an hour later after not having anything and had a .08! (He was smoking an unidentified object so this could have affected the reading.)  

Trolio downed one beer at the start of the night and blew a .04%. This reading may seem a bit high, but she didn't eat dinner, so this could have affected the reading. After about a half hour, she didn't have anything else and went down to a .03%.
 
Partying did not end there (this is Cali after all). On Saturday night, Trolio and her boyfriend each had a martini before dinner at the InterContinental Hotel. He blew a .04% and she a .06% on an empty stomach. After dinner and several hours later, they each had a beer and blew a .02%. 

How it works. When you first turn on the AL6000, Trolio reports that it counts down from a number it seems to choose on its own. The first time, it usually starts at around 250 and counts down until the 30s really fast, then counts a little slower to 0. If you use it again within a minute, it'll start counting down at a lower number, like 45 or 50. Then it beeps to alert you it's ready to go. Blow into the device for about 5 to 10 seconds, and then your reading is displayed after about 5 seconds. Trolio says that it takes anywhere from 20 seconds to a minute and fifteen seconds or so before it's ready to use.

Overall Impressions. Simple to use. Fairly accurate. Great party toy. A bit bulky for your purse or pocket. Comes with an awkard-shaped case and the device fits too snugly in the case. She wouldn't buy it for herself since she's a mass transit user, but she might buy one for a friend who drives.

The AlcoScan AL6000 sells for $149.95 at Alcolyzer.com. Stay tuned for more breathalyzer tests, a comparision chart, and how these breathalyzers test against the big Kahuna: the FC10 breathalyzer.

-Alcohol Test 4: Brookstone Digital Alcohol Detector
-Alcohol Test 3: AlcoHAWK Micro
-Alcohol Tests 1 & 2: AlcoHAWK Slim & AlcoHAWK ABI
-Alcohol Safety Month Intro