How EthyloKey Works — Touch-Based Alcohol Detection

Alcohol detection, reduced to a single touch

EthyloKey is the world's first touch-based alcohol detector. Place your fingertip on the sensor and, in under 20 seconds, a ring of light tells you where you stand — no breath, no mouthpieces, no waiting.

How it works

Power on, and the device's AI begins learning its environment, adjusting to temperature and humidity. Touch the sensor, and its multi-sensor array reads the ethanol diffusing through your skin. The LED ring then lights up: green when you're below your threshold, amber as you approach your limit, red when you're over it. Thresholds adapt to your region — 0.08 BAC in the United States, 0.05 across most of Europe.

Engineered to be exact

EthyloKey delivers a result in under 20 seconds, with a sensitivity threshold of 50 ppb and around 100 tests per charge. At under 50 grams, it lives on your keyring.

Tested before it was trusted

In internal validation, EthyloKey readings were benchmarked against breath-based breathalyzers. Before launch, beta testers ran the device through thousands of real-world tests. EthyloKey was awarded the Grand Prix ACF 2024, funded in one hour on Kickstarter, and featured on M6 and BFM Business.

Why not just use a breathalyzer?

A classic breathalyzer measures alcohol in your breath, needs a disposable mouthpiece, and requires periodic recalibration. EthyloKey reads transdermal ethanol through skin contact instead — no consumables, no maintenance, no recurring cost. It stays silent and keyring-sized, and pairs with a companion app that a breathalyzer can't offer.

Your habits, in focus

Pair EthyloKey with its companion app to track your readings over time, set personal thresholds to your local law or stricter, log your drinks, and see a predictive estimate of where you'll be in an hour — before you decide to drive.

Charges on anything Qi

Drop EthyloKey on the same wireless pad as your phone. A full charge takes 45 to 60 minutes and delivers around 100 tests. No proprietary cable, no dock to lose.

Designed and assembled in France

Machined aluminium and medical-grade steel, in a body the size of an AirTag. EthyloKey is a personal awareness device — not a legal or medical instrument, and never a reason to drive after drinking.