As “Thunderclap Newman” once sang there’s “Something in the Air,” but have you really thought about exactly what? Air quality is a subject that a lot of us don’t think about too often. It’s not that we don’t care about what we are breathing in; it’s just one of those things that don’t come to mind unless something is amiss. You are walking down the street when you notice a smell that almost takes your breath away; this is the time when the quality of the air that you are breathing suddenly becomes the most important topic of the day.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency has publically stated that indoor pollution poses serious health risks to the public. We go about our daily business blissfully ignorant about the little surprises in the air at home or at work. Nasties like toxic volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) that can be generated from anything ranging from mold to paint. Then, there is the risk of carbon dioxide buildup in your home due to poor ventilation. The more you think about it, the more it seems that your home is not that safe after all. But don’t panic; there are ways of monitoring exactly what is going on in the air inside your house, and there are many ways of eradicating any problems that might show their nasty little heads.
In this article, we are going to give you a look at 10 of the best air quality monitors on the market. Once you have read through it, we hope that it will give you a good understanding of what gremlins may be lurking in your home or workplace and what is the best way to eradicate the little pests.
Awair 2nd Edition Air Quality Monitor
If you are like the many people who have constructed their home with smart appliances in mind, then the Awair 2nd Edition may be just what you are looking for. Its classy design means that it fits into any smart-home with ease and blends in without ever drawing attention to the eye. This stylish device is also very clever; it will monitor and alert you to the presence of toxins or chemicals in the air. It will also examine the air quality in your home for such things as fine dust particles and carbon dioxide and also gives you the ambient temperature and humidity measurements.
To make this unit as smart as the rest of your house, it will display an air quality score that you can then use the Awair app to analyze and check the details behind that score. The intuitive app will also monitor the air quality through a timeline, giving you instant access to your home’s air quality history. This is ideal for keeping track of how the seasons can change what is in the air, a must for allergy sufferers.
The Awair 2nd Edition is cleverly designed to be compatible with Alexa, Nest, IFTTT, and Google Home, giving it even greater potential for use with other smart home apps. Imagine this: the Awair 2nd Edition alerts you to the air quality score that is below normal; then, your smart home apps automatically engages an air purifier, all while you are at work.
Foobot Indoor Air Quality Monitor
One of many people’s favorite air quality monitors, the Foobot is another very smart household device. The technology incorporated into this device allows it to connect directly to any smart device that you have in your arsenal. The Foobot Indoor Air Quality Monitor is not only extremely sensitive but will also work with Alexa, IFTTT, Honeywell devices, Echobee, Nest, and the list goes on, making this device the ideal unit to fit in with your home automation system.
The app that is dedicated to the unit will instantly give you the air quality measurements at the push of a button. Information such as room temperature is very handy on a winter’s day if you are driving home to a cold house. Easily analyzing and reporting humidity levels, unwanted toxins, chemicals, or fine particles that may be waiting for you, Foobot will then notify you in real time. This, along with its ability to recommend solutions, makes it one of the leaders in the market.
Atmotube 2.0 Air Quality Monitor
If tracking the air quality around you is your thing, then take a look at the Atmotube 2.0 portable air quality monitor. Not only is it compact, but it’s fundamentally a key chain monitor that it is also extremely affordable. It will accurately measure the temperature, humidity, volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), and any harmful gases that may be in proximity.
As with most air quality monitors, it comes with its own dedicated app that will give you details of the environment that you are in. This smart device can also notify you of any unsafe air conditions. Being designed as a portable monitor, the Atmotube 2.0’s app also includes a very handy Global Air Quality map, which informs you of the many pollutants that may be in the air.
The only downfall with this unit is its size. When using the device as a home monitor, it may not be as accurate as a dedicated household unit. Designed primarily as an on-the-go device, the Atmotube 2.0 is certainly one to look for if your lifestyle finds you constantly on the move.
You may also be interested in our list of the top air purifier and humidifier combos. Check them out.
IQAir Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality Monitor
Here we have the best of both worlds. The IQAir will not only tell you of the air conditions on the inside of your home, but it also pays attention to what is happening on the outside. It’s interesting to note that there are times when the outside air is of worse quality than the air on the inside of your house. This is especially important for sufferers of asthma or any respiratory illnesses that you or members of your family may suffer from.
The insightful display will make you aware of such things as temperature and humidity, but more impressivelym it will display side-by-side the difference between the indoor and outdoor air conditions. Using Wi-Fi, the unit will connect to your smartphone or personal devices and will integrate with your smart home using IFTTT. Unfortunately, it doesn’t support Alexa or Google Home specifically. The IQAir Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality Monitor is a great all-around device for those who want to keep track of their total environment.
EG Portable Pollution Monitor
Okay, so you are one of those people who like to have professional toys rather than the run-of-the-mill domestic ones. When it comes to air monitoring, then boy have we got the toy for you. Take a look at the EG Portable Pollution Monitor; just the name itself gets me excited. Not happy with calling this device an “air quality monitor” the people at EG decided that the term “Pollution Monitor” was a far better idea. And when you think about it logically, it makes sense. All of these products are monitoring and measuring the pollutant levels that we breathe in every day.
The EG Portable Pollution Monitor is an extremely detailed and accurate device that provides you with all the information that you want in a single glance. Like most devices these days, it will connect to your phone and keep an accurate history giving you that ability to keep track of the air conditions over a period of time. This device is really designed for the itinerant professional, those who spend the majority of their time on the road traveling from project to project. It is also an extremely good product for realtors to use when showing potential home buyers the quality of the air in their prospective new home. But one thing that you will need to do is read the manual, as the scientific terminology that the EG Portable Pollution Monitor uses may have you baffled for a while.
For more quality products for your home, be sure to browse our list of the best room air purifiers for cigarette smoke.
Dylos DC1100 Pro
Don’t be fooled by your first impressions of this remarkably accurate device. Dylos is not a large company, and aesthetics was probably not foremost on their minds when designing the DC1100 Pro. This put aside, though, the incredible performance of this monitor makes the investment all worthwhile.
There are a lot of devices on the market that will do particle counts and give you a not-so-accurate result, but when the DC1100 counts particles, it really does count them. Even though the readout LCD screen is not all that user-friendly, it shouldn’t take too long to get used to the terminology, which by the way, is in simple English. Using some of the most advanced technology to monitor the air quality around you, it will also store up to 30 days of history, making tracking and reviewing a breeze.
Gain Express CO22
This unit is probably best suited in an industrial situation. Designed as a wall-mounted sensor and controller, the CO22 is the ideal device for measuring air quality in such places as an office building, schools, factories, hotels, even greenhouses. In fact, if there is a location that generates high levels of carbon dioxide, then the CO22 is the monitor you will want.
Pre-calibrated in the factory, this monitor is extremely accurate and gives you recall functions that not only show averages, but minimum and maximum levels recorded. It is produced to be fully functional with air-conditioning units and ventilation systems when high levels are detected. It is also intuitive enough to ensure that these systems only function when needed, saving you the expense of unnecessary energy consumption.
This level of technology is not suited to the average house in most cases, but it may well be worth investigating if you want to go to the next level in air quality monitoring.
For large spaces, be sure to invest in a reliable large room air purifier from our list.
Temtop LKC-1000E
It is said that size isn’t important, and the Temtop LKC-1000E is proof of that. This easily transportable parcel offers quite a bit of bang for its buck when it comes to detection power. Coming in at a similar size to your average television remote control, it is extremely easy to travel with.
The multi-functional laser particle detector will give you instant and accurate details about the quality of the air surrounding you. It features a 5-in-1 detector that displays its findings on a good size TFT screen that is easy to read and impressively clear to the eye.
Technically, the people at Temtop state that they are using the 3rd generation of laser particle sensors mated to an optimized PSO algorithm that makes particle measurements far more accurate and stable, all this with a sensor life of up to 20,000 hours. For those of you who may suffer from allergies, this portable device may be just the thing you are looking for when out and about or just going about your normal business.
GermGuardian Smart 4-in-1
Why settle for an air quality monitor when you can have a device that will not only detect but clean the air in your home as well? The GermGuardian Smart 4-in-1 may well be the “Rolls Royce” of home air quality monitors available on the market. This Wi-Fi supported purifier allows you total control of the air quality in your home from anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by simply downloading the app onto your personal device. Its inboard charcoal and HEPA filters assist in the capture of odors and allergens, all while the monitor analyzes and measures minute particles. The clever 4-in-1 cleaning system will automatically monitor and adjust to the conditions, keeping the air in your home clean and healthy.
The HEPA filter captures up to 99.97% of those nasty little allergens like dust, pollen, and even pet dander – you know, those tiny flakes of skin that all animals tend to leave laying around; all this while the charcoal filter removes those household odors that are inclined to linger on. The GermGuardian Smart 4-in-1 even helps reduce germs spreading by using UV-C light on passing microscopic viruses, mold spores, and nasty airborne bacteria. All this in a day’s work for the GermGuardian Smart 4-in-1 while you can enjoy a fresh and healthy environment.
Our guide to the top-rated small air purifiers offers more powerful products for your home. Check them out.
CO2Meter AZ-0004 Indoor
Let’s keep it simple, shall we? This little beauty silently does its thing 24/7 without missing a beat. Using a simple plug-and-play design, the AZ-0004 constantly measures room temperature and humidity while also recording the amount of CO2 in the air. Should the level exceed safe limits, it will alert you.
One of the beauties of the product is its ease of use; just plug it into a wall socket, and away it goes. It is self-calibrating and has the efficiency to last for years. Because it has no moving parts and is not affected by temperature change, the CO2Meter Az-0004 is as set-and-forget as an air quality monitor can get.